April 17, 2013

The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees has approved contracts for two head coaches in the Athletics Department, it was announced today.

The Board of Trustees approved extensions to the contracts of women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith.

Staley will receive a three-year extension on her contract, taking her through the 2018-19 season, while Smith was approved for a four-year extension through the 2016 season.

“The contract extensions that Coach Staley and Coach Smith have been awarded are representative of the successes that they have achieved at South Carolina,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “Our athletics department strives to be competitive in all of our programs and compete for SEC and national championships. I believe that Dawn and Shelley will continue to lead their programs in that direction.”

“I want to thank Ray Tanner, President Pastides and the Board of Trustees for this contract extension,” said Coach Staley. “Our goal is to build a national championship caliber program that represents the University of South Carolina with distinction both on the court and in the classroom. I believe we have set the foundation for that success here and I am excited to a part of building on that for years to come.”

“I am extremely grateful to Dr. Pastides, Ray Tanner and the Board of Trustees for the many years of support to my family and to our soccer program,” said Coach Smith. “I’m proud to work at a great university that makes a commitment to excellence in all phases of our program. I’m also honored to work under Coach Tanner as our athletics director and with his outstanding staff of administrators.”