five Optimum-Paid out Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches
five Optimum-Paid out Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women’s higher education basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the enhanced acceptance and business accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and leadership these top-tier coaches carry for their groups and universities. As universities continue on to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.
In this article’s a consider the five highest-compensated Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their spectacular 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. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Final Four appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million contract, generating her the best-paid Black head mentor in women's higher education basketball history. That deal has due to the fact been restructured and extended with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 national 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 women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured valuable contract renewals. His current contract includes a foundation income, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. While UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value 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 countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In only her next 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.six million agreement, producing her among the highest-paid out Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a design of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With multiple convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-time period influence and enhancement of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for academic general performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and university student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only certainly one of the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Closing 4 appearances.
Whilst 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 dedication to excellence have solidified her put among the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Shifting Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The increasing salaries of those coaches are reflective on the escalating recognition and economic viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Packages are attracting far more nationwide Television bargains, ticket product sales are escalating, and corporate sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition in the effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver to their applications and also the Activity in general.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at this time direct the way concerning earnings, various Other folks are increasing:
Kelly M88 Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of those coaches has produced significant strides with their respective systems and could break into your major five in the approaching yrs as Females's basketball proceeds to increase.
Final Feelings
The days of underfunded Girls’s applications 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 Females’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women of all ages’s university basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the speed for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.