Dawn Staley’s $25M extension is richest payday in women’s college basketball history, South Carolina says

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Coach Dawn Staley received a contract extension Friday that South Carolina says will make her the highest paid college women’s basketball coach of all time worth a total of approximately $25 million.

Staley is signed through the 2029-30 season, earning $4 million per year to start with an annual escalator of $250,000. There is also a $500,000 signing bonus, the school announced.

“Dawn Staley is a once-in-a-generation coach who has had a tremendous impact on the University of South Carolina,” athletic director Jeremiah Donati said in a statement. “She has elevated the sport of women’s basketball nationally and here on campus and I am thrilled that she will represent our university for many years to come.”

Staley has led South Carolina to six of the last nine Final Fours, including each of the last four. The Gamecocks have won titles in 2017, 2022 and 2024. They are currently ranked second in the standings. the AP poll and are 17-1 this season.

She is a five-time Coach of the Year.

“What we were able to accomplish on the field is a testament to what can happen when you put the right people together from a team perspective,” Staley said in the release. “But it also takes having the right commitment from the university, the athletic department and the community to provide this team with everything it needs to be successful.”

Staley said she looks forward to continuing to be an example of how an investment in women’s basketball will pay off for everyone.

Staley’s former players were excited to see her make history.

“I think about what Coach Staley has done for women’s basketball and how much she advocates for us,” said South Carolina great Aliyah Boston. “Especially for me, as an investor in Unrivaled, you see how much she is invested in the sport. And so I’m so happy that it’s coming back for her. I think when you look at what she’s done for women’s basketball, just her ability to coach players, she’s played and won at every level and now she’s flocking to us.

The Gamecocks have led the nation in attendance for the past 10 seasons. This year, they sold out their season tickets for the first time in the program’s history, with 13,152 sold.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Register here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball