28
Aug
Opinion & Analysis
Blind Interview: Which coach would you hire?
Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
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Coaching resume vs coaching resume: Who would you hire to coach your NBA team?
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Two resumes side by side for a vacant head coaching position at a famous NBA franchise (no guesses).
Who wins the job?
Both have been coaching for more than 25 years, one within the NBA fraternity (Candidate 2), the other after a Hall of Fame career as a player (Candidate 1).
Here are their respective resumes side-by-side in a Blind Resume Comparison:
Professional Coaching Record
- Candidate 1 — 629–187 (.771 win percentage)
- Candidate 2 — 504–344 (.559 win percentage)
Championship Success (Coaching)
- Candidate 1 — 3× NCAA National Champion; 6× Final Four appearances
- Candidate 2 — 4× NBA Champion not as a head coach but as assistant/associate coach; 1× NBA Finals appearance as head coach (lost).
Conference / Division Titles
- Candidate 1 — 9× Conference Championships
- Candidate 2 — 1× Division Title
Coach of the Year Honours
- Candidate 1 — Multiple National Coach of the Year awards
- Candidate 2 — 2× NBA Coach of the Year (2009, 2023 — first unanimous winner in NBA history)
Hall of Fame / Legacy
- Candidate 1 — Naismith Hall of Fame; FIBA Hall of Fame (2025)
- Candidate 2 — Not yet a Hall of Famer, but active NBA coach with 20+ years of playoff experience
Playing Career Accomplishments
- Candidate 1 — Elite international player and point guard:
- 3× Olympic Gold Medalist
- 5× All-Star
- Naismith College Player of the Year
- Widely regarded as one of the greatest guards in basketball history
- Candidate 2 — Did not play professionally; focused career on scouting, video coordination, and assistant coaching starting in the 1990s.
These are just two candidates the New York Knicks had to choose from in their search for a new head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau after the 2024-25 where he lead to the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Candidate 2 is Mike Brown, 55. Candidate 1 is Dawn Staley, 55, who was vying to become the first female coach in the history of the NBA.
Staley, who is the head coach of South Carolina in NCAA women's basketball, told the Post Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston on August 28 (AEST) she had interviewed for the job.
"I interviewed for the Knicks," Staley revealed.
"It was the same interview that everybody else that was in their candidate pool. I thought I did pretty well.
"I was well prepared for the interview. If the Knicks would have offered me the job, I would have had to do it.
"Not just for me, it's for women, for just to break open that. And it's the New York Knicks and I'm from Philly, but it's the freaking New York Knicks.
"I did say that in the interview. It's freaking New York Knicks. Would I take any NBA job? No.
"Has the New York Knicks organisation in its history ever had what you're looking for? They wanted a team.
"They wanted the inclusiveness with management and the coaches. They wanted to feel like a closely knit franchise.
"The answer was no. But if you don't hire anybody different, how you gonna get that?"
And there you have it. The Knicks haven't won a championship since 1973 — 52 years — by doing the same thing over and over again.
Don't think she would have been an equally-opportunity hire, Staley is a leader, an elite coach, a winner both as a player and head coach. The Knicks had the opportunity to change not only the trajectory of the NBA but for all women in sport.
They chose not to.
Yes, coaching in college is different to the the NBA but Staley was a five-time WNBA All-Star so to suggest she doesn't have the experience "locker room experience" is nonsense.
By no means is this a criticism of Coach Brown. He won the job with his Finals experience, playoff success, and ability to develop players while Staley has no NBA experience but these players can tell a similar story:
A’ja Wilson
- A transformational force at South Carolina, Wilson became an NCAA champion and has since won multiple WNBA titles.
- A statue of her stands outside Colonial Life Arena, and her jersey (#22) is retired in her honour.
Aliyah Boston
- Star centre and dominant college player, named 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year.
- One of the prominent WNBA talents groomed by Staley’s program.
Tiffany Mitchell and Allisha Gray
- Both standout players who developed under Staley and went on to impactful professional careers.EssentiallySports+15Just Women's Sports+15WHYY+15
Te-Hina Paopao
- A shooting specialist recruited by Staley known for her elite three-point shooting.
- As a senior, she led the nation with 48.6% from beyond the arc and was a calm, strategic leader on the court.
Tyasha Harris
- A stellar playmaker, she became the first Gamecock to record more than 700 career assists.
- Winner of the 2020 Dawn Staley Award, SEC Female Athlete of the Year, and an All-American, crowned NCAA champion in 2017.
Kamilla Cardoso
- A key piece in South Carolina’s 2024 national championship — the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
- A physical presence in the paint who excelled as both a starter and impactful bench player.
Sania Feagin
- Showcased both scoring and defensive contributions, culminating in a breakout senior season in 2025.
- Named to the All‑SEC tournament team and SEC All‑Defensive Team.
La’Keisha Sutton
- Staley’s first recruit at South Carolina, who helped the team reach its first-ever Sweet 16 in 2012.
- A fan favorite who scored nearly 1,300 points during her college career and went on to play professionally and with the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Knicks hiring Staley would have been a monumental moment in the history of sport. The Knicks chose to go in a different direction but it's only a matter of time before a coach of Staley's calibre, or Staley herself will be walking the sidelines of an NBA arena.
I can't wait.
