Hatchell withdraws name from South Carolina search

North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell has withdrawn her name as a candidate to take over at South Carolina.

Hatchell had interviewed with Gamecocks officials to replace Susan Walvius, who resigned under pressure last month. But Hatchell, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, said Thursday in a statement that “North Carolina is my home.”

Hatchell’s decision leaves at least three other candidates in the running for the South Carolina job, including Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick. She met with a school official last Friday.

“It is what is it,” Warlick told WVLT on Thursday. “I love what i do here. It’s got to be a great situation for me to go. It’s not like I need a job. So it’s something I’m interested in. I’m going to check it out and see if it’s something I would enjoy doing.”

The other known candidates are Temple coach Dawn Staley and Chattanooga coach Wes Moore.

North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour said the school is evaluating Hatchell’s contract to ensure she is paid in line with other top coaches. He will propose changes to her contract to the school’s board of trustees this month.

Hatchell is 16 wins shy of 800 for her career and led the Tar Heels to the national championship in 1994. Last season’s team went 33-3 and won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament for the fourth consecutive time.

A 1974 cum laude graduate of Carson-Newman College, Hatchell earned a master’s degree in physical education from UT in 1975.