five Greatest-Paid Girls's College or university Basketball Coaches
five Greatest-Paid Girls's College or university Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Females’s college basketball has observed exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Along with the increased popularity and industrial accomplishment from the sport, especially in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these top rated-tier coaches deliver to their teams and universities. As universities continue on to take a position in their Ladies’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that come with building powerhouse plans.
Listed here’s a think about the 5 optimum-paid out Females’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their outstanding salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Wage: $3.1 million
Dawn Staley carries on to get the gold standard in Women of all ages’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has built South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Final 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-calendar year, $22.four million agreement, making her the very best-compensated Black head coach in women's faculty basketball heritage. That deal has because been restructured and extended with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the highest of the listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.9 million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has transformed This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in higher education basketball historical past—Gentlemen's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular overall performance have ensured rewarding contract renewals. His present contract features a foundation salary, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. Although UConn has confronted modern troubles with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership hold his value superior.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out University (LSU)
Believed Yearly Income: $2.7 million
Right after A prosperous two-10 years operate at Baylor, where by she gained a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd season Along with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival came with a beneficial 8-yr, $23.6 million agreement, creating her amongst the very best-paid out women’s coaches ever. Known for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Yearly Wage: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a product of regularity at Maryland since taking over in 2002. With a number of meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in nationwide contention for over twenty years.
Her lengthy-term effect and improvement of leading-tier talent have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her recent deal contains bonuses for academic overall performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin motivation to athletics and student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Estimated Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one of the highest-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain M88 report and it has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective of the expanding acceptance and fiscal viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Tv set discounts, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and success these coaches bring for their systems along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide the best way when it comes to earnings, several Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective programs and will crack to the leading 5 in the coming several years 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, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to develop in attractiveness and help, we can easily anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Women of all ages’s school basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of aggressive sporting activities.