Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Staley is probably a name top of mind and familiar to many right now as the South Carolina Gamecocks just won their second national championship in three years defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes who were led by phenom guard, Caitlin Clark.
However, Staley has been at the top of her game for a while now in Columbia after inheriting a program that needed to be rebuilt in 2009. And Staley did just that. Starting in 2012, Staley led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and has not looked back since. In fact, Staley has led the team to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances in a row, and four final fours in a row dating back to 2021.
During her 16 year run in Columbia, Staley has a record of 439-106.