Ladies’s college or university basketball has noticed exponential progress in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. With the elevated reputation and industrial success from the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities proceed to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.
Below’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid women’s college or university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their remarkable salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball historical past. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the very best of the record.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $two.9 million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His recent agreement features a foundation wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Even though UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his price significant.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, in which she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her next 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 substantial-profile arrival came with a valuable eight-yr, $23.6 million M88 deal, generating 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's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Approximated Annual Income: $1.four 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 kept the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over twenty years.
Her prolonged-term affect and improvement of major-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal involves bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and pupil progress.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely amongst the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn record and has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her place One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective from the developing acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are increasing, 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 in the hard work, Management, and results these coaches provide to their plans and also the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although 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 single of these coaches has designed important strides with their respective applications and could split into the top rated five in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Feelings
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, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women of all ages’s university basketball isn’t just preserving pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.