Women’s faculty basketball has noticed exponential progress in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased popularity and commercial achievement of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities proceed to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their extraordinary salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in women’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 several NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.4 million agreement, earning 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 this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured valuable deal renewals. His current contract includes a base income, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Though UConn has confronted the latest challenges with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second season with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, building her one among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Approximated Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-expression influence and enhancement of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her twin M88 determination to athletics and student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Yearly Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only among the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Remaining 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her leadership, progress of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her put Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the increasing level of popularity and economical viability of girls’s faculty basketball. Courses are attracting extra countrywide Tv set discounts, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not only an indication of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, Management, and results these coaches provide to their programs as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently guide how with regards to earnings, a number of others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective programs and will crack to the leading 5 in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball carries on to develop.
Closing Thoughts
The days of underfunded women’s packages and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to mature in reputation and aid, we are able to be expecting these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue climbing.
Gals’s school basketball isn’t just trying to keep speed—it’s location the rate for the way forward for aggressive sports.