South Carolina women's basketball: A look at the numbers in Dawn Staley's historic contract, plus a key clause

On Friday, South Carolina announced a long-anticipated contract extension for Dawn Staley. Although negotiations dragged on longer than expected, there was never much doubt an agreement would be reached. The only question was how much Staley would get paid.

Answer: A LOT.

Staley signed an extension worth $25.25 million over five years, to be exact. It runs through the end of the 2030 season, just weeks before Staley turns 60. It makes Staley the highest-paid coach in the history of the sport.

“For me, I have never been driven by money at all – never ever,” Staley said. “I think money is the byproduct of your success and your ability to work hard and be successful in your space. I do think it represents what can be in other professions that women, for whatever reason, are not paid for doing the same type of work, the same type of job. And I think this is an example of what it can look like, feel like, sound like. I hope everybody’s happy about it, for what it represents, because it’s only the right thing to do. And if you’re not willing to do the right thing, then your standards are off. You’re off when you can’t see the same type of work, same type of success that deserves the pay raises.”

Staley’s annual salary begins at $4 million and increases by $250,000 each year, topping out at $5.25 in the final year. There is also a $500,000 signing bonus. There are also annual incentive bonuses worth up to $680,000.

“Ray Tanner did a great job, ran a hard bargain. Coach Tanner was very much a part of this negotiation,” Staley said. I think (Jeremiah Donati) came in at the end and had a say on the end. But the board, at the end of the day, did something, again, that’s extraordinary because it really just doesn’t happen. I’m glad it is South Carolina. I’m glad it’s our university and our board that, no matter what, we look good. It’ll be plastered all over the place, and I’ve got hundreds of text messages. But I’m glad I’m the person that is able to handle it because I really, truly, don’t care about the money. I do care about the principle of it. I don’t care about the money – it’s the right thing to do.”

WIN TICKETS: Kim Mulkey and undefeated LSU are coming to Columbia on Jan. 23

Staley last signed an extension in 2021. That extension was worth $22.4 million over seven years. Staley made $3.78 million last season ($1 million in base salary, $2.1 million in outside compensation, and $680,000 in bonuses). 

Since then, South Carolina has won two national championships, made three Final Fours, gone undefeated in the regular season twice, won five combined SEC titles, and won a conference-record 52 consecutive SEC games.

The 2021 extension briefly made Staley, by some pocket change, the highest-paid coach in the sport. That didn’t last long, as Geno Auriemma and Kim Mulkey soon signed extensions worth slightly more. All of the contracts were about the same (Auriemma’s averages $3.7 million and Mulkey’s averages $3.6 million), but now Staley’s new deal obliterates the others.

Staley views the contract as a statement for equality.

“It’s a fight to explain to people what your worth is. You have to do some comparisons with coaches here, and you got to do some comparisons with coaches in other spaces, and it’s the way it is,” Staley said. “Our negotiations as women are probably a little bit different because we’re valued a little bit different. But I think, when it’s all said and done, it is the same things that you apply to this game. It’s the same persistence, perseverance. It’s really a game. Negotiations are a game. You get one up; I get one up. You just keep going back and forth. It took a while for it to happen. And, fortunately, we got to this great place. It makes me look good, but it makes our university, our athletic department, look great in the whole grand scheme of things. Is it going to be something that’s budgetarily hard? Absolutely, because you don’t earmark money to pay a women’s basketball coach the amount of money that I’m going to get paid, and what I’ve been paid.”

WIN TICKETS: The Auburn Tigers are coming to Columbia to upset Gamecocks WBB

Staley’s first contract in 2008 was a five-year deal worth about $650,000 annually. At the time, it was considered an astronomical amount. She received a $50,000 raise in 2012 that also increased the performance bonuses.

Staley signed a three-year extension in 2013 that ran through 2019 and raised her pay to $850,000 annually. That came after South Carolina’s first two NCAA appearances, plus interest from Ohio State. Following South Carolina’s first Final Four in 2015, Staley was given a raise to $1.1 million

After winning South Carolina’s first national championship in 2017, Staley signed an extension through 2025 that was worth $1.45 million. It made her the highest-paid coach in the SEC. 

Following a nationwide spending spree on coaching salaries, Staley signed the big extension in 2021. 

The incentive bonuses remain unchanged. They reward winning 11 SEC games, SEC championships, NCAA Tournament appearances (increasing for deeper runs), coach of the year awards, and Top 25 finishes. 

Staley also receives two automobiles or monthly automobile stipends. She gets one suite and 16 tickets to each women’s basketball game, four tickets and two sideline passes to each football game, and six tickets (up from four) to each men’s basketball game.

A country club membership is no longer included as part of the contract.

There are some other changes in the contract, including the addition of offset language (if South Carolina fired her, the university would owe Staley less if she took another job). Fittingly, the most significant change is in the very last sentence of the term sheet.

Staley faces a very significant buyout if she leaves, a carryover from the last contract meant to protect the university. But there is a notable exception. Staley owes nothing if she leaves to “immediately accept” a job as a head coach or assistant coach in the NBA or WNBA.

Staley has repeatedly said she has no interest in coaching in the professional leagues, and the previous buyout plus her relatively low potential salary made taking a WNBA job financially improbable. That hasn’t stopped speculation, and her name gets floated for almost every opening.

Staley interviewed for the Portland Trail Blazers’ head coaching job in 2021. She turned down an interview with the Washington Wizards that year, later saying it didn’t feel like a genuine interview.

Discuss this article and South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!