Females’s college basketball has observed exponential progress in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the enhanced level of popularity and business results of your Activity, especially in NCAA Division I systems, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and Management these prime-tier coaches provide for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest within their Ladies’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a think about the five highest-compensated Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their impressive salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Salary: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to be the gold conventional in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-paid out Black head coach in Women of all ages's college basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed 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 reworked This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—Males's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured beneficial deal renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Estimated Yearly Income: $2.seven million
Following a successful two-ten years operate at Baylor, wherever she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd time Using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a different stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival arrived using a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million contract, earning her considered one of the very best-paid Women of all ages’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of consistency at Maryland given that taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her very long-term impression and advancement of major-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and pupil enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win file and it has led Stanford to M88 a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location among the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the growing reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Courses are attracting extra countrywide Television set specials, ticket gross sales are expanding, 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 labor, Management, and achievement these coaches provide for their plans as well as the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these five coaches now direct the way in which in terms of earnings, several Some others are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective courses and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Females's basketball proceeds to increase.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the sport carries on to improve in reputation and aid, we are able to be expecting these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of aggressive sports activities.