Women’s university basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the amplified attractiveness and professional success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, 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 benefits that come with building powerhouse courses.
Below’s a consider the 5 greatest-paid out Girls’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Girls’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the best-paid Black head coach in Women of all ages's university basketball record. That deal has due to the fact 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: $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 Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His recent agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. When UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his benefit superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball earth by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her next period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her higher-profile arrival arrived that has a beneficial 8-year, $23.six million contract, making her amongst the very best-paid women’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of regularity at Maryland because M88 taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her prolonged-phrase affect and improvement of major-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest offer involves bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and university student advancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls'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 diverse Remaining 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Shifting Landscape in Females's Basketball
The raising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising popularity and financial viability of girls’s school basketball. Systems are attracting more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are raising, 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 effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver for their systems plus the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches currently guide the best way when it comes to earnings, several Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of such coaches has manufactured important strides with their respective courses and will crack in the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Females's basketball proceeds to expand.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command superior salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because 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.
Gals’s college basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive athletics.