Gals’s higher education basketball has witnessed exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. With the elevated reputation and industrial accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include setting up powerhouse systems.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid women’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold common in Ladies’s higher education basketball coaching. A previous 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 many NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-compensated Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball historical past. That offer has considering that been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Income: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball history—Guys's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile deal renewals. His present-day deal features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing promotions, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Though UConn has confronted current issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Right after a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period With all the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a completely new amount of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-yr, $23.6 million deal, generating her one among the highest-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Approximated Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide competition for over twenty years.
Her extended-phrase affect and development of top rated-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal involves bonuses for tutorial functionality, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Yearly Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-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 history and it has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer has never been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, advancement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape M88 in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the increasing attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s college basketball. Programs are attracting more national Television set deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the effort, Management, and results these coaches carry to their courses as well as sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches at this time guide how with regard to earnings, many Other individuals are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has made major strides with their respective plans and will split into the top rated five in the approaching years as Gals's basketball continues to mature.
Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Gals’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. As being the sport carries on to mature in acceptance and support, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of those leaders—to carry on growing.
Females’s university basketball isn’t just trying to keep pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.