Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. With the elevated reputation and industrial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities keep on to invest in their Gals’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the monetary rewards that include constructing powerhouse packages.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $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 crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to many NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.4 million agreement, making her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Gals's university basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.nine million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—Males's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable efficiency have ensured beneficial deal renewals. His current contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. While UConn has faced latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his benefit superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball earth by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second season Using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a new M88 amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came which has a valuable eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, generating her one among the highest-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a model of regularity at Maryland given that taking over in 2002. With many conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-phrase impact and progress of best-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer contains bonuses for academic performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply certainly one of the very best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn record and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, progress of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective with the escalating recognition and economic viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are increasing, and company sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and results these coaches provide for their packages as well as the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches presently lead just how concerning earnings, quite a few Some others are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of such coaches has manufactured considerable strides with their respective applications and will break into your prime five in the approaching a long time as women's basketball carries on to develop.
Remaining Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’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 Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity continues to improve in reputation and aid, we will expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive sporting activities.