Gamecock Digest

Dawn Staley A Pillar Of Stability & Success Amidst Ever-changing Landscape In SEC

Andrew Lyon

South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley talks with media after USC beat LSU for the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Title
South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley talks with media after USC beat LSU for the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Title / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

As Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for a Sweet 16 showdown with the Indiana Hoosiers that will take place on Friday, the landscape of the SEC in women's basketball continues to shift. On Tuesday afternoon, news broke that Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks was leaving Blacksburg, VA, to become the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, who have failed to register a winning record in each of the past two seasons. Brooks brings with him a near-ironclad coaching résumé, having made ten appearances in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach and leading the Hokies to their first Final Four in program history in 2023.

With the future of the ACC in doubt and Kentucky having a storied history in women's basketball despite their recent struggles, it's easy to see why Kenny is making the move to Lexington, KY. What does this mean for Dawn the Gamecocks? Simply put, the SEC is only getting tougher. The ramifications of conference realignment aren't just playing a role in Brooks jumping to Kentucky, as we'll also see Vic Schafer, who's been to three Final Fours in his coaching career, return to the conference next Fall wearing burnt orange for the Texas Longhorns. Throw in what Kim Mulkey has done at LSU, the remarkable job Yolett McPhee-McCuin has done at Ole Miss, and the speculation that the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are unsure about their future with head coach Kellie Harper, and it's a testament to what Staley has accomplished in Columbia despite the league undergoing constant change while becoming increasingly competitive.

Currently, the SEC has four head coaches who've been to the Final Four and three who have been a part of national championship teams (Schafer was an assistant at A&M when they won it all in 2011). This doesn't, of course, mean that Dawn is going to suddenly struggle to win league and national championships every season, but it does mean that when she does have success in the future, it should be lauded to an even higher degree, considering how much more difficult it will be for other teams to join that Tier 1 status South Carolina revels in year in, and year out.

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Andrew Lyon
ANDREW LYON

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