The South Carolina Board of Trustees recently gave the green light to a series of contracts that will shape the Gamecocks’ coaching staff for the upcoming seasons in both men’s basketball and baseball.
Steve Smith, hired as the new assistant coach for men’s basketball, will earn a base salary of $400,000 per year over a two‑year term, with the possibility of an additional $70,000 in performance incentives should the team secure a postseason berth and advance to the Final Four.
In baseball, the board approved deals for three assistants: Matt Williams, who returns to Columbia as pitching coach on a three‑year agreement worth $450,000 annually; Bill Cilento, the newly appointed hitting coach on a similar three‑year contract at $425,000 per season; and Chad Oxendine, the outfield coach on a two‑year deal paying $300,000 each year.
Incentives tied to performance
All three baseball assistants can augment their earnings with bonuses linked to NCAA Tournament appearances, Super Regional qualifications, a run to the College World Series, or a championship at the CWS, underscoring the board’s emphasis on competitive milestones.
Williams and Oxendine bring prior experience working alongside Kevin Schnall at Coastal Carolina, a connection that the university hopes will translate into on‑field success. Cilento arrives after more than a decade at Wake Forest, where he honed a reputation for developing potent hitting strategies.
The moves come as the program continues to build on recent recruiting gains, with former player Dylan Eskew, who logged 34 appearances and 24 starts for the Gamecocks between 2023 and 2025, now transitioning into a developmental role.