5 Highest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
5 Highest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased popularity and commercial achievement from the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these best-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position within their Females’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that include creating powerhouse applications.
Here’s a think about the five highest-paid Women of all ages’s college or university 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
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to be the gold typical in Females’s college basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million contract, earning her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Girls's school basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the checklist.
two. 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 began in 1985, has remodeled the program into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent functionality have ensured valuable contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. When UConn has confronted latest challenges with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his worth superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Soon after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, in which she won three national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new stage of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came using a profitable 8-calendar year, $23.six million contract, creating her certainly one of the best-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted 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
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With various convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than 20 years.
Her long-expression effect and development of top rated-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal features bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and university student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the very best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn record and has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area among the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of women’s school basketball. Plans are attracting much more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming a lot more invested in women's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition in the labor, leadership, and success these coaches bring for their systems as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at this time direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, a number of others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about M88 every of those coaches has made sizeable strides with their respective systems and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball continues to mature.
Ultimate Thoughts
The times of underfunded Ladies’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to develop in attractiveness and assist, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on mounting.
Gals’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s location the pace for the future of aggressive sporting activities.