COLUMBIA, S.C. — Southeastern Conference coach of the year Lamont Paris will receive a contract extension and raise at South Carolina, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement still must be approved by the school’s board of trustees. The trustees have set a meeting for Friday morning with the only item on the agenda, “Approval of Athletics Employment Contract.”
Paris’ new deal is expected to take him through the 2029-30 season and bring his salary to more than $4 million per season.
Paris has led the Gamecocks to a 25-6 mark this season after going 11-21 a year ago in his debut season. South Carolina, seeded fifth, returned to the national rankings this season for the first time since 2017. The 15th-ranked Gamecocks will start play in the SEC Tournament later Thursday against Arkansas.
Paris’ name has come up for basketball openings at Ohio State and Louisville with his background as an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17.
He got his first head coaching job at Chattanooga in 2018 and led the Mocs to the NCAA Tournament two years ago.
Paris took over two seasons ago after South Carolina dismissed Frank Martin, who had just one NCAA appearance in 10 years on the job.
Paris’ team is poised for the program’s first NCAA bid since Martin’s group went to the Final Four in 2017.
This season, the Gamecocks defeated SEC powers Kentucky at home and Tennessee on the road on the way to 13 league wins, the second most in program history.