Dawn Staley listed as name to watch to replace Jason Kidd for Dallas Mavericks job

According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is a “name to watch” in the Dallas Mavericks coaching search. The Mavs just fired Jason Kidd, as the organization goes through a complete reset. Staley getting NBA interviews is nothing new — potentially getting a chance in Dallas.

“Staley, the WNBA great and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, has won three national championships in her 18-year run as South Carolina women’s basketball coach,” Clark said. “Last summer, the Knicks interviewed her for their head coaching job, and Staley said she would have accepted the post if offered… One NBA executive told The Athletic that it wouldn’t be shocking if the Mavericks wanted to interview Staley.”

The Mavericks just hired Masai Ujiri as the new team president. Clark also pointed out that Ujiri has a history of bringing in female candidates for interviews. He did so with the Toronto Raptors a few years ago, speaking to Becky Hammond. Of course, Hammond did not receive the Raptors job but did go through the process.

Staley has coached in 625 games at South Carolina, winning 511 of them. As mentioned, three national championships are on the resume. Another five Final Fours pop up too.

From an SEC perspective, the Gamecocks have 10 regular season titles and nine tournament championships under Staley. South Carolina has done nothing but win since Staley took over the program.

More on Dallas Mavericks, head coach opening

New days are ahead for the Dallas Mavericks. For the most part, pieces involved with the Luka Doncic trade are out. The main name there is Nico Harrison, who did not make it through the entire 2025-2026 season as the general manager. However, Kidd had his say on the matter, only to be let go as the head coach.

One piece is more attractive than anything else right now. The Mavericks (literally) won the lottery with Cooper Flagg. An incredible debut season got rewarded with Rookie of the Year, beating out his old Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel. Flagg will turn 20 years old in December, meaning plenty of good basketball is ahead of him.

Right now, no move for the team is more important than finding the next head coach. Ujiri has been put up to the task, alongside general manager Mike Schmitz. From there, the three of them can begin to figure out who the Mavericks will take with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.