South Carolina's Dawn Staley and UConn's Dan Hurley make the list of SI's 50 Most Influential Sports Figures 

Dawn Staley and Dan Hurley are the only college basketball coaches to be included in Sports Illustrated's 50 Most Influential Sports Figures list. The South Carolina women's and UConn men's coaches were included under the Icons and Leaders category along with Bob Bowman, Texas director of swimming and diving; Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager; Emma Hayes, USWNT coach; and more.

Sports Illustrated associate editor Clare Brennan wrote about Staley's achievements as a player and as the Gamecocks' coach:

"At a time when women’s college basketball has attained the kind of liftoff that its supporters had long hoped for, it’s fitting that a stalwart of the sport is running its greatest powerhouse. Last season Staley, a two-time Naismith player of the year as a point guard at Virginia in 1991 and ’92 and six-time WNBA All-Star, coached South Carolina to its third national title since 2017."

Brennan mentioned that South Carolina was sixth in the preseason rankings but went on to have an undefeated season. With the return of most of the core players for the upcoming season, Dawn Staley has a good shot at cutting down the nets again for the fourth time.

Kevin Sweeney, staff writer at Sports Illustrated, highlighted Dan Hurley's family history and wrote:

"In a family of coaches, he had long been known as the 'third Hurley,' behind father Bob and brother Bobby. But that was before Dan led UConn to back-to-back national championships while winning all 12 NCAA tournament games by double digits. "

Sweeney also wrote about Dan Hurley's offseason, which saw him receive high-profile offers from Kentucky and the LA Lakers. With the coach choosing to stay with the Huskies and extending his time with a new, six-year $50 million contract, he is now poised to create history in the upcoming season.

Dawn Staley and Dan Hurley could take the trip to the White House once again

On Sept. 10, Dawn Staley and Dan Hurley visited the White House with their teams to celebrate their 2024 NCAA championships with President Joe Biden. With the 2024-25 season, the two coaches have the chance to repeat this once again.

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks are the favorites to win their first back-to-back titles. This comes despite heavy competition from stacked teams like the USC Trojans and UConn Huskies.

Dan Hurley and his Huskies are not the highest on the list of potential title winners due to major additions to Alabama's and Kansas' rosters in the offseason. However, he is still in conversations as a potential champion due to his history of taking his newly rebuilt teams to a title in the last two years.