South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley once talked about what she wants to be remembered for her legacy, and it’s not her coaching career. Back in May of last year, coach Staley was once again on the cover of that month’s WSLAM magazine, through which a feature interview on the outlet’s YouTube channel about Staley was uploaded.
In one part of the video, Staley, who has a net worth of $12 million per Celebrity Net Worth, was talking about both her former and current players from her Gamecocks program. With this, she shared what kind of legacy she wants to bestow on her, through which she details that praises of her coaching career should come from them and not from anybody else.
“I want my legacy to be an odds-beater. Like I’m an odds-beater. The odds said that I wouldn’t be an Olympian, that I wouldn’t be the head coach of an Olympic team, and to have coached 24 years in this game. I think I know that I don’t care about a legacy. I really don’t care about a personal legacy. I’m going to let my players talk about the legacy that they feel that they were able to feel every day from our coaching staff,” Staley shared. (4:32)
“I don’t have to say it, I don’t have to say anything; they say it. And you don’t really hear my name as being like a great coach, but there’s an extent knowing I probably am known to be a “players’ coach” whatever that means. But to win three national championships and to not be an “X’s and O’s” coach and only be a players’ coach, I think we’re doing pretty good. If the X’s and O’s coach aren’t winning national championships, I know they will probably flip it and be a players’ coach,” she added.
In present time, Staley is coming off of a 2024-25 season with the Gamecocks in which they finished the year with an overall record of 35-4 (15-1 SEC). They went all the way to this year’s national championship game, but succumbed to defeat to the UConn Huskies by 23 points, 82-59.
Dawn Staley shares what she cares most about when it comes to her legacy
Later on the same interview with WSLAM, coach Dawn Staley shared what exactly she cares most about when people perceive her legacy. For her, it goes beyond what she’s accomplished and more so the experience that any of her players have had under her tutelage.
“What I do care about is our players, their experiences, their legacy, because the more of a legacy they have, it comes back. So, I just want to do right by our players,” Staley said. (5:59)
Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks will now pursue their fourth national championship, third in the last five years, when college basketball returns in the upcoming 2025-26 season.
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