Ladies’s higher education basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased recognition and industrial good results in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that come with developing powerhouse courses.
Right here’s a consider the five best-paid out Females’s university 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 Yearly Salary: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Girls’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right 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 highest-paid out Black head mentor in Females's college or university basketball historical past. 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 Wage: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball record—Males's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile agreement renewals. His latest deal features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. While UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership maintain his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-ten years operate at Baylor, wherever she received 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd year While using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a brand new stage of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her amongst the very best-paid 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 Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a design of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking over in 2002. With various convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over 20 years.
Her lengthy-expression influence and enhancement of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer consists of bonuses for educational overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and university student improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only among the best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls'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 various Final Four appearances.
Although 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 position Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s college basketball. Applications are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not merely a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and results these coaches carry to their programs as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these 5 coaches now guide how concerning earnings, various Some others are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has built substantial strides with their respective programs and will break into your prime five in the coming many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to grow.
Closing Thoughts
The days of underfunded women’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command significant salaries—they M88 also mentor generations of athletes, form the culture of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to expand in popularity and assist, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on soaring.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive athletics.