Dawn Staley collects $250,000 bonus for winning national title

South Carolina is the national champions yet again after beating Iowa in a thrilling title game matchup. And coach Dawn Staley‘s bank account just got a little bigger.

According to USA TODAY’s Steve Berkowitz, Staley earned a $250,000 bonus for winning it all.

She has now earned quite a good deal of incentives from her contract, topping out at a reported $680,000 worth of bonuses this year. That is in addition to her standard salary of $3.1 million.

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And South Carolina fans surely have to feel like she’s worth every penny at this point.

Staley has led the Gamecocks to three national championships now during her 16 years with the program. The program has reached the Final Four in each of the last four seasons, dating back to the COVID-19 canceled tournament in 2020.

South Carolina capped a perfect season, going 38-0, the first time in Staley’s tenure the program has finished a year unblemished. Twice South Carolina has finished a season with just one loss, including last year’s run that ended in a Final Four defeat to Iowa.

Staley now has a 440-106 (.806) overall record at South Carolina, with a 199-55 (.783) mark in SEC play.

Dawn Staley shares powerful postgame moment

In one of the most touching moments of the day, Dawn Staley broke down when ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe came to interview her on the court following the game.

Staley took a few moments to gather herself, fighting back tears.

“They weren’t going to be denied. I’m so incredibly happy for our players,” Staley said. “It doesn’t always end like you want it to end – much like last year. But my freshies are at the top of my heart because they wanted this. I hope we can erase whatever pain they had last year, experiencing not being able to finish it here. I’m just super proud of where I work.

“You have to let young people be who they are. You also have to guide them, help them navigate through this tough, tough world. When young people lock in and they have a belief, have a trust? And their parents have that same trust? This is what can happen. They made history. They etched their names in the history books when this is the unlikeliest group to do it. Sometimes, I mean God is funny like that. He’s funny. He rips your heart out and he makes you believe. He makes you believe the unimaginable. Thank you, Jesus.”