Females’s university basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Along with the amplified recognition and commercial achievement in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Girls’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that include constructing powerhouse plans.
Right here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their remarkable salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold regular in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the very best-paid out Black head mentor in Females's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has because been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the 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—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His recent agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Even though UConn has faced modern troubles with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management hold his price substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $two.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade operate 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 some 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her considered one of the very best-paid Gals’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching model, 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 because taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her prolonged-term impression and advancement of major-tier talent have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal consists of bonuses for tutorial overall performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and university student advancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball record. 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 has not 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 M88 area Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing reputation and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Courses are attracting more countrywide Television set specials, ticket profits are expanding, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Females's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver for their courses plus the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches presently guide how with regards to earnings, a number of others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has created significant strides with their respective courses and could crack to the leading 5 in the coming several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command higher salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity continues to improve in recognition and guidance, we are able to be expecting these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just maintaining speed—it’s location the rate for the future of competitive sports activities.