five Highest-Paid out Women's Higher education Basketball Coaches
five Highest-Paid out Women's Higher education Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Girls’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased recognition 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 Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with building powerhouse courses.
In this article’s a consider the five optimum-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
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds 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 on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head coach in Gals's university basketball record. That deal has given that been restructured and prolonged with general performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Wage: $2.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 higher education basketball heritage—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Soon after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she won three countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In just her next year Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-12 months, $23.6 million deal, building her one among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching design, M88 flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With many conference championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for over 20 years.
Her long-phrase impact and growth of top-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
When 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 area Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing acceptance and money viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Tv set discounts, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not only a sign of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring for their packages as well as the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these 5 coaches currently lead just how in terms of earnings, various Some others are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has created significant strides with their respective systems and could crack in to the major five in the approaching a long time as women's basketball carries on to grow.
Ultimate Thoughts
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to increase in reputation and aid, we will hope these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue climbing.
Women of all ages’s university basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.