Courtesy Photo

Courtesy Photo

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina announced on last Friday that they have reached a contract extension agreement with women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley.

The deal will keep Staley in Columbia through the 2029-30 season and will make her the highest paid coach in college women’s basketball history. The five-year deal is valued to be worth $25.25 million. Her annual salary will be $4 million per year with a $250,000 increase each season and $500,000 signing bonus.

“I’m proud to represent the University of South Carolina and of its investment in women’s basketball,” Staley said. “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 took over the lady Gamecocks program in 2008 and have shot them to the top of the women’s college basketball world. They are one of five programs to have at least three national titles in the history of the sport and one of two programs to put together multiple 40-win seasons.

South Carolina has also appeared in six of the last nine Final Fours, including four in the last four seasons. Staley is also the only coach in program history to 86 total no.1 rankings in the AP Poll. She has coached 11 players that received All-American honors, two national players of the year, A’ja Wilson(2018) and Aliyah Boston(2022), three different Gamecocks to win SEC Player of the Year honors seven different times, and 22 different players to earn All-SEC honors, which includes 16 first-team selections.

Staley is a five-time National Coach of the Year winner, including her 2020 unanimous selection that made her the first former Naismith Player of the Year to earn the Naismith Coach of the Year award. She was named Team USA women’s basketball head coach in 2017 and lead them to their record-tying seventh consecutive gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo games.

In addition, Staley success on the court have translated off the court. The Gamecocks have the NCAA in average number of attendance for 10 consecutive seasons. The program sold out season tickets this year for the first time in program history with 13,152 tickets sold.

South Carolina is currently ranked no.2 in the nation with 17-1 overall second and a 52 game SEC win streak. That streak will be put to test on Jan.19 against no.13 Oklahoma and on Jan.23rd against no.5 LSU.

Reach Greg Hollis @ 803-768-3117 or on X @TheNBOnews