“That doesn’t make me a great coach:” When $12 million worth Dawn Staley explained the self-coined “master in basketball” phrase

Dawn Staley is one of the best college basketball coaches in history, having won three national championships with the South Carolina Gamecocks. During a chat with Dr. Michael Gervais on his "Finding Mastery" podcast, which premiered on YouTube in August 2021, Staley explained the reasoning behind calling herself a "master in basketball."

Gervais asked Staley what her approach is 'from abundance.' The South Carolina coach replied that she has an abundance of things that have shaped her because of her successes. When it comes to her teaching style, Staley remarked that she wants it to be as simple as possible.

"I think I’m a master in basketball," Staley said (22:07). "For the time that I have put in, I think I’m masterful when it comes to knowing certain things on the floor."

"But that doesn’t make me a great coach because I know more than other people. What makes me a great coach is I know how to meet people where they are to take them where they need to go."

Staley, who has a net worth of $12 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), gave an example of teaching her players defense before the start of every season. She has given the same lesson throughout her coaching career, meaning the juniors and seniors already know the topic but she has to teach it again for the freshmen, who are new to her system.

The stats really do speak for themselves when it comes to Dawn Staley, and with her history of success in college basketball, there are few who disagree with her "master in basketball" comments.

Dawn Staley's championship history with South Carolina backs up "master in basketball" comments

Dawn Staley's coaching method has worked wonders for South Carolina, with the Gamecocks winning three NCAA titles since she took over in 2008. She delivered the program's first-ever title in 2017 with the help of A'ja Wilson, who scored 23 points in the national championship game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

A'ja Wilson #22 and head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks hold the NCAA trophy and celebrate with their team after winning the 2017 championship game against the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (Photo: Getty)

Dawn Staley brought another NCAA championship to Columbia in 2022, leading South Carolina to a 64-49 win over Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies in the title game. Destanni Henderson led the top-seeded Gamecocks to victory, recording 26 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Staley and the Gamecocks completed one of the best seasons in college basketball history last year, going undefeated through 38 games in their 2023-24 campaign. South Carolina defeated Caitlin Clark's Iowa 87-75 in the 2024 final to claim its third national championship.

The Gamecocks are eying another championship this season, and stand 26-3 at time of writing, following an 82-54 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores. South Carolina is ranked at No. 6 and has bounced back nicely from a tough run of fixtures that included losses to Texas and UConn. Can Staley and Co. repeat in 2025?