Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has observed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Along with the elevated acceptance and commercial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and leadership these best-tier coaches carry to their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical rewards that include creating powerhouse systems.
In this article’s a consider the five highest-compensated Gals’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their remarkable salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Estimated Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to be the gold conventional in Girls’s university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head mentor in women's faculty basketball background. That offer has since been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Income: $two.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping eleven 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—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent efficiency have ensured valuable deal renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, attire discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. When UConn has confronted the latest challenges with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Soon after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, in which she won three national titles, Kim M88 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 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came having a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million contract, earning her one of the best-paid out Ladies’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in national competition for over 20 years.
Her long-expression effect and development of top rated-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her latest deal incorporates bonuses for academic overall performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply certainly one of the very best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 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, development of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of your expanding reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Courses are attracting extra countrywide Television set promotions, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your effort, Management, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their programs and the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these five coaches now direct the best way with regards to earnings, a number of others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has produced significant 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 Gals’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command high salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. As the Activity continues to improve in level of popularity and aid, we could anticipate these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to carry on soaring.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining rate—it’s setting the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sports.