five Greatest-Paid Ladies's Higher education Basketball Coaches
five Greatest-Paid Ladies's Higher education Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Ladies’s college or university basketball has noticed exponential progress in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. With the increased recognition and industrial accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate of their Girls’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Right here’s a look at the 5 greatest-paid Gals’s faculty basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their extraordinary salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to be the gold typical in Females’s college basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking up the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Final Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, creating her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Gals's school basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in school basketball historical past—Adult males's or women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured valuable deal renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. Though UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period With all the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her considered one of the very best-paid Gals’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual 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 kept the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over twenty years.
Her extended-time period effect and development 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 accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply one of the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn history and it has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been one 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 Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective with the escalating popularity and financial viability of women’s college basketball. Applications are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and good results these coaches deliver for their packages along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these five coaches now direct the way in which in terms of earnings, quite a few Other folks are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of those coaches has produced sizeable strides with their respective systems and could split into the top rated five in the M88 approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to mature.
Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Gals’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command large salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity continues to improve in recognition and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to continue soaring.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.