Girls’s college basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness over the past decade. While using the increased recognition and commercial achievement of the Activity, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams 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 Ladies’s college 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
Believed Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley continues to get the gold normal in women’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the best-paid Black head coach in Women of all ages's higher education basketball record. That deal has considering that been restructured and prolonged with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Wage: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball historical past—Adult males's or women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady functionality have ensured valuable deal renewals. His current contract features a foundation income, media obligations, clothing promotions, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. When UConn has confronted the latest challenges with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his benefit significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-ten years operate at Baylor, wherever she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second time with the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a valuable eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, producing her certainly one of the best-paid out Ladies’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a design of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and M88 dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over 20 years.
Her lengthy-expression influence and enhancement of best-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of 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 record and has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer hasn't been 1 to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly 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 financial viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are expanding, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Females's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring for their packages along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches now direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, several Some others are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective courses and could crack to the top 5 in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to develop.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command significant salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to carry on growing.
Women of all ages’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for competitive sports.