South Carolina Gamecocks Dawn Staley has been busy this offseason, attending various events as an inspirational figure. Her latest stop came on Friday afternoon, when she was hosted by the Carolina Panthers as a special guest speaker at their training camp in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Staley has won numerous championships, including three national titles at South Carolina and three Olympic gold medals. During the event, the Panthers players and coaching staff met with Staley, who had some advice and grace to give.
The Gamecocks coach also received an autographed jersey from quarterback Bryce Young. A joint Instagram post was shared by South Carolina and the Panthers on Instagram, capturing this moment in particular. Despite coaching at South Carolina, Staley is a die‑hard Eagles fan and has been seen wearing Eagles jerseys and gear courtside during Gamecocks games.
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The Panthers roster currently boasts five South Carolina players. One of them includes Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, who described Staley’s visit.
“That was special,” he said. “She created a powerhouse at South Carolina, just the culture they created and how serious they were.”
Horn also added that his girlfriend, Brea Beal, has told her many stories about Staley. Beal was part of South Carolina’s 2022 championship team.
“I’ve heard my girlfriend talk about it, just the standard she talked about that she held them to,” Horn added. “It’s contagious, and I feel like that’s why they’re so dominant as a program. Yeah, she’s got some swag to her for sure.”
Dawn Staley signs record-breaking contract extension with South Carolina
Dawn Staley, who joined South Carolina in 2008 as head coach, has converted the program into a women’s basketball powerhouse. Earlier this year, she reaped her benefits, as South Carolina awarded her a groundbreaking contract extension through the 2029‑30 season, valued at approximately $25.25 million.
The deal includes a $4 million base salary, a $500,000 signing bonus, and a $250,000 escalator annually, making her the highest-paid women’s college basketball coach in history. The contract also includes that Staley can leave the program to pursue coaching opportunities in the NBA or WNBA. However, despite that clause, Staley reaffirmed her commitment to the Gamecocks.
“It’s a give and take,” Staley said. “It was important for me to have a guaranteed contract, but to have a guaranteed contract you have to give them something. I will never leave here to coach another college job. I have the best of the best here. I really don’t have a passion for the next level, I don’t. I would have been gone, seriously. So to have it in there, it was just something fancy to have (a reporter) ask me that question.”
Why Dawn Staley says WNBA, NBA opt-outs in historic new contract shouldn’t fret South Carolina fans
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Last season, Staley led South Carolina to a 35‑4 record, winning the SEC Tournament and advancing to the national championship game. However, they were defeated in the NCAA Tournament finals against UConn.
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