five Greatest-Paid Girls's College Basketball Coaches
five Greatest-Paid Girls's College Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s faculty basketball has witnessed exponential development in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness over the past ten years. Together with the amplified recognition and industrial accomplishment of the Activity, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these major-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to take a position of their women’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include developing powerhouse programs.
Listed here’s a consider the 5 best-compensated Girls’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their spectacular salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Annual Income: $three.one million
Dawn Staley proceeds to become the gold normal in Females’s university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Closing Four appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic seven-12 months, $22.four million deal, producing her the very best-paid out Black head coach in Gals's college basketball history. That offer has because been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, placing her firmly at the top of this list.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Approximated Annual Salary: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping 11 countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has remodeled the program into Among the most dominant dynasties in college basketball history—Males's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable effectiveness have ensured rewarding contract renewals. His present deal includes a foundation salary, media obligations, clothing specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. When UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his value substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Wage: $2.seven million
Following A prosperous two-10 years operate at Baylor, where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball earth by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her next time Together with the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 national championship, bringing a completely new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came by using a lucrative 8-calendar year, $23.6 million deal, generating her among the very best-paid women’s coaches at any time. Noted for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Income: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland since taking over in 2002. With numerous conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide competition for more than 20 years.
Her extensive-expression affect and improvement of major-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present-day offer contains bonuses for educational functionality, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual commitment to athletics and college student enhancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Approximated Annual Salary: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the very best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn report and has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Final 4 appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her leadership, advancement of WNBA M88 stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her spot Among the many all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Altering Landscape in Women's Basketball
The expanding salaries of those coaches are reflective in the expanding recognition and financial viability of ladies’s university basketball. Plans are attracting more nationwide TV promotions, ticket profits are escalating, and company sponsors are becoming far more invested in women's athletics.
The increase in coaching salaries is not merely a sign of progress—it’s a recognition in the labor, leadership, and achievement these coaches provide for their courses along with the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these 5 coaches currently lead just how with regards to earnings, many Other people are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of those coaches has built substantial strides with their respective applications and will break in the leading five in the approaching decades as Gals's basketball carries on to grow.
Ultimate Feelings
The days of underfunded Gals’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 tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. Given that the Activity continues to improve in recognition and guidance, we can count on these salaries—as well as profiles of such leaders—to carry on mounting.
Women’s university basketball isn’t just preserving speed—it’s placing the tempo for the future of aggressive sporting activities.