South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley has brought a familiar name back into the program, adding former Gamecocks coach Susan Walvius to her support staff this month.
Walvius officially began her new position as senior director of women’s basketball external affairs on Nov. 3. A former USC head coach and now the co-founder and co-CEO of SHEEX Inc., she will “play a lead role in revenue generation for the women’s basketball program and its student-athletes,” according to her updated university biography.
Walvius brings nearly two decades of collegiate head coaching experience, including an 11-year run leading the Gamecocks from 1997 to 2008. During her tenure, she guided South Carolina to two NCAA Tournament bids and accumulated a 165-60 record. Her standout season came in 2001-02, when USC won 25 games, climbed to No. 7 in the AP Poll, and reached the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.
Her final season in Columbia was 2007-08—just one year before Staley took over the reins of the Gamecocks program.
Calling the hire a meaningful step, Staley said, “This is a full circle moment for Susan and our program. She is going to be critical to our constantly evolving approach to NIL with her track record of innovative thinking in the business world.” Staley added that Walvius’ deep ties to both the Gamecocks community and national business leaders will allow her to “lead the expansion of NIL opportunities for our student-athletes.”
Before arriving at South Carolina, Walvius held head coaching jobs at VCU (1990-1995) and West Virginia (1995-1997). As a player, she earned All-Metro Conference and All-American honors at Virginia Tech.
After leaving coaching, Walvius launched SHEEX in 2008 with former USC assistant and current Arizona WBB general manager Michelle M. Marciniak. The company, which focuses on performance bedding and sleepwear, grew into an “eight-figure revenue” brand under her leadership. She worked across many areas of the business, including operations, marketing, and product growth.
Her university biography highlights her blend of entrepreneurial and basketball experience, stating: “Her CEO experience and proven marketing ability are assets as she develops a comprehensive strategy to maximize NIL opportunities, establishes an equitable revenue-sharing model and analyzes NIL trends to identify new pathways.”
It also notes that her coaching background allows her to easily connect with today’s players as she helps them build personal brands and conducts workshops on “financial literacy, contract negotiation and brand management.”
Walvius’ return marks a major addition to the Gamecocks’ NIL strategy as South Carolina continues solidifying its position as one of the nation’s premier women’s basketball programs.
