Women of all ages’s higher education basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Together with the greater attractiveness and professional achievements of your Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I systems, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and leadership these best-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 come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Females’s school 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.one million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold normal in women’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 multiple NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the best-paid Black head mentor in women's higher education basketball record. That deal has considering 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 began in 1985, has remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in school basketball historical past—Adult males's or women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady functionality have ensured valuable deal renewals. His current contract includes a base income, media obligations, clothing deals, and significant 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 high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Salary: $two.seven million
Just after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, in which she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball planet by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her next year Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her amongst 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 created a model of regularity at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her prolonged-term impression and development of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer consists of bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply one of the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn report and it has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her put Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set deals, ticket sales are expanding, and company sponsors have gotten a lot more invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver for their systems plus the M88 sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, several Many others are going up:
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 will split into the top rated five in the approaching years as Gals's basketball continues to improve.
Last Views
The days of underfunded Gals’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command large salaries—In addition 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 can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.