Mar 10, 2024; Greensville, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley cuts the net after winning the SEC championship over LSU Lady Tigers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images South Carolina’s Dawn Staley signed a contract extension Friday that makes her the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball history.
The four-time Naismith National Coach of the Year is signed through the 2029-30 season. Starting immediately, she will earn an annual salary of $4 million and an annual $250,000 raise. That puts the total value of the deal at $25.25 million, plus she will receive a $500,000 bonus.
Staley, 54, has led the Gamecocks to three national championships (2017, 2022 and 2024) and six Final Fours since taking over in Columbia, S.C., in 2008.
“Dawn Staley is a once-in-a-generation coach who has made a tremendous impact on the University of South Carolina,” athletic director Jeremiah Donati said. “She has elevated the sport of women’s basketball on the national level and here on campus and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come.”
Coming off an unbeaten 38-0 season in 2023-24, South Carolina (17-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) is riding a 12-game winning streak and ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25.
“I’m proud to represent the University of South Carolina and of its investment in women’s basketball,” Staley said in a news release. “What we’ve been able to accomplish on the court is a testament to what can happen when you bring together the right people from a team perspective but also have the right commitment from the University, the Athletics Department and the community to providing that team with everything it needs to be successful.
“I appreciate every person who has been part of our journey — player, staff member, University President and leadership, Board of Trustee member, athletics director, athletics department employee and fan. I look forward to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball is one that will pay off for everyone.”
Staley has compiled a record of 457-107 at South Carolina. She is 629-187 overall including her tenure at Temple in her hometown of Philadelphia from 2000-08.
Following an All-American career at Virginia, Staley was a five-time All-Star in the WNBA. She won three Olympic gold medals as a player and coached the U.S. to the gold at the Tokyo Summer Games. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and will be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2025.
–Field Level Media
