Women of all ages’s university basketball has viewed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the greater level of popularity and professional results of your Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Gals’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical benefits that come with building powerhouse systems.
Below’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid out Ladies’s school basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold normal in women’s faculty basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of 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 deal, generating 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 effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the record.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $two.nine million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has transformed the program into The most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball history—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile agreement renewals. His latest deal features a foundation wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. When UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his price significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.seven million
Immediately after A prosperous two-ten years run at Baylor, the place she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a valuable eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, producing her among the highest-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking over in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in nationwide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-term effects and growth of leading-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and scholar improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-paid coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain record and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, advancement of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her put among the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Modifying Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The expanding salaries of such coaches are reflective of the expanding acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more national TV deals, ticket sales are growing, and company sponsors are becoming extra invested in Women of all ages's athletics.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and results these coaches provide to their applications and also the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these 5 coaches at present lead the way in terms of earnings, several others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has manufactured major strides with their respective packages and could split in to the top five in the approaching several years as Females's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Feelings
The days of underfunded Girls’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the society of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity carries on to mature in acceptance and support, we could anticipate these salaries—as well as profiles of such leaders—to continue soaring.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just keeping speed—it’s location the pace for the future of M88 competitive athletics.