Dawn Staley’s USA Basketball Press Conference

On Friday at Williams-Brice Stadium, USA Basketball officially welcomed USC’s head coach Dawn Staley to the same position with the National Team, putting the five-time Olympic gold medalist in control of the stars and stripes through 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The Gamecocks leader previously played on first-place teams with the red, white, and blue in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 games, serving as the United States flag bearer in the later’s Opening Ceremony in Athens. She then served the squad as an assistant coach in 2008 and this past summer in Rio as a member of Geno Auriemma’s staff. The UConn head coach stepped down from the position following two successful runs to gold in London and Brazil in the previous Summer Olympiads. Team USA chose Staley as the next in line for the position, the 11th person to ever take on the job since the sport was added to the Olympics in 1976.

Carolina’s coach will now balance both roles with her school and her country, serving the United States on their run towards the 2018 FIBA World Cup in Spain, where they will attempt to qualify for Tokyo. She will also lead training camps, coach exhibition games, build a coaching staff, work to field a roster, among many other off-the-court responsibilities that come with the title.

Dawn has previous head coaching experience within the international game. She led the United States to gold in the 2007 Pan American Games, while also taking the top spot on the podium with the 2014 Under-18 team and 2015 Under-19 team in their age level World Championships.

To hear extended coverage from coach Staley’s press conference, click the video above from ABC Columbia Sports.