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Sixers Fans Plead for Dawn Staley as Head Coach Amid Recent Comments

Sixers fans want to see South Carolina coach make the jump to the NBA.
Kevin McCormick|
Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the first half of the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

In the midst of their injury-ridden season last year, the idea of a coaching change was brought up regularly for the Philadelphia 76ers. Although the franchise remains committed to Nick Nurse, some fans want to see him replaced by a historic successor.

On Wednesday, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley was a guest on Candace Parker's "Post Moves" podcast. The two dove into an array of topics, including her successful coaching career.

Amid all the success she's had with South Carolina, Parker asked Staley about making the jump to the pros. She went on to reveal that she was in consideration for an NBA position this summer, interviewing with the New York Knicks for their vacancy. However, the franchise ended up going with Mike Brown as its next head coach.

Sixers Dawn Staley
Apr 5, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley looks on during practice before the NCAA Woman’s Basketball final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

As Staley's latest comments started making the rounds online, a handful of Sixers fans weighed in with their thoughts. With her willing to coach in the NBA, they want to see her make history in her hometown.

Before making the move to South Carolina, Staley coached in Philadelphia at Temple University. She led the program for eight years, making the NCAA tournament on six occasions. Since then, Staley has gone on to capture three national championships with South Carolina.

While Nurse did catch his fair share of backlash last season, the Sixers made the right decision by keeping him around. It's tough to weigh in on his coaching given the circumstances. Seeing that multiple rotation players spent extended time on the sidelines, he spent the majority of the regular season shorthanded.

When discussing such a move as this, more than just coaching needs to be considered. Staley joining the NBA would be historic news, as she would be the first female head coach in history. Doing so in her hometown would be a feel-good story, but also come with an abundance of added media attention.

Seeing that they are already looking to recover from a season that fell way short of expectations, the last thing the Sixers want on their plate right now is the massive spotlight that would come with such a coaching decision.

As for Staley, she'll be returning to South Carolina to try and win a third national championship in the last five years.

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Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers FanNation's All76ers. Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda. 

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