5 Highest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
Women’s higher education basketball has found exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. Using the enhanced acceptance and business results with 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 continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’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
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds to become the gold standard in Girls’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to many NCAA Last 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, creating her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Girls's college basketball record. That deal has considering that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has transformed the program into Just about the most dominant dynasties in college basketball historical past—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His latest deal features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing promotions, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. While UConn has confronted recent problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership maintain his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $2.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade run at Baylor, where M88 she received a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In only her next year Along with the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came with a valuable eight-year, $23.six million agreement, generating her considered one of the very best-paid Gals’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over twenty years.
Her extended-time period effect and enhancement of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely considered one of the highest-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Final Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Shifting Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The expanding salaries of such coaches are reflective of your growing recognition and monetary viability of women’s school basketball. Plans are attracting a lot more national TV deals, ticket sales are expanding, and company sponsors have gotten a lot more invested in Females's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring for their plans and also the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at the moment lead just how with regard to earnings, numerous Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has built important strides with their respective applications and will break in the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Ladies's basketball proceeds to develop.
Closing Feelings
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s packages and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—they also 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 improve in reputation and aid, we are able to be expecting these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to continue soaring.
Ladies’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.