five Highest-Paid Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
five Highest-Paid Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Gals’s faculty basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the improved acceptance and business accomplishment with the sport, particularly in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Females’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that include creating powerhouse applications.
Here’s a think about the five highest-paid out Females’s school basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their spectacular salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Last 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, creating her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Gals's school basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this checklist.
two. Geno Auriemma – College 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—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Though UConn has confronted the latest difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership hold his value high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.seven million
Immediately after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet 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 superior-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-12 months, $23.6 million deal, making her one of the best-paid out women’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-term affect and improvement of top rated-tier talent have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her recent offer consists of bonuses for educational overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer M88 is not merely amongst the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. 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.
Even though VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her spot Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective of the expanding reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Packages are attracting far more nationwide Television bargains, ticket product sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Gals's athletics.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition in the hard work, Management, and results these coaches carry to their programs as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at present lead how regarding earnings, numerous Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has designed important strides with their respective applications and will break in the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command superior salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to carry on increasing.
Gals’s college basketball isn’t just trying to keep rate—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive sports activities.