Lamont Paris earns $25,000 bonus for honor as SEC Coach of the Year

The media predicted South Carolina to finish in last place in the Southeastern Conference in the preseason poll. Now, after the Gamecocks tied for second with a 25-6 (13-5) record with several weeks as part of the AP Poll, they have since named Lamont Paris as the SEC Coach of the Year.

With that honor comes a bonus for Paris in his second season in Columbia. Per Steve Berkowitz at USA Today, he will receive his incentive of $25,000 for that achievement.

South Carolina went 11-21 (4-14) in Paris’ first season after hiring him out of Chattanooga. They had two quality wins over Clemson and Kentucky but, in the end, they finished in 12th in the conference and saw their season end just one round into the SEC Tournament.

That finish and losing some players from the team was cause for some to still view the Gamecocks at the back of the pack coming into this year. However, they overachieved on that perspective across the board with what they did in ’23-’24.

South Carolina had 25 regular-season wins for their best finish in program history. As part of that, their 13 conference victories were second-most all time for them. It included a 12-1 start in the non-conference before winning games over Kentucky and Tennessee in league play.

The Gamecocks were right in the thick of things in the last week to share part of the regular-season title. However, that was before they dropped a rematch with the Volunteers. That left them in a four-way tie for second place with Kentucky, Alabama, and Auburn. They had the same record as those other three but, unfortunately, didn’t earn a double-bye for the SEC Tournament due to tiebreakers.

Paris wasn’t the only Gamecock to receive all-conference honors on Monday. Meechie Johnson (14.4 points, 4.2 rebound, three assists) and Ta’Lon Cooper (9.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds on 47.2% FG and 45.1% from three) were Second Team All-SEC selections. Collin Murray-Boyles (10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds on 61.7% FG) was also a member of the All-Freshman Team.

South Carolina has also had to pay up on Dawn Staley’s contract this season on the women’s side. She has collected an additional $125,000 just in the last two weeks. She earned $75,000 for winning the conference’s regular-season crown and then $50,000 more for winning the SEC Tournament and moving to a perfect, 32-0 record.

After many doubted them coming into the year, Paris and the Gamecocks made their point with their play. That’s why this honor, and the money that’ll come with it, is well-deserved for South Carolina’s second-year head coach.