5 Highest-Paid out Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
5 Highest-Paid out Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s faculty basketball has found exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Together with the amplified popularity and business achievements on the Activity, especially in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these best-tier coaches convey to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate in their Gals’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical rewards that come with setting up powerhouse programs.
Right here’s a look at the 5 greatest-paid out Girls’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their amazing salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on to generally be the gold regular in women’s university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Final 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.four million deal, creating her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in women's higher education basketball history. That offer has considering the fact that been restructured and prolonged with general performance incentives, positioning her firmly at the best of the record.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $two.9 million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping 11 countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball background—Guys's or Women of all ages’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent performance have ensured lucrative deal renewals. His latest deal features a base salary, media obligations, apparel deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management hold his benefit significant.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $two.seven million
After a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, wherever she received three nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second period While using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a completely new level of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival arrived that has a valuable eight-yr, $23.6 million agreement, generating her among the highest-paid out Girls’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Annual Salary: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a M88 design of consistency at Maryland since taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide competition for over 20 years.
Her long-term impression and improvement of best-tier expertise have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her existing deal incorporates bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and scholar growth.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Approximated Annual Income: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely one among the highest-paid coaches and also the winningest coach in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get history and has led Stanford to three countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Last 4 appearances.
When VanDerveer has never been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her leadership, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her position among the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Altering Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The escalating salaries of such coaches are reflective in the growing acceptance and financial viability of girls’s college basketball. Applications are attracting more nationwide TV bargains, ticket income are rising, and company sponsors have become much more invested in women's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and success these coaches bring for their courses and the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these 5 coaches at the moment lead just how concerning 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 considerable strides with their respective applications and will break in the best 5 in the approaching many years as Gals's basketball continues to increase.
Remaining Thoughts
The days of underfunded Females’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command significant salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, form the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport proceeds to mature in recognition and support, we could anticipate these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on soaring.
Ladies’s school basketball isn’t just retaining tempo—it’s setting the pace for the way forward for competitive athletics.