Lamont Paris officially hired as new South Carolina coach. Here are contract details
South Carolina has made it official: Lamont Paris is the school’s new head men’s basketball coach.
After national reports linked the former Chattanooga coach to the Gamecocks on Monday night, the school’s board of trustees Thursday approved a five-year, $12 million contract for Paris.
Paris will make $2.2 million his first year and will average $2.4 million over those five years. He made $250,000 at Chattanooga while 10-year USC head coach Frank Martin was making $3.2 million at the time of his dismissal.
Paris, 47, is the 33rd head coach in program history and is the first Black head coach of any of USC’s three major male sports. He was expected to meet with Gamecocks players at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a source close to the team told The State, and an introductory press conference was scheduled for 5 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena.
“Lamont Paris is the right choice to lead our men’s basketball program,” athletic director Ray Tanner said in the school’s release on the matter. “When we began this search, I said we wanted to hire someone with a winning coaching history, who has the energy, passion and commitment to excellence in all areas of the student-athlete experience. Coach Paris checks all of those boxes.
“Lamont’s success on the court speaks for itself. He has recruited and developed talent at the highest level, helping Wisconsin reach the Final Four on two occasions, and has taken his experiences under some of the nation’s top coaches to build his own winning program at Chattanooga. Off the court, he is first-class person who will embrace our community and the Gamecock Family. We believe he is one of the bright young coaches in the profession and we are thrilled to have him lead our men’s basketball program.”
In five years as a head coach, Paris posted a career 87-71 record with the Mocs. He led Chattanooga to a 27-8 record this season and made the NCAA tournament. This year’s March Madness bid was Paris’ first as a head coach, and the No. 13-seed Mocs lost by one point to No. 4-seed Illinois. Prior to arriving in Chattanooga, he served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2011-17, working under Bo Ryan and then Greg Gard.
“I am excited to be named the head coach at South Carolina,” Paris said in an official statement from the school. “The opportunity to build on what this program has achieved recently is exciting. While I am the head coach, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the many head and assistant coaches and student-athletes that I have worked with. I want Gamecock fans to know that we will have a program that you will be proud of and one that will compete for championships.”
One member of the board of trustees, Charles Williams, voted no for the approval of Paris’ contract, citing the agreement’s buyout clause. If Paris is fired “for cause,” the school owes him no money. If he’s fired “without cause,” it owes him 65% of his remaining contract.
Per the contract, South Carolina also agrees to pay Paris’ buyout from Chattanooga, and it is “not to exceed the sum of $450,000.”
Lamont Paris’ contract
▪ The headline: Former Chattanooga coach Lamont Paris signed a five-year, $12 million contract to replace 10-year head coach Frank Martin.
▪ The breakdown: Paris will make $2.2 million in his first season, and that salary will increase annually by $100,000. USC agrees to pay Paris’ buyout at Chattanooga, up to $450,000.
▪ The bonuses: Paris can earn up to $865,000 per year in performance-based bonuses. Those incentives are based on SEC titles, NCAA tournament appearances, coach of the year awards and end-of-season Top 25 finishes.
Full salary breakdown
- Year 1 (through March 31, 2023): $2.2 million
- Year 2 (through March 31, 2024): $2.3 million
- Year 3 (through March 31, 2025): $2.4 million
- Year 4 (through March 31, 2026): $2.5 million
- Year 5 (through March 31, 2027): $2.6 million
About the buyout
South Carolina would owe Paris no money if it were to ever fire him “with cause,” meaning USC is parting ways because a serious violation or impropriety has occurred.
However, if Paris is fired by the school “without cause,” the school owes him 65% of his remaining contract. Here’s how that math works out.
- Year 1 (through March 31, 2023): $7.8 million
- Year 2 (through March 31, 2024): $6.37 million
- Year 3 (through March 31, 2025): $4.875 million
- Year 4 (through March 31, 2026): $3.315 million
- Year 5 (through March 31, 2027): $1.69 million
If Paris leaves on his own, he owes the school this much:
- Year 1 (through March 31, 2023): $5 million
- Year 2 (through March 31, 2024): $4 million
- Year 3 (through March 31, 2025): $3 million
- Year 4 (through March 31, 2026): $1 million
- Year 5 (through March 31, 2027): $500,000
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 12:37 PM.
