Women of all ages’s higher education basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past ten years. Along with the amplified reputation and business accomplishment of your Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these major-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical benefits that come with building powerhouse courses.
Below’s a consider the five optimum-paid out Ladies’s school basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, making her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Girls's university basketball heritage. That deal has considering that been restructured and prolonged with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the best of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $2.9 million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping 11 countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in college basketball heritage—Adult men's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable general performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His latest contract features a foundation wage, media obligations, clothing discounts, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event runs. Although UConn has faced the latest worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership retain his value large.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $2.7 million
After An effective two-ten years operate at Baylor, wherever she gained 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball world by joining LSU in 2021. In just her second season Together with the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a new level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival arrived with a rewarding 8-yr, $23.six million deal, earning her one among the best-paid out Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a model of regularity at Maryland since taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in national competition for more than 20 years.
Her lengthy-expression influence and development of major-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal contains bonuses for tutorial overall performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and student advancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-compensated coaches but will also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get document and it has led Stanford to 3 nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Last Four appearances.
While VanDerveer hasn't been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her leadership, development of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her position One of the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Transforming Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing level of popularity and financial viability of ladies’s university basketball. Systems are attracting more nationwide Television offers, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have gotten much more invested in Women of all ages's sports activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not just a sign of progress—it’s a recognition M88 of the effort, leadership, and success these coaches carry for their applications as well as sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches at this time guide just how regarding earnings, several Other people are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of these coaches has produced significant strides with their respective plans and could break into the top 5 in the coming decades as Gals's basketball carries on to increase.
Closing Ideas
The times of underfunded Women of all ages’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command substantial salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, form the culture of their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity continues to increase in recognition and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the rate for the future of competitive athletics.