Women’s college or university basketball has noticed exponential development in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Along with the amplified popularity and business achievement of the sport, particularly in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their teams and universities. As universities continue to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money benefits that include developing powerhouse courses.
Here’s a think about the five highest-paid Girls’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their amazing salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to generally be the gold typical in Girls’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million agreement, earning her the best-compensated Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball record. That offer has since been restructured and extended with efficiency incentives, inserting her firmly at the very best of this list.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Salary: $2.nine million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled the program into Just about the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball historical past—Gentlemen's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular effectiveness have ensured valuable deal renewals. His existing deal includes a base salary, media obligations, clothing discounts, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Event runs. Although UConn has confronted latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his price significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.seven million
Immediately after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, where she gained 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second time With all the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a worthwhile 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her considered one of the very best-paid women’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a product of regularity at Maryland because taking up in 2002. With multiple conference championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in countrywide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her very long-phrase effects and growth of best-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her latest offer consists of bonuses for academic overall performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her dual commitment to athletics and college student growth.
5. M88 Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Yearly Wage: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not only considered one of the very best-paid coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn file and has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Remaining Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer has not been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, progress of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her place Amongst the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Transforming Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective of the growing popularity and economical viability of girls’s higher education basketball. Packages are attracting more countrywide Television offers, ticket revenue are increasing, and corporate sponsors are becoming additional invested in Girls's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not merely a sign of progress—it’s a recognition with the labor, Management, and achievements these coaches deliver for their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
When these 5 coaches at the moment guide the way in which when it comes to earnings, quite a few Other people are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of these coaches has manufactured considerable strides with their respective packages and will crack into your leading five in the coming several years as Girls's basketball carries on to expand.
Ultimate Ideas
The days of underfunded Ladies’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command large salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, shape the society of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As being the sport proceeds to improve in attractiveness and support, we can hope these salaries—as well as profiles of such leaders—to continue soaring.
Girls’s faculty basketball isn’t just trying to keep pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for competitive sports.