Women of all ages’s higher education basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the enhanced level of popularity and business achievement from the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these top-tier coaches bring for their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest of their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their extraordinary salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – University 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 right into a perennial powerhouse. Because 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 produced headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning 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 effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the listing.
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 started in 1985, has reworked This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular effectiveness have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. When UConn has confronted the latest worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his benefit superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball entire world by signing up for 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 Girls’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
four. 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 countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-time period effect and enhancement of prime-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 commitment to athletics and college student development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just one of the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get report and it has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer has never been one particular M88 to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, growth of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Modifying Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The expanding salaries of such coaches are reflective of the expanding acceptance and economical viability of ladies’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting much more national TV offers, ticket revenue are escalating, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their programs and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at the moment lead the way in terms of earnings, quite a few 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 programs and will break in the best 5 in the coming decades as Girls's basketball continues to improve.
Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s packages and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command significant salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Gals’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 rising.
Females’s school basketball isn’t just preserving pace—it’s environment the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.