five Maximum-Paid out Women of all ages's Higher education Basketball Coaches
five Maximum-Paid out Women of all ages's Higher education Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Females’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the elevated reputation and industrial accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Girls’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that include constructing powerhouse plans.
Here’s a think about the five greatest-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 Annual Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Females's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has because been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of the checklist.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—Males's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His present agreement features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Whilst UConn has faced latest problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership continue to keep his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-ten years operate at Baylor, wherever she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second season with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a different stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her significant-profile arrival came with a profitable 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, making her amongst the very best-paid women’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With several convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in nationwide competition for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-phrase impression and enhancement of top rated-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and university student progress.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just one of the best-paid coaches and also the winningest coach in NCAA Ladies's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire history and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Ultimate Four appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her spot Amongst the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Shifting Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective with the escalating attractiveness and economic viability of ladies’s school basketball. Courses are attracting additional countrywide Tv set specials, ticket income are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten a lot more invested in Ladies's sports.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and good results these coaches carry for their applications as well as sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these five coaches now guide the way in which in terms of earnings, quite a few others are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of these coaches has designed major strides with their M88 respective programs and could split into the prime 5 in the coming a long time as women's basketball continues to expand.
Remaining Views
The days of underfunded Ladies’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command superior salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, shape the culture of their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity carries on to improve in popularity and assistance, we are able to count on these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women’s college basketball isn’t just trying to keep pace—it’s location the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.