Girls’s university basketball has viewed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the elevated reputation and industrial good results in the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I systems, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these top-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include constructing powerhouse packages.
Right here’s a think about the 5 greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their impressive salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold normal in women’s faculty basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball history. That deal has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly 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—Adult men's or women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured valuable contract renewals. His present contract includes a base income, media obligations, clothing promotions, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. While UConn has faced current problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management hold his worth substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second season with the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came which has a valuable 8-year, $23.six million contract, making her amongst the very best-paid Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over twenty years.
Her extended-expression impact and enhancement of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational general performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 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 correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her spot One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The M88 increasing salaries of such coaches are reflective of the expanding recognition and economic viability of ladies’s university basketball. Plans are attracting far more nationwide Television deals, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Females's sports activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not merely a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and good results these coaches deliver for their courses 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 substantial strides with their respective courses and could crack to the top 5 in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to develop.
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 develop in attractiveness and assistance, we could anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women of all ages’s school basketball isn’t just trying to keep rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of aggressive athletics.