Girls’s university basketball has viewed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the elevated recognition and commercial achievement from the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches deliver for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their extraordinary salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball background. That deal has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the record.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement 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 Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-decade run at Baylor, exactly where she received a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period With all the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came which has a valuable 8-year, $23.six million agreement, creating her certainly one of the best-paid out women’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for more than two decades.
Her extensive-expression impact and progress of leading-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and pupil progress.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Estimated Yearly Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-paid coaches but additionally the winningest mentor in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Transforming Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The expanding salaries of such coaches are reflective of your growing recognition and economic viability of women’s university basketball. Plans are attracting a lot more national TV offers, ticket revenue are increasing, and company sponsors are getting to be additional invested in M88 Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and good results these coaches carry to their courses plus the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these 5 coaches at this time direct the way concerning earnings, various Other individuals are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of those coaches has made major strides with their respective plans and will split into your prime 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball continues to increase.
Last Feelings
The days of underfunded Girls’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity carries on to improve in reputation and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.