Dawn Staley’s next legacy may have nothing to do with basketball

Dawn Staley has already built a legacy at South Carolina that is difficult to separate from basketball.

Three national championships.

625 wins.

Eight Final Four appearances.

But the newest chapter of Staley’s South Carolina story is happening somewhere other than the basketball court.

It is happening inside a classroom.

The University of South Carolina has launched the Dawn Staley Leadership Academy, bringing 110 students into its first cohort and giving Staley a new way to influence students who may never play a minute for the Gamecocks.

That distinction matters.

This is not simply a program carrying the name of a famous basketball coach.

The academy is built around leadership principles Staley has developed throughout her life and career, including ideas from her book, Uncommon Favor.

Students will earn six academic credit hours through the program, with Staley making frequent appearances and faculty members guiding the coursework.

And the curriculum goes beyond the usual definition of leadership.

USC’s published “game plan” starts with a question that sounds almost like the beginning of a basketball practice:

Who am I as a leader?

Students are expected to examine their own purpose, discipline and leadership identity before moving into questions about how they help other people grow.

From there, the program expands into team building, communication, accountability, conflict negotiation and group dynamics.

Eventually, students are asked to consider something bigger:

How do I lead beyond my title?

That is where Staley’s basketball background becomes particularly relevant.

Her coaching career has been built around more than X’s and O’s.

The academy’s curriculum describes leadership as something that extends beyond an individual or a team and into communities.

Students will eventually complete a Community Impact Project centered on mentorship, leadership development and lasting community impact.

That means the goal is not simply to produce students who can take charge.

It is to produce students who understand what they are responsible for once they have influence.

And that may be the most interesting part of what Staley is building at USC.

The first cohort was not simply handed a spot.

The students went through an interview process before being selected.

Those who complete the academy will receive a Staley Scholar leadership distinction at graduation, while a milestone-based scholarship funded through an outside donation will provide another incentive for students who complete the program.

The university is also preparing a permanent physical home for the academy inside the Close-Hipp Building.

USC describes the program as a professional development experience designed to prepare students to influence their industries, strengthen their communities and lead beyond graduation.

That makes the academy different from another honorary program attached to a prominent coach.

Staley is putting her name behind a framework that USC intends to keep developing.

The university’s current academy materials describe future Staley Leaders as students who will receive leadership coaching, professional development, networking opportunities and hands-on experience in areas such as public speaking and project management.

And there is already evidence that Staley’s influence at USC extends well beyond her basketball roster.

Earlier this year, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honor that USC noted recognizes leaders across academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research and science.

The Leadership Academy adds another dimension to that work.

For nearly two decades, South Carolina has watched Staley develop basketball players.

Now, the university is giving her a classroom full of students to develop leaders.

That could eventually become one of the most lasting parts of her South Carolina story.

Not another championship banner.

Not another record.

But a group of students carrying Staley’s leadership principles into industries and communities far beyond the basketball court.