Lamont Paris Will Return as South Carolina Head Coach in 2026-2027; What It Means

Entering the SEC tournament, Paris is 62-67 in his near four years with the team. With speculation surrounding his job status, Paris is set to return next season.

Feb 28, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris reacts on the sideline during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

South Carolina men's basketball coach Lamont Paris is set to return to the Gamecocks in 2026-2027, per a report from the Post and Courier's David Cloninger.

After back to back disappointing seasons, questions began to arise surrounding the status of Gamecocks' head basketball coach Lamont Paris' job security. Those questions were laid to rest on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Paris is reportedly returning to his role for the 2026-2027 season.

The Post and Courier's David Cloninger reported the University of South Carolina Athletic Department has "confirmed" that Paris will return as the head coach for his fifth season.

It appears likely the department will pour more resources into the basketball program in order to build a winner in Columbia. This improvement could come through both roster and staff changes,

MORE ON LAMONT PARIS: I do anticipate more NIL resources being pumped into the program and potential staff changes and/or additions.

— JC Shurburtt (@jcshurburtt) March 10, 2026

Where Things Stand

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris directs his team against the Missouri Tigers in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Paris first arrived to the South Carolina program for the 2022-2023 season. He is about to wrap up his fourth season as the team's head coach and has amassed a 62-67 record. The best season of the Paris tenure came in year two where the Gamecocks posted a 26-8 record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However years three and now four have not been as successful.

In 2024-2025, South Carolina finished the year 12-20 overall and just 2-16 in conference play, which put them in last place on the SEC standings. This season, as the team prepares for SEC Tournament play, the Gamecocks improved to 13-18 overall and 4-14 in conference play.

The team is set to lose three of it's four leading scorers from this season. Meechie Johnson Jr., Kobe Knox, and Mike Sharavjamts will have exhausted their eligibility and move on after SEC Tournament play. The team will likely look to be an aggressive player in the transfer portal this offseason.

South Carolina enters the SEC Tournament as the 14th seed and is set to take on the 11th seeded Oklahoma Sooners on March 11 at 9:30 pm (ET). This will be the second meeting of the season between the two schools. Lamont Paris' Gamecocks came away an 85-76 victory at home versus the Sooners on January 20.