Is Dawn Staley related to Duce Staley? Exploring the link between the South Carolina HC and Cleveland Browns RB coach

The South Carolina Lady Gamecocks are currently at the top of women's college basketball partly because of the guidance of an amazing coach in Dawn Staley. Her team remains undefeated through 18 games and it is safe to say that she is at the top of her career. But if her name sounds familiar (especially for NFL fans), then don't be surprised.

She shares her last name with Cleveland Browns RB coach Duce Staley. But are the two related at all? That question will be answered here.

Is Dawn Staley related to Duce Staley?

No, she isn't. The two only have the same last name, but there's no familial connection of any kind. However, the two do share a tiny connection to the state of South Carolina.

Dawn Staley's parents were natives of the Palmetto State before moving to Philadelphia in their teen years. They eventually stayed there and raised their five children, including the future South Carolina women's hoops coach.

Duce Staley, on the other hand, attended school in the state and was a former All-State wide receiver for the Gamecocks in his college days.

Connecting on social media

Despite not having familial relations, Dawn Staley has shown support for Duce online. Dawn herself was particularly supportive of the current Panthers assistant HC, posting a photo of her wearing a Philadelphia Eagles jersey in 2018 in support of Duce.

At the time, he was the head coach of the Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots:

However, with Duce Staley having no apparent presence online, she only managed to tag an unofficial profile.

Did Dawn and Duce Staley go to the same school?

No, they did not. They would never have caught up in college in real life too, as they studied in different schools. Dawn was a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she played for four years. She also suited up for four different professional basketball teams post her college hoops career.

Duce was a senior in South Carolina in 1996. By that year, Dawn was already a professional hoops player for the now-defunct women's American Basketball League (ABL). The same year, she played for the Richmond/Philadelphia Rage basketball team. Duce, on the other hand, would then be drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 and play there till 2003.

The two would then retire from professional play around 2006, which is another commonality that they share.