Philadelphia 76ers: 10 head coaching candidates to consider

8 of 11

(Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images) /

Sixers coaching candidate: Dawn Staley

Arguably the most accomplished and qualified candidate on this list, Dawn Staley is an absolute titan in the basketball world. The Philadelphia native has an extensive resume, filled with success as both a player and a coach. If she’s willing to give the Sixers an interview — which appears to be the case — it would be negligent not to bring her in.

Staley is a six-time WNBA All-Star, a two-time Naismith Player of the Year, and in 2011, was named one of the 15 greatest players in WNBA history. As a coach, she has been an assistant to Geno Auriemma on Team USA, and won the NCAA Tournament with South Carolina in 2017. She was college basketball’s Coach of the Year this season.

With such a broad resume, Staley should have no trouble gaining the respect of players in the NBA. There’s always a considerable risk in bringing college coaches to the NBA — success does not always translate — but as we have seen with Brad Stevens and the aforementioned Billy Donovan, there are equally as many cases of success as there are of failure.

Staley has been a college head coach since 2000, starting with Temple before transitioning to South Carolina in 2008. She has Philly blood, and Philadelphia tends to value homegrown talent. Staley getting the opportunity to add to her local legend as Sixers head coach — while breaking a glass ceiling or two in the process — is an exciting proposition.