Gals’s faculty basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the amplified popularity and commercial success from the Activity, 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 invest within their Ladies’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s college or university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their remarkable salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on for being the gold standard in Girls’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 on 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 manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, generating her the best-paid Black head mentor in Women of all ages's faculty basketball history. That deal has since been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in school basketball historical past—Adult men's or women’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and constant functionality have ensured valuable deal renewals. His current contract includes a base income, media obligations, clothing deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. Though UConn has faced current issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management maintain his worth large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
After a successful two-ten years operate at Baylor, in which she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, building her considered one of the best-compensated Ladies’s coaches at any time. Noted for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant style, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a product of consistency at Maryland due to the fact taking up in 2002. With many convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over two decades.
Her long-expression influence and enhancement of major-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her recent deal features bonuses for academic performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her twin motivation to athletics and college student development.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Estimated Yearly Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply one of the highest-paid out coaches but will also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
While VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, progress of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her place among the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Modifying Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of your escalating recognition and monetary viability of women’s university basketball. Plans are attracting a lot more nationwide Television offers, ticket revenue are growing, and company sponsors are getting to be additional invested in Gals's athletics.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and results these coaches carry to their programs as well as sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at the moment lead the way concerning earnings, many Other individuals are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of those coaches has produced sizeable strides with their respective packages and could split into the top rated five in the approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to grow.
Ultimate Thoughts
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s packages and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new M88 heights. Given that the sport carries on to mature in popularity and assist, we can count on these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s university basketball isn’t just holding pace—it’s environment the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.