Latest on salaries, contracts for Dawn Staley’s assistant coaches at South Carolina
Each of the South Carolina women’s basketball assistant coaches received a contract extension and a raise in February, according to documents The State received via a public records request.
That means everyone from Dawn Staley — who received an extension through 2030 worth $25.25 million back in January — down the Gamecocks’ bench will be back for 2025-26, and with an extra bit of change in their bank accounts.
The State requested the details through a Freedom of Information Act request. Here’s what we found:
Raises and extensions for South Carolina assistant coaches
Each of Staley’s assistants received an extension and a raise.
The respective previous contracts for Lisa Boyer, Jolette Law, Mary Wooley and Khadijah Sessions expired on March 31, 2025. They are now all under contract until March 31, 2026.
Each of Staley’s assistants (sans the new hire in Wendale Farrow) were formally notified of their extensions on Feb. 26 and their new salaries went into effect on Feb. 1, per documents obtained by The State.
Here are the details of the raises:
- Lisa Boyer’s new contract is valued at $512,600 annually. Her previous contract was valued at $432,600.
- Jolette Law’s new contract is valued at $353,992. Her previous contract with South Carolina was valued at $319,042.
- Mary Wooley’s new contract is valued at $227,520. Her previous contract with South Carolina was valued at $189,262.
- Khadijah Sessions’ new contract is valued at $85,125. That’s up from the $50,000 she had been making on her previous two contracts with South Carolina.
In all, $188,333 was given out in raises to South Carolina’s assistants. Boyer remains Staley’s highest-paid assistant after receiving an $80,000 raise. Boyer would rank No. 57 in USA Today’s list of college women’s basketball head coaching salaries if she were a head coach, though that database hasn’t been updated in over a year.
A look at Wendale Farrow’s contract
Wendale Farrow was hired as Staley’s newest assistant back on April 18. He officially signed his contract with the Gamecocks on April 22, according to documents The State received via a public records request.
Farrow’s contract runs until March 31, 2026 and is valued at $400,000 a year. That makes him Staley’s second-highest-paid assistant. Farrow replaced Winston Gandy, who took the head coaching job at Grandy Canyon. Gandy was making $268,406 with the Gamecocks last season.
Farrow is eligible for performance compensation as well. If South Carolina makes the NCAA tournament, he will receive a payment equal to one month of his base salary. If USC makes the Final Four, Farrow will receive the exact same bonus.
Farrow received up to $20,000 in moving expenses. He also has the option for a courtesy car or a monthly automobile stipend, per his contract.
Notes on other USC staffers
It wasn’t just Staley’s assistants who received extensions and raises this year.
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 Diane Palmer have also been extended, according to documents The State received.
Most received formal notice of their respective contracts extensions on Feb. 26. Ready received his on March 13. All are now under contract until March 31, 2026 and their raises went into effect on Feb. 1.
Here are the details of the raises:
- Moore’s new contract is valued at $205,875 annually. Her previous contract was $162,225.
- Murphy’s new contract is valued at $72,350.
- Ready’s new contract is valued at $113,466. His previous contact with the Gamecocks was $86,520.
- Jacobs’ new contract is valued at $118,466.
- Palmer’s new contact is valued at $88,937. Her previous contract was $81,112.
Note: Director of sports performance Molly Binetti and athletic trainer Craig Oates were both under contract until June 30, 2025. Therefore, any extension either Binetti or Oates may have received was not immediately available at the time The State’s FOIA request was made.
