Final AP poll ranking published by the Associated Press

South Carolina's Dawn Staley Signs $25.25 Million Deal Through 2029-30, Highest-Paid in Women's College Basketball

Jan 17, 2025, 06:01 PM

Dawn Staley, head coach of the University of South Carolina's women's basketball team, has signed a contract extension that will keep her with the program through the 2029-30 season. The deal, approved by the school's Board of Trustees, makes Staley the highest-paid coach in women's college basketball history with a total value of approximately $25.25 million. Her annual base salary starts at $4 million and includes a $500,000 signing bonus, with an annual increase of $250,000. Staley's new contract surpasses the earnings of other notable coaches such as Kim Mulkey of Louisiana State University and Geno Auriemma of the University of Connecticut. Under Staley's leadership since 2008, South Carolina has won three national championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024, reached the Final Four six times, including each of the last four seasons, and secured a conference title in 2014. The team achieved a perfect season in 2024, finishing 38-0 and winning the national title. Staley, a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year, has led the Gamecocks to a current No. 2 ranking in the AP poll. The contract also includes a unique provision allowing Staley to leave for a professional coaching job in the NBA or WNBA without a buyout penalty.