UNC and women’s basketball head coach Courtney Banghart have agreed to a five-year contract extension which will keep her in Chapel Hill through at least the 2027-28 season. The program announced the agreement Thursday morning.

“Being the head coach at the University of North Carolina is both a tremendous honor and an enormous responsibility,” Banghart said in a release from the athletic department. “I’m in gratitude to my staff, to [athletic director] Bubba [Cunningham] and his staff, to our donors, and to the other head coaches here, who have been such great teammates on this journey.”

Banghart’s base salary for the 2022-23 season was $310,000, and that rate is set to increase to $350,000 in 2023-24 and $400,000 for the remaining years of the deal. In addition, $50,000 bonuses for regular-season or ACC Tournament titles are written into the deal. Should the Tar Heels reach the Final Four for the first time since 2007, Banghart would receive a $100,000 bonus. A national title would bring a $200,000 bonus.

Other bonuses are tied to academic performance, such as the team grade point average equaling or exceeding 3.0 in any given term. In total, when adding in supplemental compensation, Banghart’s deal is worth more than $6 million.

The 2022-23 season was Banghart’s fourth with the Tar Heels. She has led the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and its first Sweet 16 since 2015 in her time in Chapel Hill. Under her guidance, Carolina also reached the 20-win plateau in back-to-back years for the first time since 2014 and 2015. Average attendance at Carmichael Arena increased 44 percent in the 2022-23 season.

“When we conducted our coaching search four years ago, we were convinced that Coach Banghart was the right leader for our program,” Cunningham said. “And I feel even more strongly about that now.”

“We’ve solidified a strong foundation amidst the changing landscape,” Banghart said. “That said, my family and I are eager for more. This community has totally wrapped its arms around us, and you will continue to get our best as we stay locked in to the pursuit of our next national championship.”

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim

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