With 3 meetings this season, the Final Four had a massive bearing on Dawn Staley and Vic Schaefer. Before this game, the odds and record favored the South Carolina Gamecocks. They had two blowout wins: 67-50, 64-45, and the latter one was for the SEC championship. The Final Four clash wasn’t just another game for Schaefer and Staley—it was the latest chapter in a growing rivalry. Since Schaefer took over at Texas in 2020, his Longhorns have faced Staley’s Gamecocks 12 times by April 2025, with South Carolina holding a 9-3 edge. Staley’s dominance in 2025 (3-0 against Texas) only amplifies the stakes, both competitively and financially.

But it’s not a doom-and-gloom end for the Longhorns head coach. Even though it was a 74-57 loss, there is a six-figure bonus waiting for him. So, let’s look at how much he and Staley will benefit after this encounter.

“Texas coach Vic Schaefer ends season with $220,000 in bonuses,” Steve Berkowitz added on X. Schaefer’s six-figure bonus isn’t a fluke—it’s baked into his contract. Based on recent Texas athletics contract disclosures, his 2025 incentives included $50,000 for reaching the NCAA tournament, $75,000 for advancing to the Sweet 16, and $95,000 for making the Final Four. Though the 74-57 loss to South Carolina stung, Schaefer’s bank account softened the blow, reflecting Texas’s investment in his steady leadership.

The USA Today reporter also gave an update on Gamecocks head coach’s financial gain, but it comes with a caveat. “South Carolina advances to NCAA women’s basketball championship game with win over Texas. Gamecocks will need to win the title for coach Dawn Staley to add to her $380,000 in bonuses so far this season.”

For Staley, the real prize looms: a national championship victory on April 7, would net her an additional bonus, pushing her postseason earnings to a significantly higher amount—nearly triple Schaefer’s haul.

In January, Dawn Staley surpassed Kim Mulkey’s $3.2 million to have the largest coaching contract for women’s college basketball. The Gamecocks coach got an extension to her base salary of $4 million, plus additional benefits, which included a $250,000 escalator every year. Apart from that, it includes a signing bonus of half a million dollars. The total contract amounts to $25.25 million over the next five years. Even the Texas head coach signed a new deal in February.

Schaefer signed a contract extension that’ll keep him in Austin through the 2029-30 season. For 2025, he earned $2.3 million a year, but come 2027, he’ll get a $100,000 bump each year, with his salary hitting $2.6 million by 2030. Even though his 2025 NCAA tournament journey ends, the Longhorns have a lot of faith in the 64-year-old.

Dawn Staley’s financial gain throughout the 2025 March Madness

South Carolina stays in the hunt for the second straight title. After the first-round win over Tennessee Tech in the postseason, the Gamecocks improved to 17-1 in the past four women’s tournaments. The lone loss came in 2023 when Caitlin Clark and Iowa beat them in the national semifinals. 4 more wins since the first-round win this year, and it only gets better financially for the Gamecocks head coach.

It all started adding up when they sealed the SEC title, and Staley earned a $25,000 bonus. As the team advanced to the Sweet 16 after the win over Indiana, the 54-year-old pocketed another $25,000. Naturally, the bonus amount increased when the stakes at the Big Dance increased. It was a $50,000 bonus as the Gamecocks reached the NCAA tournament round of 8 with a win over Maryland. The number tripled after the win in the Elite Eight.

After defeating the No. 2 seed Duke, the coach received a $150,000 bonus, as the team reached the NCAA women’s Final Four again. All these numbers were reported by Steve Berkowitz. Up next for Dawn Staley and South Carolina awaits the winner of UConn and UCLA. So, will they put a crack on the Gamecocks’ winnings, or will the 4x Naismith Coach of the Year reign supreme again?