ODJ: Staley's Choice

Within a few days, we should know whether Coach Dawn Staley will be back on North Broad Street next season, or whether she’ll be patrolling the sidelines at South Carolina, which has contacted her about its vacant head job, according to published reports.

Staley is in the enviable position of being able to make her decision based almost solely on her basketball aspirations.

It’s not about money. It’s not about loyalty to her hometown. Staley has done as much as anyone for the City of Philadelphia over the past 10 years. And it’s not about Temple, which has gained immeasurably from its association with one of the greatest female athletes in American sports history.

Staley has been well-compensated, and the Owls have helped launch a wonderful new career for the pride of the Raymond Rosen projects. Little more than eight years ago, the 30-something point guard had never given serious thought to the coaching profession. Temple changed her mind.

And here she is, six NCAA Tournament appearances later, with another SEC program knocking on her door.

Last year, it was Florida that rang the bell and offered the whole schmear – big money, and the opportunity to compete every day at the highest level of women’s college basketball.

You think the power structure in men’s basketball is tilted towards the BCS conferences? Women’s basketball power isn’t really concentrated in the conferences as much as it’s concentrated in a handful of programs – and coaches.

No, playing in the SEC doesn’t guarantee you a chance to go to the Final Four. In fact, it could be argued, life in the SEC means always playing second fiddle to Tennessee (11 Final Four appearances in the last 14 years) and LSU (five straight Final Four appearances). Technically, it could be called third fiddle.

But does anyone think Staley doesn’t want that challenge?

She came to Temple, which had suffered 10 straight losing seasons, and stated at her introductory press conference that she aimed to take the Owls to the Final Four. If Philadelphia Daily News columnist Bill Conlin was in the audience that day, he would have laughed her off and penned her as “Dawn Sugar Bowl.”

It didn’t take long for Staley to prove her coaching mastery.

Then again, eight years later, for all of her success, the Owls still seem to be a great distance from the stated goal. They took an enormous step, going from also-rans to annual NCAA Tournament participants. But the next step may be tougher.

That’s why, despite the supposed Tennessee-LSU ceiling, it’s easier to get to the Final Four from Columbia, S.C., than it is from North Philadelphia. Because you can’t get there without Final Four talent. You can’t beat the best without at least a few players who could just as well be wearing an orange Volunteer jersey.

At Temple, Staley has had just a few of those players.

Every year, Tennessee gets three or four of the nation’s top 50 recruits. Every year, UConn and Rutgers get three or four of the nation’s top 50 recruits. LSU grabs a few. Duke and North Carolina grab a few.

So where do the rest of the top prospects go?

To coin a phrase, if you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em. Or at least try. If you can’t play for one of the super-elite programs, at least you can play against them.

That’s how the Big East has risen from a one-hit wonder (UConn) to a league that sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament this past season. And Marquette won the WNIT.

Meanwhile, the ‘improved” Atlantic 10 sent three teams to the NCAAs. No doubt, Temple and Xavier and George Washington are a terrific trio. But it’s been awhile since St. Joseph’s and Richmond were true contenders. And nobody else has sniffed the NCAA Tournament in more than a decade.

If Staley was the world’s greatest recruiter, and Temple women’s basketball was drawing sizable crowds to The Liacouras Center, then she might stay on North Broad Street forever. But even Staley, with her name, has only been able to convince two High School All-Americans to join the Owls during her eight-year tenure.

For awhile, that could be blamed on her simultaneous pro basketball career. Because nothing beats face time on the recruiting trail, even when everybody already knows your face. But Staley retired from the WNBA a couple years ago, and her recruiting output hasn’t upticked considerably.

Don’t blame Staley. Blame Temple. Blame the A-10.

Even if women’s basketball isn’t a hot ticket in South Carolina, it’s on the same stage as the hottest ticket in the women’s game. The Gamecocks haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003. But they went to the Elite Eight in 2002 – the same year that Staley’s Owls earned the first of six NCAA bids.

Look at it this way: South Carolina won more NCAA games (three) in 2002 than Temple has won (two) in Staley’s whole tenure.

Staley knows she can win anywhere. Her experience on North Broad Street proves that. But her experience also proves that she may not be able to achieve the Final Four goal she talked about on day one.

You don’t think she thirsts to compete against the best every single day?

In between her college coaching duties, Staley has filled the void of playing the game with a long-term coaching commitment to the USA National Team. Besides winning the NCAA Championship, Staley’s other stated goal is to coach Team USA in the Olympics.

In other words, she won’t be intimidated by Pat Summitt.

In terms of money, the only role that figures to play in Staley’s decision is the commitment that South Carolina makes to its program. Because she won’t want to step into a situation where not only Tennessee and LSU, but every other SEC program has a distinct advantage over her team. The Gamecocks won’t likely be willing to match Temple’s salary commitment to Staley, but they’ve definitely got more operational resources.

Last year, facing the same kind of choice, Staley decided to stay on North Broad Street, reportedly signing a six-year contract extension. Now she’s facing a similar choice.

The deciding factor may be the players ... but which players?

Will Staley stick with the players she recruited to come to Temple, or does she want a chance to coach the players that were recruited by former South Carolina coach Susan Walvius? The Gamecocks’ Class of 2008 is ranked 15th in the nation by HoopGurlz.com. This from a perennial SEC also-ran.

It’s not an easy choice. But at least it’s all about basketball.