<p>ATHENS, Ga. — After leading Georgia to the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years, coach Joni Taylor has agreed to a contract extension through 2027.</p>
<p>The deal announced Friday provides a $100,000 raise next season, bumping Taylor’s salary to $850,000. Her pay will increase to $925,000 by the sixth year of the new contract, not including annual performance bonuses.</p>
<p>Taylor’s previous contract ran through 2024 and was worth $750,000 annually. </p>
<p>“Under Coach Taylor’s leadership, we repositioned ourselves as a national force this year," athletic director Josh Brooks said. “With our current and incoming talent, this is just the beginning of our sustained competitive success.”</p>
<p>Taylor earned SEC coach of the year honors after Georgia finished 21-7, claiming a spot in the SEC tournament championship game for the first time since 2004 and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament — its highest since 2007.</p>
<p>After beating Drexel in the opening round, the Lady Bulldogs’ season ended with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-college-basketball-georgia-oregon-march-madness-college-basketball-5aae098435f4cd2d3cc966287ef4e6d1">a 57-50 loss</a> to sixth-seeded Oregon.</p>
<p>Still, it was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-georgia-georgia-bulldogs-mens-basketball-mens-basketball-mens-college-basketball-6d12f738c690ec3f2d15dd6a0bdab5ba">an encouraging return to form</a> for a program that was a perennial national powerhouse under previous coach Andy Landers.</p>
<p>“Georgia is a special place,” said Taylor, who has a career record of 89-58 in six seasons. She said the contract extension “continues the positive momentum we built over this last season. ”</p>
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