Staley new USC women's coach

COLUMBIA — South Carolina will again have a full complement of basketball coaches by the weekend.

Months after watching both men's coach Dave Odom and women's coach Susan Walvius exit under duress, the positions have been filled.

Darrin Horn, formerly of Western Kentucky, took over the men's job April 1. Temple's Dawn Staley will be introduced Saturday as the new women's coach.

Staley, 38, has compiled quite the resume, both as a player and a young coach.

After being hired in 2000 by Temple, the Philadelphia native actually became the quickest coach in the women's game to win 100 games.

She leaves the Owls program with a 172-80 record, having taken her hometown school to the NCAAs six times in her tenure and five times since 2002.

Staley was the Atlantic 10 coach of the year in 2004 and 2005.

As a player, the former Virginia standout guard went on to a successful Olympic and professional career. Staley was a three-time gold medalist with Team USA in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In the '04 games, she carried the American flag into the Athens opening ceremonies.

A high school legend in Philly, she is called the city's "favorite daughter" in her Temple coaching bio. But Staley does have some family ties to the Palmetto State and the Midlands area, so it's not as if she's abandoning all she knows.

And Staley is expected to receive a modest raise above the $500,000 a season she was earning at Temple. The board is expected to meet by the end of the week to approve the contract.

Walvius' resignation, announced last month, becomes effective May 31. She was 165-160 (.508) overall and just 51-103 (.331) in SEC play.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the new South Carolina blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks.