Gals’s higher education basketball has found exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. With the elevated reputation and industrial accomplishment on the sport, particularly in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with building powerhouse courses.
Below’s a consider the 5 optimum-paid out women’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that 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 7-12 months, $22.four million agreement, earning her the best-paid Black head mentor in Ladies's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Income: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Males's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable efficiency have ensured valuable contract renewals. His present agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. When UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership hold his price superior.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $2.7 million
Right after A prosperous two-ten years run at Baylor, the place she received three nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball planet by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second time While using the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came which has a valuable 8-year, $23.six million agreement, producing her among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted 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: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking on in 2002. With numerous meeting 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 very long-term impression and advancement of major-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her recent offer contains bonuses for tutorial overall performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student improvement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last 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, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing level of popularity and financial viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are expanding, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and results these coaches carry to their programs and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Although M88 these five coaches now direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, several Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has manufactured considerable strides with their respective applications and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball proceeds to increase.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to grow in acceptance and support, we will hope these salaries—as well as the profiles of those leaders—to carry on increasing.
Girls’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive sports activities.