*Dawn Staley has built something rare in college sports — a women’s basketball dynasty that commands both national titles and a salary to match.
The South Carolina head coach took over the Gamecocks program in 2008 and just completed another memorable postseason run. Recently in Phoenix, her team knocked out UConn in the national semifinals before UCLA ended their championship hopes in the title game. It was the program’s sixth consecutive appearance on college basketball’s biggest stage and eighth Final Four overall — a stretch that includes three national championships.
According to USA Today, Staley’s contract now reflects that kind of sustained excellence. She will take home $4.25 million during the 2025-26 season, the result of a five-year agreement she signed in March 2025. Built into the deal are annual raises of $250,000 running all the way to 2030, not counting any bonuses she may earn along the way.
No other women’s college basketball coach comes close to that number. Geno Auriemma at UConn pulls in $3.79 million, followed by LSU’s Kim Mulkey at $3.35 million, Texas’ Vic Schaefer at $2.3 million, and Maryland’s Brenda Frese clearing just over $2 million.
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Staley’s influence extends well beyond the court. Tubi’s documentary “The Moment” chronicles five decades of women’s basketball evolution, placing Staley and the undefeated 2023-24 South Carolina Gamecocks at the center of that story alongside interviews with some of the sport’s most celebrated figures.
Directed by Kristen Lappas and Sarah Springer, the film weaves together historical footage, cultural context, and contemporary milestones to trace women’s basketball’s rise from grassroots beginnings to a global stage — with Staley’s coaching legacy serving as one of its most compelling through lines. Watch the trailer below. The doc is now streaming on Tubi.
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