Staley on Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley is among the 15 entries on the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List Presented by AXIA Time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. The only coach to win the award in three straight seasons, Staley has claimed the award four times in the last six seasons.
Staley entered the 2025-26 season with just one returning starter and two high-volume reserves after injuries and graduation drastically altered the roster from the 2025 NCAA Runner-Up team. Replacing over 60 percent of her offense, she added the 2025 NCAA leading scorer and a top SEC center from the transfer portal along with a pair of top-15 freshmen.
Expectations were still high, and the Gamecocks remain in the conversation for a fourth national championship as Staley adapted her strategy to fit her personnel and nurtured them through the growing pains of new roles. The re-tooled Gamecocks are ranked third in both polls with seven wins over ranked opponents, including four against top-10 teams. South Carolina’s offense is ranked third in the nation in points per game (87.8) and field goal percentage (.383). Defensively, the Gamecocks remain among the nation’s best, ranking 18th in scoring defense (56.3), second in field goal percentage defense (.336) and fifth in blocks per game (6.2).
No. 3/3 South Carolina faces a pair of ranked opponents this week, traveling to No. 25/24 Alabama for an 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff on Thu., Feb. 19, on SEC Network and the hosting No. 17/17 Ole Miss in a noon game on Sun., Feb. 22, on ESPN with College Game Day broadcasting live from Colonial Life Arena beginning at 11 a.m.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the program.
2026 Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List
Geno Auriemma, UConn
Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma
Kim Barnes-Arico, Michigan
Carla Berube, Princeton
Cori Close, UCLA
Krista Gerlich, Texas Tech
Jan Jensen, Iowa
Kara Lawson Duke
Kevin McGuff, Ohio State
Kim Mulkey, LSU
Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt
Tammi Reiss, Rhode Island
Vic Schaefer, Texas
Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Jeff Walz, Louisville
