Women’s college basketball has noticed exponential advancement in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Using the amplified attractiveness and commercial results from the sport, particularly in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and leadership these best-tier coaches provide for their groups and universities. As universities go on to speculate of their Ladies’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the money benefits that come with constructing powerhouse packages.
In this article’s a look at the 5 best-paid out Females’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their extraordinary salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on to generally be the gold normal in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic seven-12 months, $22.four million deal, earning her the highest-compensated Black head coach in Girls's school basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and prolonged with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has reworked This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball history—Males's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured beneficial deal renewals. His current contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. While UConn has faced recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Just after An effective two-ten years operate at Baylor, where she won three nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned M88 the basketball world by joining LSU in 2021. In only her second season Along with the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a different amount of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival came using a rewarding 8-year, $23.6 million contract, producing her one among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a design of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over 20 years.
Her lengthy-expression influence and enhancement of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for academic general performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Yearly Salary: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only among the best-paid out coaches but in addition the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get report and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her spot among the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women's Basketball
The rising salaries of these coaches are reflective with the escalating level of popularity and financial viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Plans are attracting a lot more countrywide Tv set promotions, ticket gross sales are growing, and company sponsors are getting to be far more invested in Females's sports.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches deliver for their courses as well as the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these 5 coaches presently lead the way in which in terms of earnings, various Some others are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of these coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective packages and will split into your top rated five in the approaching decades as Gals's basketball proceeds to increase.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply 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 recognition and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Ladies’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.