Yes, we’ve got bigger issues. But Dawn Staley still deserves equal pay for excellence

Look, I know that coronavirus has been in the forefront of your minds.

It has been in mine, too.

That’s why I’ve been writing so much about COVID-19 that the dash key on my laptop keeps popping out of place.

Seriously, it has — no lie.

And that’s why I’ve been writing about issues like:

▪ The need for SC officials to come down hard on any parasites using this crisis to price gouge South Carolinians.

▪ The need to give Gov. Henry McMaster the benefit of the doubt in deciding to hold off issuing a shelter in place order.

▪ The need to quickly abandon that whole idea of giving McMaster the benefit of doubt — and for him to issue a shelter in place order.

▪ The need for McMaster to stop dragging his feet on issuing a shelter in place order.

▪ The need for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to be more transparent in providing COVID-19 data (which it’s now doing because, to his credit, McMaster told it to do so).

▪ The need for our state to postpone the June 9 primary elections because holding a vote during the uncertainty of COVID-19 would needlessly put voting South Carolinians at risk.

And I’ll be writing much more about what needs to happen in the fight against COVID-19.

But I gotta confess: right now I need a brief break from writing about COVID-19.

So let me revisit my argument that USC women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley deserves the same pay as men’s head coach Frank Martin because of her far greater success in delivering national and conference titles, No.1 rankings, Coach of the Year honors and much more.

My column on the pay gap between the two coaches — during the past season Staley’s total compensation package was $1.9 million compared to Martin’s $3.05 million — has drawn lots of “pro” and “con” reactions.

And when that happens after I write a column, I like to sum up the negative reactions and respond to them.

Here, then, are the broad points raised by those who disagree with my view:

1. There’s no way you can accurately compare how Staley and Martin have performed. You’re comparing apples to oranges!

Well, let’s say “apples” represent a coach who has consistently led her USC teams to high levels— and who would have won a second national title if the pandemic hadn’t occurred — and “oranges” represent a coach who has largely led his USC teams to average or mediocre levels.

Then, yeah, I guess I’m comparing apples to oranges.

But otherwise the comparison is an absolutely relevant one.

Excellence is excellence, and when someone has attained it as repeatedly as Staley has it should be rewarded with pay equity — not mocked in the form of a $1 million-plus pay gap.

By the way, it’s not as though pay equity between women’s and men’s basketball coaches is some unrealistic pipe dream.

At the University of Connecticut, for example, the annual compensation package for women’s head coach Geno Auriemma is $2.4 million — reasonably close to the $3 million for men’s head coach Dan Hurley.

2. As typical of journalists, you obsess about the money someone is making. You’re totally ignoring the intangible benefits Staley gets as a prominent coach at a state university in one of college sports’ top conferences.

Fine, I’m sure there are “intangible benefits” that Staley enjoys as USC’s head coach.

But can’t you enjoy intangible benefits while also getting equal pay for what you achieve?

Why would it need to be one or the other?

3. Gee, why were you so harsh on Martin? What do you have against him?

Well, I wasn’t harsh on Martin.

Let’s repeat this yet again: I have nothing personal against him.

In the original column I highlighted a letter from a supporter hailing Martin — and during these days of lockdowns and grim COVID-19 updates, I certainly appreciate Martin’s upbeat and often humorous tweets.

Plus it’s not like I’m saying the guy should be fired as the men’s head coach.

Not at all.

But, come on.

You can’t tell me that a coach whose teams have barely won more games than they’ve lost during the past three season should be making $1 million-plus more than one whose teams have been racking up trophies and national acclaim over the same period.

So it’s not personal.

It’s just math.

4. You’re trying to be cute in how you frame your argument that Staley deserves equal pay. I’m sure the USC men’s program draws more attention and exposure in the sporting world than the USC women’s team does.

Well, all I know is this:

During the recent season the average home attendance for a USC men’s basketball game was 12,180 — less than the average home crowd for a women’s game (12,218).

The USC women’s program sure seems to be generating attention and exposure to me.

Look, trust me, I have the proper sense of perspective about all of this: right now we have far more pressing matters to worry about than the salaries of basketball coaches.

But when things do return to normal — and let it be soon — Staley should get paid.

Equally, that is.

Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go wash my hands again.

And then I’m going to figure out how to keep the dash key on my laptop in place.

Opinion Editor Roger Brown can be reached at (803) 771-8464 or by email at rjbrown@thestate.com. Follow him on Twitter @ RBrown_SCOpin.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 6:01 AM.