Women of all ages’s university basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Along with the increased reputation and business results of your Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and Management these top rated-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities keep on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that include constructing powerhouse packages.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid out Ladies’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their spectacular salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley carries on for being the gold typical in Girls’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she produced headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, generating her the best-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the very best of this list.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Wage: $two.nine million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and consistent efficiency have ensured valuable deal renewals. His present agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Though UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth substantial.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $2.seven million
Just after A prosperous two-ten years operate at Baylor, where by she received a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second time with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived that has a beneficial eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, generating her among the highest-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product 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 saved the Terrapins in nationwide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-term effects and growth of leading-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer contains bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and pupil progress.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just amongst the highest-paid coaches but also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain record and it has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her place among the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The growing salaries of those coaches are reflective in the rising attractiveness and monetary viability of women’s university basketball. M88 Packages are attracting far more nationwide Tv set discounts, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's athletics.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring for their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at the moment lead the way 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 and every of those coaches has built important strides with their respective applications and will split into the top rated five in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Feelings
The days of underfunded Girls’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the culture of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity continues to improve in reputation and aid, we will hope these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue climbing.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the rate for the future of competitive athletics.