Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has viewed exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. With the elevated reputation and industrial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches deliver for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical 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 only their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Income: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds to get the gold normal in women’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, producing her the best-compensated Black head coach in Women of all ages's higher education basketball history. That deal has since been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Income: $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 started in 1985, has remodeled This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball history—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent functionality have ensured valuable deal renewals. His present agreement includes a base income, media obligations, attire specials, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event runs. While UConn has faced latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership retain his worth large.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Right after An effective two-10 years operate at Baylor, the place she gained 3 countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second season Using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival came which has a valuable eight-yr, $23.6 million deal, building her one among the very best-paid 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
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $one.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With multiple meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-term impression and advancement of major-tier expertise have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her recent deal includes bonuses for educational overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student advancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various 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 leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing acceptance and money viability of girls’s faculty basketball. Courses are attracting extra countrywide Tv set specials, ticket profits are raising, and corporate sponsors have become much more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and success these coaches bring for their courses and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches now lead the way 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 of those coaches has made sizeable strides with their respective packages M88 and will crack to the prime five in the coming a long time as Girls's basketball carries on to develop.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Females’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, condition the tradition in their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. Because the sport carries on to improve in acceptance and support, we will expect these salaries—as well as profiles of those leaders—to carry on mounting.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for aggressive sports.