Dawn Staley’s Entire South Carolina Coaching Staff Set to Return for 2026-27 Season / sportsearchers.com

South Carolina women’s basketball will enter the 2026-27 season with continuity at every level of its coaching and support structure. All five of Dawn Staley’s assistants have received contract extensions, ensuring the Gamecocks will retain the same coaching staff that helped guide the program to another championship-game appearance.

The extensions, finalized in April, cover the assistants through March 31, 2027, according to public records obtained by The State. The development comes after a 36-4 season in which South Carolina reached the national championship game before falling to UCLA.

That stability is hardly surprising given the program’s sustained success. Staley has built an environment that has reportedly been described as a “utopia” for assistants, while the coaching carousel had largely settled by the time the new contracts were completed. For South Carolina, keeping its staff intact preserves valuable continuity as the program prepares for another demanding SEC and national campaign.

Two assistants receive salary increases

While every assistant received an extension, the financial details weren’t identical.

Last year, all five assistants received both raises and extensions. This time, only Mary Wooley and Khadijah Sessions saw their annual compensation increase.

The previous contracts for Lisa Boyer, Wendale Farrow, Jolette Law, Wooley and Sessions expired March 31, 2026. Each coach was notified of a new agreement on April 9, with the new contracts taking effect April 1 and running through March 31, 2027.

Wooley’s salary increased from $227,520 to $232,070, while Sessions’ compensation moved from $85,125 to $86,827.

The complete annual salaries for Staley’s five assistants are:

Lisa Boyer — $512,600
Wendale Farrow — $400,000
Jolette Law — $353,992
Mary Wooley — $232,070
Khadijah Sessions — $86,827

The numbers highlight the significant investment South Carolina continues to make in maintaining the infrastructure around Staley. Boyer and Farrow, in particular, remain among the highest-paid members of the staff.

Staley enters another season under her long-term deal

The 2026-27 campaign will represent Staley’s 19th season as South Carolina’s head coach.

She is entering the second full season of the major contract extension she signed in January 2025. Under the agreement, Staley’s base salary rises to $4.5 million for the upcoming season, compared with $4.2 million the previous year.

Her final compensation could be considerably higher depending on what the Gamecocks accomplish.

Staley’s contract contains performance incentives ranging from $15,000 for finishing in the final AP Top 25 to $500,000 for winning a national championship. Her guaranteed annual compensation is also scheduled to increase throughout the life of the agreement, eventually reaching $5.2 million in 2029-30, the final year of the contract.

That structure gives Staley another significant incentive to keep South Carolina competing at the highest level while simultaneously providing long-term financial security for the coach who has transformed the program.

Support staff also remains intact

The continuity extends well beyond the five assistants.

South Carolina’s women’s basketball operation relies on a large support network, and the key members of that group are also expected to remain in place for 2026-27.

Director of operations Ariana Moore, assistant director of operations Tracy Murphy, director of player development Freddy Ready, director of women’s basketball video services Hudson Jacobs and special assistant to the head coach Dianne Palmer all received extensions, according to the records.

Their agreements followed the same basic timeline as the assistant coaches: notification on April 9, with contracts beginning April 1, 2026 and continuing through March 31, 2027.

Moore was the only member of that group specifically identified as receiving a raise. Her salary increased from $205,875 to $209,992.

The latest listed salaries for the support staff are:

Ariana Moore — $209,992
Susan Walvius — $200,000
Molly Binetti — $142,800
Hudson Jacobs — $118,466
Freddy Ready — $113,466
Craig Oates — $93,000
Dianne Palmer — $88,937
Tracy Murphy — $72,350

Three additional staff members remain under consideration

There is a small caveat surrounding three members of the broader operation.

Director of sports performance Molly Binetti, athletic trainer Craig Oates and NIL operations coordinator Susan Walvius were under contracts running through June 30, 2026. Because the public-records request was made in June, any extensions beyond that date were not immediately available.

Still, all three appeared on South Carolina’s current salary list supplied in response to the records request, suggesting there was no indication they were departing the program.

Oates’ listed salary was the only notable change among the three, rising to $93,000 from $90,235 previously.

Continuity becomes another advantage for South Carolina

The bigger story behind the contracts isn’t simply who received a raise or how much each staff member makes. It’s that Staley will begin another season with essentially the same infrastructure surrounding her.

After reaching the national championship game last season, South Carolina has already entered an important period of roster transition and preparation. Keeping the coaching and support staffs together gives the Gamecocks the benefit of institutional knowledge while new players and returning stars adjust to the demands of another championship pursuit.

For a program that has established itself as one of the most consistent powers in women’s college basketball, maintaining that behind-the-scenes stability could prove just as important as any individual roster addition.

South Carolina isn’t rebuilding its coaching operation. It’s doubling down on the system that has already produced sustained national success.