five Optimum-Paid out Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches
Women of all ages’s university basketball has viewed exponential growth in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the enhanced level of popularity and business results with the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their groups 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 creating 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 spectacular salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold standard in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball background. That offer has because been restructured and prolonged with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.
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 more dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile deal renewals. His present-day contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Even though UConn has faced modern worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit high.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-decade run at Baylor, exactly where she won three national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second season With all the Tigers, she M88 led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, making her amongst the best-paid out women’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking over in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide competition for more than 20 years.
Her long-expression influence and enhancement of prime-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just amongst the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
When 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 historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the increasing attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s school basketball. Applications are attracting a lot more nationwide Television bargains, ticket product sales are rising, and corporate sponsors have become a lot more invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring to their courses and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Although these five coaches now direct the best way with regards to earnings, a number of others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has produced significant strides with their respective programs and will crack to the best 5 in the coming years as Gals's basketball continues to mature.
Ultimate Thoughts
The times of underfunded women’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command high salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to mature in level of popularity and assistance, we could anticipate these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just maintaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive sporting activities.