Girls’s university basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Together with the greater popularity and professional success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities proceed to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical rewards that come with building powerhouse courses.
Below’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid women’s college or university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds to get the gold regular in Women of all ages’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 numerous NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's college or university basketball background. That offer has since been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $two.9 million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has transformed the program into The most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball history—Gentlemen's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent efficiency have ensured beneficial deal renewals. His present-day deal features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. While UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.seven million
After A prosperous two-ten years operate at Baylor, the place she gained three national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-12 months, $23.6 million deal, building her one among the highest-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With numerous convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese M88 has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for over twenty years.
Her prolonged-time period affect and improvement of top rated-tier talent have manufactured 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 scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply amongst the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women'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 diverse Closing 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer has never been 1 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 promotions, ticket profits are expanding, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievements these coaches deliver for their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently guide how regarding earnings, a number of others are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective applications and will break in the best 5 in the coming yrs as Females's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final 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, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to expand in attractiveness and help, we can easily anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women of all ages’s school basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of competitive sports activities.