South Carolina women’s basketball: Dawn Staley gets massive new contract

Dawn Staley and South Carolina have agreed to a contract extension that once again makes her the highest-paid coach in the sport. The extension will run through the 2029-30 season and his annual salary will increase to $4 million.

Staley’s salary will increase by $250,000 each season and reach $5.2 million by the 2029-30 season. She will also receive a one-time signing bonus of $500,000. She is now the highest paid coach in the world, regardless of sport or level.

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Staley’s previous contract, signed in 2021, was worth $22.4 million over seven years. At the time, that made her the highest-paid coach in the sport. She made $3.78 million last season ($1 million in base salary, $2.1 million in outside compensation and $680,000 in bonuses).

Other coaches, including LSU’s Kim Mulkey and UConn’s Geno Auriemma, signed lucrative extensions worth more than Staley’s contract. It was clear, with two more national championships and an undefeated season, that Staley was in line for a raise.

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During an August 2024 radio interview, former athletic director Ray Tanner confirmed that he had begun discussions with Staley about a new contract. The process had been slowed in part because Staley was in Paris for the Olympics for two weeks, but Tanner said he was “hopeful” a new contract would be reached before the season started.

“I would tell you that, as you might guess, discussions are underway about a new contract. I’m going to share this with you,” Tanner said.

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This deadline has obviously come and gone. The negotiations were apparently tabled once the season started. And with Tanner announcing his retirement at the end of the year, it made sense for both sides to let new athletic director Jeremiah Donati help put the finishing touches on the deal.

Mulkey signed a 10-year, $36 million extension in 2023 (an average of $3.6 million per year). Auriemma’s extension signed in 2024 is worth $18.7 million (an average of $3.7 million per year).

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