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Michael Voepel, ESPN senior writer
South Carolina announced Friday that Dawn Staley received a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, which would make her the highest-paid coach in women’s basketball.
The contract, approved by the university’s board of trustees, begins with an annual salary of $4 million, includes a signing bonus of $500,000 and carries an annual escalator of $250,000, bringing the total value at approximately $25.25 million.
“Dawn Staley is a once-in-a-generation coach who has had a tremendous impact on the University of South Carolina,” said Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati. “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 won three national championships since taking over the program in 2008, including a 38-0 team title last season. Looking back to the 2013-14 season, the Gamecocks are 165-15 in the SEC regular season. They won or tied for the regular season league title eight times during that stretch and won eight SEC tournament titles.
Staley was making $3.2 million this season before the extension took effect. UConn’s Geno Auriemma, who won 11 NCAA titles with the Huskies, is making $3.34 million this season. LSU’s Kim Mulkey, who won three NCAA titles at Baylor then led LSU to its first in 2023, is making $3.25 million this season.
Staley, Auriemma and Mulkey along with Maryland’s Brenda Frese, who led the Terrapins to the 2006 NCAA title, are the only active head coaches to have won the women’s basketball national championship.
Staley also guided the United States women’s basketball team to the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
South Carolina’s only loss this season came in November against UCLA. The No. 2 Gamecocks are 17-1 overall and 5-0 in the SEC, and they host No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday (ESPN, 3 p.m. ET).
“I am proud to represent the University of South Carolina and its investment in women’s basketball,” Staley said. “What we were able to accomplish on the ground is a testament to what can happen when you bring the right people together from a team perspective, but also have the right commitment from the university, from the department of “athletics and the community to form this team with everything it takes to succeed.”
According to the Charleston Post and Courier, if Staley terminated the contract early, she would owe the school the full amount of the remaining contract, with one exception: if she accepts a position as head or assistant coach in the WNBA or the NBA.
