five Maximum-Compensated Ladies's Faculty Basketball Coaches
Women of all ages’s university basketball has viewed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last decade. With the elevated popularity and professional success of your sport, especially in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the worth and leadership these top-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to take a position in their Gals’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the financial rewards that include making powerhouse applications.Below’s a think about the 5 highest-paid Girls’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their spectacular salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $3.1 million
Dawn Staley continues to become the gold normal in Girls’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Final 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.4 million deal, building her the very best-compensated Black head mentor in women's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has considering that been restructured and prolonged with performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into Among the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Gentlemen's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and constant functionality have ensured valuable contract renewals. His existing contract includes a foundation wage, media obligations, clothing specials, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. Though UConn has confronted modern issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his value superior.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Believed Annual Income: $2.seven million
Right after a successful two-10 years operate at Baylor, wherever she gained a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball entire world by joining LSU in 2021. In just her 2nd time Together with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a new degree of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival came which has a rewarding 8-12 months, $23.six million agreement, making her among the very best-paid out Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Noted for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a design of consistency at Maryland given that taking over in 2002. With numerous convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than 20 years.
Her extended-term effects and progress of prime-tier expertise have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her present-day deal includes bonuses for educational efficiency, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and college student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not only certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Ladies's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get history and it has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Final Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Switching Landscape in Females's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the developing recognition and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Applications are attracting far more countrywide Television offers, ticket product sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors have become far more invested in Gals's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, Management, and success these coaches deliver for their packages and the Activity M88 in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches presently direct the way in terms of earnings, quite a few Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of these coaches has manufactured considerable strides with their respective packages and could split in to the best 5 in the approaching a long time as Girls's basketball continues to grow.
Closing Feelings
The times of underfunded Females’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command higher salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the tradition of their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity carries on to improve in level of popularity and support, we are able to assume these salaries—as well as profiles of those leaders—to carry on increasing.
Women’s university basketball isn’t just trying to keep speed—it’s placing the pace for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.