five Greatest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
five Greatest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Females’s school basketball has viewed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the improved acceptance and industrial accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these best-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on for being the gold standard 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 various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the best-paid out Black head coach in Ladies'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 list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University 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 began in 1985, has remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His recent agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Although UConn has faced modern issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Right after a successful M88 two-decade operate at Baylor, where she won three national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball earth by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival arrived which has a beneficial 8-year, $23.six million agreement, creating her one of the best-paid out 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
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With many conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for more than 20 years.
Her long-expression impact and progress of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present deal includes bonuses for educational general performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely one of the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain record and has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Remaining 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s college basketball. Programs are attracting more national Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are expanding, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their courses as well as sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide the best way when it comes to earnings, several Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of such coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective programs and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Females’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command high salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to expand in attractiveness and help, we can easily count on these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue climbing.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.