5 Highest-Compensated Ladies's Faculty Basketball Coaches
Women of all ages’s college basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. While using the elevated recognition and industrial achievement in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these best-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities keep on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with building powerhouse programs.Below’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’s college 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
Approximated Annual Wage: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold normal in Ladies’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she produced headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, creating her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Gals's school basketball heritage. That offer has considering that been restructured and prolonged with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the very best of the record.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Salary: $2.9 million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has transformed the program into One of the more dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His latest deal features a foundation income, media obligations, apparel specials, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Although UConn has faced modern worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his value high.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, the place she gained three national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball world by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd year Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-year, $23.six million agreement, building her amongst the very best-paid women’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With various convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide competition for more than two decades.
Her long-expression influence and enhancement M88 of top rated-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal incorporates bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and pupil enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply amongst the very best-paid out coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Remaining Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her place among the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of the expanding acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket revenue are escalating, and corporate sponsors are becoming much more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the hard work, Management, and results these coaches provide for their plans as well as the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches presently lead just how with regard to earnings, various Some others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has manufactured significant strides with their respective applications and will break into the top rated five in the approaching a long time as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Ideas
The times of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity carries on to develop in level of popularity and help, we can anticipate these salaries—as well as profiles of such leaders—to continue mounting.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just maintaining speed—it’s location the tempo for the future of competitive athletics.