University of South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley just became the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball after she signed an extension to stay with the team.

The school announced Friday that its Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for Staley that will go through the 2029-30 season.

The contract, which began after the Board’s approval, has an annual base salary of $4 million. It also includes a $500,000 signing bonus and an annual $250,000 escalator, making Staley’s total pay approximately $25.25 million.

Staley previously had an annual base salary of $3.1 million, according to a USA Today database.

She has surpassed women’s basketball coaches Kim Mulkey, of Lousiana State University, and Geno Auriemma, of the University of Connecticut. The database showed Mulkey made $3.2 million annually in 2024 and Auriemma made $3.1 million annually.

Staley has transformed the women’s basketball team at South Carolina since becoming their head coach in 2008. The team won its first conference title in 2014 and its first national title in 2017 and another in 2022. 

The team also had a record year in 2024 when they won another national title and finished the season 38-0, becoming the 10th undefeated team in women’s basketball history to have a perfect season. 

“I’m proud to represent the University of South Carolina and of its investment in women’s basketball,” Staley said in a statement. “What we’ve been able to accomplish on the court is a testament to what can happen when you bring together the right people from a team perspective but also have the right commitment from the University, the Athletics Department and the community to providing that team with everything it needs to be successful.”