Females’s faculty 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 Management these prime-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 don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Wage: $3.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds to get the gold regular in Women of all ages’s faculty basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Final Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head coach in Gals's school basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the top 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 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—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular effectiveness have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. While UConn has faced recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his benefit high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Soon after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, 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 a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her significant-profile arrival came having a profitable eight-yr, $23.6 million deal, generating her among the highest-paid out Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated 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 countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for over 20 years.
Her long-expression impact and progress of leading-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal incorporates bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Females's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 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 Management, progress of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her place among the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Modifying Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the increasing level of popularity and economical viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more national Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors have gotten extra invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition from the effort, Management, and results these coaches provide to their applications and also the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these five coaches now direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, several others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has built significant strides with their respective programs and could break into your prime five in the approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball continues to improve.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Ladies’s packages and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command substantial salaries—Additionally they M88 mentor generations of athletes, condition the tradition in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could anticipate these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to continue rising.
Females’s college basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the rate for the future of competitive athletics.