5 Greatest-Paid out Gals's University Basketball Coaches
5 Greatest-Paid out Gals's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women’s school basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the elevated recognition and commercial achievement from the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-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 Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold regular in Women of all ages’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, creating her the best-paid Black head coach in Women of all ages's higher education basketball record. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and prolonged with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this list.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your 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 higher education basketball record—Males's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His recent agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his price significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Right after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her significant-profile arrival came having a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million deal, generating her among the highest-compensated Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages'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 several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in national competition for more than twenty years.
Her extended-time period affect and improvement of top rated-tier talent have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her recent offer contains bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and university student improvement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Salary: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but also the winningest coach M88 in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Remaining Four appearances.
Whilst VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her spot One of the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s university basketball. Packages are attracting far more nationwide Television bargains, ticket product sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors are getting to be more invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not only a sign of development—it’s a recognition on the labor, Management, and achievements these coaches provide to their programs and also the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at this time direct the way concerning earnings, various Other folks are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of those coaches has produced significant strides with their respective systems and could split in to the major five in the approaching a long time as women's basketball carries on to grow.
Closing Thoughts
The times of underfunded women’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command superior salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to grow in acceptance and support, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to carry on soaring.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.