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
Girls’s university basketball has found exponential expansion in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last decade. Along with the increased recognition and commercial achievement from the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to take a position in their women’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the economical benefits that come with building powerhouse systems.
Below’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid women’s college or university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their remarkable salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to many NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she produced headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, making her the very best-compensated Black head mentor in Females's college basketball historical past. That offer has since been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $two.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 most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced current 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 operate at Baylor, exactly where she received a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball planet by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd season Together with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new stage of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival arrived with a lucrative eight-calendar year, $23.six million deal, generating her considered one of the highest-paid Ladies’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of regularity at Maryland given that taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for more than 20 years.
Her extensive-phrase impact and growth of leading-tier expertise have made 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 pupil progress.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the highest-paid coaches but will also the winningest mentor in NCAA Gals'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 numerous Last Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective from the developing acceptance and money viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting additional nationwide Tv set discounts, ticket profits are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sporting activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and results these coaches provide to their programs as well as Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at the moment lead just how concerning earnings, various Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective programs and will break M88 in the leading 5 in the coming yrs 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 society of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to grow in acceptance and support, we will hope these salaries—as well as the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just maintaining speed—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for competitive sports.