Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the elevated recognition and industrial achievement from the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these best-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’s school basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their impressive salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that 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 given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this checklist.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second season with the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a different degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came having a lucrative eight-yr, $23.6 million deal, generating her among the highest-paid out Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking over in 2002. With various convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in national competition for more than two decades.
Her extensive-expression impact and progress of leading-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and pupil progress.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely considered one of the highest-paid coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn history and has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been 1 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 position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the increasing level of popularity and economical viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten additional invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and results these coaches provide to their applications and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches now guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective applications and will break into your best 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball continues to improve.
Last Feelings
The days of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just M88 command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity continues to increase in popularity and assist, we can count on these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on soaring.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just maintaining tempo—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for competitive sports activities.