Women’s college basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the improved reputation and industrial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities go on to speculate inside their Females’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
Here’s a look at the five best-paid out Ladies’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds to get the gold regular in Women of all ages’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina 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 designed headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the best-paid Black head coach in Gals's college or university basketball record. That deal has considering that been restructured and prolonged with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Salary: $2.nine million
A dwelling 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 The most dominant dynasties in school basketball record—Males's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His recent agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced current problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, where she received a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her second season Using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new degree of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival arrived using a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million deal, building her one 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 of all ages's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Estimated Annual Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland since taking on in 2002. With various convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-time period effect and enhancement of best-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 college student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely amongst the highest-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Last Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her spot Among the many all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of such coaches are reflective with the escalating recognition and monetary viability of women’s school basketball. Packages are attracting additional national TV deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have become much more invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just a sign of development—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and accomplishment these coaches deliver to their courses plus the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of such coaches has manufactured substantial M88 strides with their respective programs and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to develop.
Remaining Ideas
The days of underfunded Ladies’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command high salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the sport carries on to improve in acceptance and support, we will hope these salaries—as well as the profiles of such leaders—to carry on increasing.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just maintaining tempo—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for competitive sports activities.