Dawn Staley delivers incredible gesture to honor Mike Leach: 'What a class act'
Dawn Staley is a championship head coach, but leading the South Carolina women’s basketball program is not the only example of leadership for Staley.
Playing Mississippi State on Sunday, Staley wore a T-shirt to honor the late Mike Leach, the Mississippi State football coach who died last month after heart complications. Staley and her players and staff wore their shirts before and during the game against State. The shirts read, “Mike Leach Legend/Swing Your Sword.”
MSU coach Sam Purcell noted the gesture, and applauded Staley.
“What a class act,” Purcell said. “The fact that she got T-shirts made for Mike Leach again just speaks about her — what a special person she is.”
South Carolina won the game, 58-51.
Sam Purcell on Dawn Staley: “What a class act. The fact that she got T-shirts made for Mike Leach again just speaks about her — what a special person she is.”
— Grace Ybarra (@gnybarra) January 8, 2023
Dawn Staley and the @GamecockWBB staff are wearing shirts in honor of Mike Leach at their game against Mississippi State ❤️ pic.twitter.com/yrBeT3VgYn
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 8, 2023
She ever going to apologize to the BYU Athletics Association and their fans for not only buying into the lies that Duke volleyball player said, but spreading them further than they should’ve gone?
Another Woke coach who’s infiltrated sports preaching the gospel of v i c t i m hood instead of trying to empower her players through the traditional values that have always made athletes strong like competition and meritocracy.
This…⬆️. Why should we believer her sincerity for one minute about anything when she acts like she did with regards to the BYU “incident”?
Amen to both of you. Came here to make a similar statement.
I always thought the same thing. She was wrong about BYU and never said a word. SC lets her do what she wants, right or wrong.
Carolina has a balless AD.
S.C. has a real AD ? Not really, just a former baseball coach.
Except she wasn’t wrong, BYU and Duke player did not have evidence (audio,Video) that it did or it didn’t happen. It’s an accusation that can’t be proven either way. Staley took it serious others didn’t.
You sound like a Tillman tech fan about Dumbo doing no wrong. There is zero evidence that this happened from video and first hand eye witnesses. The godmother or whatever relation to the Duke player had a history of making up r@cist lies. Mormons don’t even drink caffeine and aren’t known for cussing either they are very strict. Staley if it weren’t for 2 natties with a de facto 3rd she’d been gone. It’s not the first time she jumped the gun on this, she was wrong admit it and move on but she doubled and tripled down on it. Lost a lot of respect for her over this. We’re lucky she and usc weren’t sued for slander.
I can easily say there is zero evidence that supports it didn’t happen, plus there was a report a month later of BYU fans allegedly doing the same act at a different sporting event. Again, Staley chose to believe the student athlete, you are choosing to believe the university and that’s ok, no need for an apology.
I believe facts not agenda. It happened again I’m calling bs because the race baiting media would have been over it.
I don’t think you know what facts are. Fact is you weren’t there so you don’t know. Also, there was some coverage of the alleged event w/BYU women’s soccer, you can look it up.
Tgey r handing out ice water in heck. I agree with Corch. Show some real class and apologize AND condemn that lieing troublemaker.
Umm, you do know she’s won two national championships, right? And she doesn’t believe in competition? Just cuz she says things you may disagree with or that make you uncomfortable? Oh, and the opposite of woke is sleep, that rhymes with sheep…
That’s great. Urban Myer won national championships too.
To clarify, she’s not a class act. Driving division between people through blatant lies is not leadership. That’s not disagreement, that’s fact.
Where is your proof it was a blatant lie and causing division are on those that decide to divide. I view her as a class act, that cares for players and is a phenomenal coach, you choose to see something different.
Gotta agree with Vol fan, Kimsey on this one. Creating a divisive atmosphere is not how to bring people together. I lost a lot of respect for Dawn after a few incidents happened. A great basketball coach who should stick to coaching the Lady Cocks.
Dawn sticks up for her players, if that’s divisive to you guys, that’s fine, you are choosing to be divided, that’s not on Dawn.
Feel free to go ahead and defend her actions with regards to the BYU incident please.
Easy she believes the young player over the institutions investigation, what’s difficult about that.
Oh I’m sure all of you rushed to the comment section to condemn Auburn and Freeze hire yes? THere was no evidence one way or the other, so of course she stands up for her player thats what any good coach would do. Anything ‘woke’ or anything close to race (especially when people of color do something wrong) and this comment section explodes like a middle school message board. So triggered, so hypocritical.
Also, BYU is M0rmon. They aren’t really known for being the most accepting of people outside of their community. I’d wager if any of you had to bet real money, you’d bet that the incident happened.
I’d bet it didn’t happen, and it didn’t happen to Dawn’s player as you implied above….and this is nothing similar to Hugh Freeze. I assume you are insinuating Mormons are r acist? I’m not buying what you are selling.
bill I’m assuming you thought Herschel Walker was the most qualified candidate and voted for him. If thats the case, then your opinion simply doesn’t matter. Go drink mountain dew in your trailer.
Willybob…the entire sports world knows basically everything about Freeze. Dawn, on the other hand, was known only as great basketball coach until a couple incidents happened. It does not matter if it were BYU/NYU/CSU/NCSU/OSU. The name of the school is immaterial.
So because you already knew about Freeze it wasn’t a big deal for auburn to hire him? He $exually harassed/assaulted multiple women- Dawn stood up for her player. You do realize that America is a very divided country when it comes to race right? You still don’t know anything about Dawn-nothing ever came from the investigation. She was standing up for her player which is exactly what she should do. Also, read up on Mormons-they probably hate non-wh!tes more than most people on this site which is saying something. She has more integrity in her left pu$y flap than most coaches in the country.
Which player of Dawn’s? You don’t even know what you are talking about. Nothing happened to Dawn’s players, and I’m sure I voted more intelligently than you!
Hey moron. The player was from Dook University, not USC Jr.
Hard pass…
WOW – I just read some of the previous comments. Sheesh – cut her a break – she just honored an opposing SEC coach who died suddenly.
I get it – I don’t agree with her all the time either – but she is a heck of a coach and the Gamecock Nation is VERY happy to have her.
Why? She should do what she is paid to do….coach. Always a political agenda with her. Fair target.
you do have a point. Sometimes I wish she would just stick with Basketball too.
Truth!
Bill…Agreed. Sports & Politics rarely produce a win for a head coach.
Nothing political about it. That’s the problem with the world now, ever move someone doesn’t agree with is considered “politically motivated.”
Nope. We’re gonna call her behavior out every time until she addresses it. I’m sure she never will, and that’s what truly speaks to her character. Not an empty gesture.
Gamecock Nation is happy to have her as a coach but embarrassed to have her as a spokesperson for anti-American causes.
26 weeks at #1. Let that marinate for a moment.
I saw this team win a game last week shooting 26% from the field. Let that marinate for a moment.
The key word is “win”. How many other teams can do that?
So, this woke coach has now equated a great football coach with an anti-American drug smuggler.
Great basketball coach, horrible representative of our great university.
I don’t follow women’s basketball much and didn’t remember the incident about BYU, so I did some research. Evidently, that was more than Staley did. She took the word of one person she doesn’t even know over a full investigation that shows the accusations weren’t true. Winning trumps all for some is all I can figure. It’s a horrible look for the leadership at SC.
To be fair the investigation didn’t prove anything either way. I view it as she took care of her players based on a player from another teams experience, knee jerk, maybe but I know what all the outrage is really about from the commenters.
Proud of Staley and glad she’s at SC.
How about stand for the National Anthem, after all this country made you a millionaire!
President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
This is still a dumb comment, no matter how many times you post it.
This times a million.
I’ll stand when I chose. Bill you do you and I will do me, that’s the true meaning of Freedom.
That’s fine. If you represent an institution and it’s your employer’s dime, then that’s another story.
Don’t use what the University gave you as your political pulpit.
Nothing political about it. If she feels strongly enough that this occurred then I would hope she would protect her players.
As far as the national anthem it’s her right to take a knee anytime friendo. Do some research about why the taking of the knee took place and maybe you wouldn’t melt when someone takes one.
There is no evidence. I am sure BYU would have handled it properly if they knew it happened. UGA kicked a baseball player out of school for the same thing. Are you not going to play UGA again because of one player, after the university took action? This is just wrong Bill. Please provide the proof or apologize. I have watched Dawn divide and embarrass this state with her politics time and again…and she uses the universities stage to do it. Just wrong in so many ways.
There is no proof either way, you are choosing to side with one voice, Dawn chose the other. No need for apology. I could ask you for proof too but there is none, either way. Dawn thinks of her players first, you wanna see that as division and embarrassment, that’s on you. I’m proud of Staley and more importantly the University of SC is proud of her, they see nothing wrong with it.
Oh lawd, no getting through to you Bill. No evidence no crime. Enjoy the game tonight Bill!
Ty and I will, go Dawgs, agree to disagree, just because it’s not recorded doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.