Befitting her team’s NCAA championship and undefeated record, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley ended up lapping the women’s college basketball public-school coaching field when it comes to bonuses this season for team performance.
She finishes the season with $680,000 in bonuses, to go with her $3.1 million in basic annual compensation from the school. That’s the maximum she could achieve under her contract.
The agreement includes 11 steps to reach the maximum, beginning with $15,000 for winning at least 11 Southeastern Conference regular season games and ending with $15,000 for the team finishing in the top 25 of either the USA TODAY Coaches poll or the Associated Press media poll. Both of the final polls were published Monday.
In between, Staley gained $100,000 for sweeping the SEC regular season and tournament titles in the same season; $500,000 for the NCAA title; and $25,000 apiece for SEC and national coach-of-the-year honors.
The next-highest bonus total belongs to NCAA runner-up Iowa’s Lisa Bluder, who will pick up $310,000, according to tracking by USA TODAY Sports based on contracts acquired through open-records requests.
However, in addition to the bonuses, Bluder also is due a pair of one-year contract extensions and a $150,000 pay increase that is set to become effective July 1. The two added years will extend her agreement with the school through June 30, 2031. In combination with the pay increase, they will add $3.85 million to the scheduled value of her contract, with $2.3 million of that guaranteed.
Bluder’s basic compensation from Iowa for her current contract year is $1.4 million.
Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma had the third-highest season bonus total at $262,500. The Huskies lost to Iowa in the national semifinals.
He was followed by North Carolina State’s Wes Moore, whose total increased to $200,000 on Monday when he added $50,000 for the Wolfpack finishing among the top 15 teams in either of the final polls (they were No. 4 in both). N.C. State lost to South Carolina in the national semifinals.
Below is an itemized, school-by-school list for all public-school coaches whose teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament round of 16, alphabetical by school.
In addition to those, the top bonus totals belonged to:
Mississippi’s Yolett McPhee-McCuin ($105,000); Kansas State’s Jeff Mittie ($80,400); North Carolina’s Courtney Banghart ($80,000);
Nebraska’s Amy Williams ($71,500); Oklahoma’s Jennie Baranczyk ($65,000); Ohio State’s Kevin McGuff ($60,000); Alabama’s Kristy Curry, Kansas’ Jeff Schneider and Texas A&M’s Joni Taylor ($50,000 each).
The list does not take into account contingencies that could alter or prevent payment of bonuses, such as academic achievement by players, the coach’s departure from the school, future investigations and/or sanctions related to rules violations.
It also does not include bonuses for national coach-of-the-year honors not yet announced, team academic performance, attendance, season-ticket sales, or the value of tickets or perks tied to tournament participation.
This also does not include bonuses and/or pay increases for assistant coaches, staff and athletics directors that also may be resulting from these achievements.
Amounts for coaches at private schools are not available because those institutions are not required to release their employment contracts.
Colorado: JR Payne – $165,000
$30,000: 19 regular season wins
$30,000: 21 regular season wins
$25,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$30,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$50,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
Connecticut: Geno Auriemma – $262,500
$25,000: Big East regular season title
$25,000: Big East coach of the year
$12,500: Big East tournament title
$50,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$50,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
$50,000: NCAA round of 8 appearance
$50,000: NCAA Final Four appearance
Indiana: Teri Moren – $125,000
$50,000: Big Ten regular season top-three finish (team tied for second)
$25,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$25,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$25,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
Iowa: Lisa Bluder – $310,000
$50,000: Overall season winning percentage of at least .650
Two one-year contract extensions; $80,000 raise, beginning next season; $60,000 in bonuses this season: Big Ten tournament title and NCAA Tournament bid (agreement now set to run through June 30, 2031.)
Additional $20,000 raise, beginning next season; $50,000 bonus this season: NCAA round of 16 appearance
Additional $50,000 raise, beginning next season; $50,000 bonus this season: NCAA round of 8 appearance (the two added contract years and $150,000 in raises, beginning next season, combine to add total of $3.85 million to contract’s scheduled remaining value, with $2.3 million of that amount guaranteed)
$100,000: NCAA Final Four appearance
LSU: Kim Mulkey – $160,000
$30,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$35,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$45,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
$50,000: NCAA round of 8 appearance
North Carolina State: Wes Moore – $200,000
$25,000 raise, beginning next season; $10,000 bonus this season: NCAA Tournament bid
$10,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
Additional $25,000 raise, beginning next season; $30,000 bonus this season: NCAA round of 16 appearance
Additional $25,000 raise, beginning next season; $50,000 bonus this season: NCAA round of 8 appearance
Additional $75,000 raise, beginning next season; $50,000 bonus this season: NCAA Final Four appearance (the total raise of $150,000 adds $600,000 to contract’s scheduled remaining value)
$50,000: Top 15 in final USA TODAY Coaches Poll or Associated Press media poll
Oregon State: Scott Rueck – $99,960
$69,960: NCAA Tournament bid
$10,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$10,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
$10,000: NCAA round of 8 appearance
South Carolina: Dawn Staley – $680,000
$15,000: 11 SEC regular season wins
$75,000: SEC regular season title
$25,000: SEC coach of the year
$25,000: SEC tournament title in same season as regular season title
$25,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$25,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
$50,000: NCAA round of 8 appearance
$150,000: NCAA Final Four appearance
$25,000: National coach of the year by Naismith Award and Associated Press
$250,000: Win NCAA title
$15,000: Top 25 in final USA TODAY Coaches Poll or Associated Press media poll
Texas: Vic Schaefer – $175,000
$50,000: Big 12 tournament title
$50,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$25,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$25,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
$25,000: NCAA round of 8 appearance
UCLA: Cori Close – $45,000
$25,000: NCAA Tournament bid
$10,000: NCAA round of 32 appearance
$10,000: NCAA round of 16 appearance
News
BREAKING: Kate Martin sparked controversy on social media when she demanded that the WNBA organizing committee review the VAR and ban Angel Reese from playing for her unsportsmanlike act of punching Caitlin Clark in the head. “We must eliminate the dirty elements to make the game cleaner.”
Kate Martin has sparked a social media uproar by publicly calling on the WNBA organizing committee to review the incident using VAR and to ban Angel Reese from playing. This demand stems from Reese’s unsportsmanlike conduct, where she was seen…
Brittney Griner asked Angel Reese instead of Caitlin Clark to compete in the 3×3 Olympics after Cameron Brink suffered an injury. I think “Angel Reese is better than Caitlin Clark”, causing fans to argue fiercely on social media.
In a surprising turn of events, WNBA star Brittney Griner has chosen Angel Reese to compete in the 3×3 Olympics, following an injury to Cameron Brink. Griner’s decision, and her accompanying statement that “Angel Reese is better than Caitlin Clark,”…
Caitlin Clark’s GPA Has Been Revealed In The Wake Of Her WNBA Debut, And It Will Shock You
Caitlin Clark (Photo via @caitlinclark22/Instagram) Caitlin Clark was bossing college both on the court and in the classroom. The new Indiana Fever guard left the NCAA as its highest-ever scorer and has already put on a show in the WNBA, having made her professional…
David Portnoy Slams Team USA for Excluding Caitlin Clark from Olympic Roster, Citing Missed Opportunity for Women’s Basketball
You can love Caitlin Clark. You can hate Caitlin Clark. You can love her Iowa roots. You can hate her Iowa roots. You can like her because she’s white or dislike her because she’s white. The same goes for being…
Indiana Fever Rookie Caitlin Clark Causes A Massive Stir With Her Unusual Social Media Activity
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)© Provided by Total Pro Sports Caitlin Clark made a curious move on social media this week, liking a certain post. The Indiana Fever point guard has made it a point to let folks know…
OUT OF BOUNDS: David Portnoy – El Presidente harshly criticizes Team USA for leaving WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark off its Olympic roster. The Barstool Sports founder argues that the league missed a golden opportunity to grow women’s basketball.
Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy, better known online as “El Presidente,” is throwing shade at the selection committee behind the USA Women’s Olympic Basketball team. The controversy? The omission of WNBA rookie phenom Caitlin Clark from the roster. Clark, a…
End of content
No more pages to load