five Highest-Paid out Women's University Basketball Coaches
Females’s college basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the elevated attractiveness and commercial results with the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I systems, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these best-tier coaches provide to their groups and universities. As universities continue to speculate of their Females’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the economical rewards that include developing powerhouse applications.In this article’s a look at the 5 maximum-compensated Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their impressive salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Girls’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the best-paid Black head mentor in women's higher education basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and prolonged with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the record.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has reworked the program into Just about the most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball history—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile agreement renewals. His latest deal features a foundation income, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. When UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his price significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period With all the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new amount of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-12 months, $23.6 million deal, earning her considered one of the very best-paid out Females’s coaches ever. Recognized for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a product of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-time period effect and enhancement of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer consists of bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and scholar improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Remaining 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy M88 and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective of the expanding reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Packages are attracting additional nationwide Television discounts, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming much more invested in Ladies's sports.
The rise in coaching salaries is not only an indication of development—it’s a recognition of your effort, leadership, and success these coaches convey for their courses along with the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Although these 5 coaches at this time direct the way regarding earnings, quite a few Some others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of those coaches has built significant strides with their respective packages and could crack into your top five in the approaching decades as women's basketball continues to grow.
Final Views
The times of underfunded Women of all ages’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command higher salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, condition the lifestyle of their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Since the sport continues to develop in recognition and support, we can expect these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to continue soaring.
Girls’s college basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s location the pace for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.