Ladies’s college or university basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Together with the greater attractiveness and professional achievements of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these top-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to speculate inside their Females’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that include constructing powerhouse plans.
Right here’s a think about the 5 greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their extraordinary salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.four million contract, building her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball background. That offer has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping 11 countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in college or university basketball historical past—Gentlemen's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable functionality have ensured valuable contract renewals. His current contract features a base wage, media obligations, clothing promotions, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. While UConn has faced current worries with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Right after a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In just her next year Along with the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came which has a beneficial 8-year, $23.six million agreement, creating her certainly one of the best-paid out Ladies’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly built a design of regularity at M88 Maryland since taking on in 2002. With several meeting 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 extensive-phrase effect and growth of leading-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal involves bonuses for tutorial general performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student advancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply one of the highest-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Girls's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her put among the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Modifying Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of your growing recognition and economic viability of ladies’s university basketball. Packages are attracting far more nationwide Television bargains, ticket product sales are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming much more invested in women's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver for their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently guide how regarding earnings, numerous Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of these coaches has manufactured important strides with their respective plans and will break into your prime five in the approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to mature.
Ultimate Thoughts
The days of underfunded women’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command superior salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity continues to expand in popularity and assist, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of these leaders—to continue soaring.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the rate for the future of competitive sports activities.