Women’s college basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Using the enhanced level of popularity and business results with the 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 of their Gals’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include setting up powerhouse systems.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid 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.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Yearly Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over 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 manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, generating her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has since been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has transformed the program into One of the more dominant dynasties in school basketball heritage—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His recent agreement features a foundation wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Whilst UConn has faced modern troubles with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his value large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second time While using the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival came using a rewarding 8-year, $23.six million agreement, producing her among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a product of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for more than 20 years.
Her long-expression influence and enhancement of prime-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply certainly one of the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win file and it has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Females's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and financial viability of girls’s college basketball. Applications are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket revenue are rising, and corporate sponsors have become much more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches convey for their courses as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at present lead just how with regard to earnings, numerous Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of these coaches has made major strides with their respective plans and will split into your prime five in the coming years as Gals's basketball continues to improve.
Last Views
The days of underfunded Females’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command higher salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate women’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity M88 continues to improve in recognition and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on soaring.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.