Gamecock Digest

South Carolina Women's Basketball: Dawn Staley Becomes Highest Paid Coach in WCBB

Alex Joyce

Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley cuts the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the finals of the Final Four of the womens 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley cuts the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the finals of the Final Four of the womens 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks made star head coach Dawn Staley the highest paid coach in Women's College Basketball history in an announcement on Friday morning. The new extension is set to run through the 2029-2030 season.

The three-time national champion head coach took over for the Gamecocks in 2008 and has ascended to the top of the sport. During her run as South Carolina's head coach, the team has had multiple 40 winning streaks, been one of only five programs with three national titles, and has been to six of the last nine final fours.

In 2023-2024, the Gamecocks completed a historic 38-0 perfect season to capture their third title of the Staley era. The Gamecocks have been in 107 consectuve AP top 10 polls which is the longest such streak in program history and ranks 11th all time.

This season Staley earned her 200th career SEC win, the second fastest in SEC history. Her 203-55 record is second only to Tennessee legendary coach Pat Summitt. Staley has coached 27 All-Americans, two national players of the year (2018 and 2022), and the program's first defensive player of the year (Aliyah Boston).

Newly hired South Carolina Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati had this to say about the Gamecocks head coach: “Dawn Staley is a once-in-a-generation coach who has made a tremendous impact on the University of South Carolina,” said Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati. “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.”

The Gamecocks are currently 17-1 on the year. Extending their SEC record consecutive winning streak to 52 in its most previous win over top 25 Alabama.

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Alex Joyce
ALEX JOYCE

Alex Joyce is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. Alex began his career in television as a news and sports reporter. During his career, Alex has been able to cover everything from breaking news to the game’s brightest moments. His passion for journalism drives him to deliver compelling stories and to connect with his audiences.