South Carolina Makes Dawn Staley Highest-Paid Women’s Basketball Coach With $25.25M Deal

South Carolina gave Dawn Staley a massive $25.25 million contract running through 2030. The deal makes history in women's college basketball, making her the highest-paid coach in the sport.

She'll start at $4 million per year — a $250,000 raise each year — and pocket a $500,000 signing bonus. This beats out LSU's Kim Mulkey, who was making $3,264,000 yearly.

"Dawn Staley is a once-in-a-generation coach who has made a tremendous impact on the University of South Carolina. She has elevated the sport of women's basketball on the national level and here on campus, and I am excited that she will be representing our University for many years to come," athletics director Jeremiah Donati told NewsBreak.

Her team dominated in 2023-24, going undefeated at 38-0 and grabbing their third NCAA championship. They've now won 43 games in a row — a school record. They've also made six Final Fours appearances

She was a star player before coaching. After being named National High School Player of the Year, she took Virginia to an NCAA championship game. She went on to become a six-time WNBA All-Star and won international gold medals.

There's one catch in the contract — if she heads to another college before April 2030, she'll have a buyout worth a year's salary but won't owe anything if she jumps to the pros.