This president said Dawn Staley is the best basketball coach in the country

If you didn’t already think Dawn Staley was the best basketball coach in the country, perhaps an endorsement from former U.S. President Bill Clinton will change your mind.

“I think she may be the best basketball coach of either gender in the United States,“ Clinton said to a crowd of roughly 500 people Monday while speaking at the University of South Carolina.

Staley, USC’s hall-of-fame, championship-winning women’s basketball coach, nearly upstaged the president himself.

“We’re at capacity today, and I know everyone is here to see Dawn Staley. She’s right here in the front row,” USC President Harris Pastides joked as the crowd applauded, with Clinton sitting behind him. “No, no, not today. Of course, we’re here to hear from President Bill Clinton and to celebrate Gov. Dick Riley.”

Clinton was speaking at USC because former S.C. Gov. Richard “Dick” Riley was donating his personal artifacts to the university. Riley served as Clinton’s secretary of education, among other positions.

Staley and Clinton have been friends for years. In 2013, the two traveled to several countries in Africa to help the needy. While Hillary Clinton was on the campaign trail in South Carolina, Bill Clinton stopped to chat with Staley. When Staley’s team won the NCAA national championship in 2017, Clinton congratulated her on Twitter.

“Congratulations to my friend @DawnStaley and the great @GamecockWBB on a terrific win!” Clinton tweeted in 2017.

This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 11:45 AM.