five Maximum-Paid out Gals's College Basketball Coaches
five Maximum-Paid out Gals's College Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Ladies’s college basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the improved reputation and industrial accomplishment in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities go on to speculate inside their Females’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that include creating powerhouse applications.
Here’s a think about the five optimum-paid women’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 Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to generally be the gold common in Females’s higher education 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 Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head coach in Women of all ages's university basketball heritage. That offer has because been restructured and prolonged with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best 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 Among the most dominant dynasties in college basketball historical past—Adult males's or women’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 Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced the latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his benefit superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her next year While using the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival arrived with a lucrative eight-yr, $23.6 million deal, generating her one among the highest-paid out Gals’s coaches at any time. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a design of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With numerous 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 very long-term impression and growth of top-tier talent have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her current deal features bonuses for academic general performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Annual Salary: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 appearances.
When VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford M88 has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her leadership, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of such coaches are reflective with the expanding acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Courses are attracting more countrywide Television set offers, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition in the labor, Management, and achievements these coaches convey for their plans and also the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has made sizeable strides with their respective packages and could crack in to the major five in the approaching 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—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to grow in acceptance and support, we could anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue climbing.
Women’s university basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for competitive sports.