Charmin Smith, on the precipice of taking Cal to its first NCAA women’s basketball tournament berth since 2019, has signed to remain with the Bears through the 2029-30 season.
The Bears were projected in the ACC preseason poll to finish 14th in the league, but they finished seventh in their first year under the new banner and spent eight weeks in the AP Top 25 rankings. They were eliminated in the conference tournament last week by No. 2 seed Notre Dame but are expected to receive a seeding between No. 6 and No. 8 in the 64-team NCAA Tournament.
“The development of our program under Charmin’s leadership is undeniable, and the team’s accomplishments this season has our entire Cal Athletics community thrilled about the future,” Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said in a statement.
Cal also touted facility improvements and commitments to use revenue-sharing payments to players on women’s basketball once the House v. NCAA settlement is approved, which would clear the way for schools to pay athletes across all sports from a pool of roughly $20 million each year. The school’s announcement did not specify an amount for women’s basketball or exact facility upgrades.
Smith took over in Berkeley in 2019 after Lindsay Gottleib left following seven NCAA Tournament appearances in her eight seasons, including a Final Four in 2013. It has been a long road back, as the Bears went 1-16 in Smith’s second season, which was shortened by the COVID pandemic.
Since then, they have increased their win total each season, culminating with a 25-8 record so far this season and a 12-6 mark in conference play that included a sweep of rival and perennial power Stanford, Smith’s alma mater.
“This agreement is a testament to our entire coaching staff that helped put together one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory,” Smith said in a statement. “I appreciate that Jim sees the value in investing in women’s basketball through revenue sharing and a new locker room for our program.”