"Should have been Bluder", "Had to be Dawn": College hoops fans divided as South Carolina HC wins Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year

Dawn Staley was named Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year on Wednesday. It marked the South Carolina Gamecocks head coach's third consecutive season winning the award, and her fourth time doing so in the past five years. The Naismith Awards' official Twitter account shared the news, tweeting:

"🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 : Dawn Staley is the 2024 @wernerladderco Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year 🔥 @gamecockwbb | #WernerLadderNaismith"

Check out the tweet from Naismith Awards below:

Fans had mixed reactions to Dawn Staley once again taking home the honors. @RogerJWetlaufer believes that Iowa Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder should have won the prestigious award:

"I think it should have been Bluder as she had the National player of the year but Staley has the bona fides as well."

@CoachMason33 disagreed with the assessment that Caitlin Clark's success should have won Bluder the award:

"Bluder’s a great coach, but having Clark isn’t a reason to win this award. Staley replaced her entire starting 5 and her team is undefeated. I don’t care how good her recruiting is, that’s an incredible feat."

@showmethesea claimed that if UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma did not win the award, Staley should have:

"if it couldn’t be Geno, it had to be Dawn"

@Southernheat21 believes the right coach won the award:

"Congrats Coach Staley! Well deserved 🙌🏿"

Despite being a Hawkeyes fan, @skywalkjake believes Staley deserved the award:

"Congratulations and well deserved Coach Staley! I am an Iowan through and through, but no doubt you deserved this award."

@B1GTime0_o noted that the Gamecocks remain undefeated entering the Final Four:

"Hard to argue with 36-0, well deserved 🤝"

@Christy51WScott praised Staley:

". EARNED IT! Congratulations @dawnstaley ! Continue to shine your BRIGHT LIGHT as a DREAM MERCHANT! ☀️ 🙏🏽 ☀️ Much LOVE SIS! 🥲 ❣️"

@1atlsuperstar pointed out Staley's recent success:

"The first coach to win it 3 years in a row! That says alot! Wow!"

Who has won the most Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year awards?

Dawn Staley was named Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the past five seasons, moving her out of a three-way tie with Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer and former Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw.

Staley now only trails behind UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and former Tennessee Volunteers head coach Pat Summitt. The former has been named Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year a record eight times, while the latter has won the award five times.