Girls’s college basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the improved reputation and industrial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these best-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position in their women’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the economical benefits that come with building powerhouse courses.
Below’s a consider the 5 optimum-paid women’s college or university 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 Yearly Salary: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to be the gold typical in Females’s college basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, producing her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball background. That deal has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the record.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly 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 began in 1985, has remodeled This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball historical past—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady general performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His recent agreement features a foundation wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. When UConn has confronted current troubles with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his benefit large.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second season with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-calendar year, $23.six million contract, making her amongst the very best-paid Women of all ages’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 product of consistency at Maryland since 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 twenty years.
Her prolonged-term affect and improvement of top rated-tier talent have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her recent offer consists of bonuses for tutorial overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and scholar improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
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 Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn history and has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 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 position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s higher education basketball. Systems are attracting far more countrywide Television deals, ticket product sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches deliver for their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently guide how regarding earnings, numerous Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of these coaches has built important strides with their respective plans and will break into your best 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball continues to increase.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Girls’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches M88 not simply command higher salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the tradition in their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity continues to expand in popularity and assist, we can easily count on these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue climbing.
Women of all ages’s university basketball isn’t just preserving pace—it’s environment the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.