5 Maximum-Paid out Women's Faculty Basketball Coaches
Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has noticed exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Together with the amplified attractiveness and professional success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches deliver for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest in their Ladies’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that include constructing powerhouse packages.Listed here’s a look at the 5 best-paid out Females’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their extraordinary salaries but 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 for being the gold standard in Women of all ages’s faculty basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million contract, earning her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Women of all ages's higher education basketball history. That deal has since been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the best of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Believed Yearly Income: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball historical past—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable overall performance have ensured worthwhile deal renewals. His current contract includes a foundation wage, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Although UConn has confronted current issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit high.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
After a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just M88 her 2nd period 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 higher-profile arrival came with a lucrative eight-year, $23.6 million deal, earning her one of the best-paid out Females’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year 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 held the Terrapins in national competition for over 20 years.
Her extended-time period affect and improvement of major-tier talent have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present offer consists of bonuses for tutorial functionality, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student improvement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Yearly Income: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get report and it has led Stanford to three national 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 determination to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective with the growing acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting much more national Television bargains, ticket product sales are rising, and corporate sponsors have become a lot more invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, leadership, and success these coaches convey for their systems plus the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at this time direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, several others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has produced significant strides with their respective systems and could crack in the prime five in the approaching a long time as women's basketball carries on to develop.
Remaining Feelings
The times of underfunded Gals’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to expand in popularity and assist, we can count on these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of aggressive sporting activities.