South Carolina approves contract for Lamont Paris

It’s official: South Carolina has its new head men’s basketball coach.

The Gamecocks announced Lamont Paris as the program’s 33rd head coach Thursday, as approved by the university’s board of trustees.

“I am excited to be named the head coach at South Carolina,” Paris said in a statement. “The opportunity to build on what this program has achieved recently is exciting. While I am the head coach, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the many head and assistant coaches and student-athletes that I have worked with. I want Gamecock fans to know that we will have a program that you will be proud of and one that will compete for championships.”

Paris’ introductory press conference is expected to follow at 5 p.m. today.

Paris’s contract will run through March 31, 2027 and will start him out at $2.2 million annually. He’ll make $100,000 more annually each year of his deal, ending at $2.6 million in the final year of it. He was making $250,000 annually at UT-Chattanooga.

If Paris is fired without cause, he’d be owed 65 percent of his annual guaranteed compensation. If Paris terminates the deal, he’d owe the school $5 million in the first year and de-escalating after that.

Only one board member voted against the contract.

“I vote no and I want to explain. After the university spent about $16 million on buyouts, I think the buyouts in this proposed contract are excessive,” member Charles Williams said. “I think it is not wise for the university to enter into this agreement with these types of buyouts.”

Annual salary

March 24, 2022-March 31, 2023: $2.2 million

April 1, 2023-March 31, 2024: $2.3 million

April 1, 2024-March 31, 2025: $2.4 million

April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026: $2.5 million

April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027: $2.6 million

If terminated without cause by the university: South Carolina would owe “an amount equal to 65 percent of coach’s annual total remaining guarantee compensation for the remaining term of the employment agreement.”

If Paris terminates the contract:

March 24, 2022-March 31, 2023: $5 million

April 1, 2023-March 31, 2024: $4 million

April 1, 2024-March 31, 2025: $3 million

April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026: $1 million

April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027: $500,000

South Carolina becomes one over just two schools in the Power 6 conferences at the moment to have a Black head coach of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Georgetown is the other.

Paris comes over after a five-year stint at UT-Chattanooga where he led the Mocs to a regular season and tournament championship in the Southern Conference this season.

The 47-year-old is 87-72 at UT-Chattanooga and 43-45 in the SoCon during his tenure.

After two rough years to start, Paris is 65-29 in his last three seasons there and 33-19 in the league.

He led the Mocs to their first tournament berth since 2016 and just the fifth one since 1997. They were a No. 13 seed and took No. 4 seed Illinois to the wire in a 54-53 loss.

Paris led Chattanooga to its only top 100 KenPom finish since the site started in 1997, finishing No. 68 overall this season. South Carolina’s highest finish in the same span was No. 69 in 2020.

After finishing No. 304 in KenPom during his first year and No. 266 in year two, Paris has three of Chattanooga’s top 10 KenPom finishes in program history.

South Carolina’s newest hire was also a longtime assistant in the Big 10 at Wisconsin.

He spent seven years in Madison as one of the top assistants, helping recruit the rosters that went to six Sweet 16s, two Final Fours and one national championship game.

Paris, who’s from Ohio, also served as an assistant at Akron, IUP, DePauw and Wooster.

The Gamecocks moved on from Frank Martin just over a week ago, announcing his firing after 10 seasons in Columbia.

Martin went to two postseasons in a decade with the Gamecocks, one NIT and one NCAA Tournament. In his one NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks went all the way to the Final Four.

Martin ultimately ended his time at South Carolina 171-147 and 79-99 in the SEC.

The Gamecocks finished above .500 seven times and above .500 in the SEC four times and even once.

He helped lead the Gamecocks to two of their winningest programs in school history.

What can you expect from Paris and his teams in Columbia? Find out right here.

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