5 Highest-Paid Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
5 Highest-Paid Ladies's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s faculty basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. Using the greater recognition and professional good results on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these top-tier coaches bring to their groups and universities. As universities go on to take a position within their Females’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that come with constructing powerhouse packages.
Right here’s a look at the 5 greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their extraordinary salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to be the gold typical in Females’s college basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Final Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she produced headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning 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 record.
two. Geno Auriemma – University 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 remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Adult males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured lucrative deal renewals. His present contract includes a base income, media obligations, clothing deals, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Although UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Salary: $2.seven million
Just after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball world by joining LSU in 2021. In just her next 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 substantial-profile arrival came with a beneficial 8-year, $23.six million agreement, creating her certainly one of the best-paid out Ladies’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland given that taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in countrywide competition for more than two decades.
Her very long-phrase effects and advancement of major-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her latest deal involves bonuses for tutorial functionality, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and student advancement.
five. M88 Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply among the best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain file and it has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her leadership, advancement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The expanding salaries of those coaches are reflective in the increasing acceptance and financial viability of women’s school basketball. Applications are attracting much more national TV deals, ticket sales are expanding, and company sponsors have gotten a lot more invested in Females'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 systems along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches now direct the way in which in terms of earnings, quite a few Some others 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 packages and could split into the top rated five in the approaching many years as Gals's basketball continues to improve.
Last Views
The days of underfunded Gals’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity continues to increase in recognition and assist, we can assume these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s university basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.