5 Greatest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
5 Greatest-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women’s college basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the elevated recognition and commercial achievement from the sport, particularly in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.
Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their impressive salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's college or university basketball background. That offer has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, placing her firmly at the highest of the record.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $two.nine million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has reworked the program into Just about the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball heritage—Adult males's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His recent agreement features a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Although UConn has faced modern issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his value higher.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, wherever she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second season with the Tigers, she led them to the 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a valuable eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, creating her certainly one of the best-paid out women’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking up in 2002. With a number of convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her very long-term impression and advancement of major-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal involves bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply one of the highest-paid out coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Ladies's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain record and has led Stanford to three national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
Though VanDerveer hasn't been 1 to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her leadership, growth of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her put Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The rising salaries of those coaches are reflective on the increasing attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Courses are attracting more countrywide Television set specials, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches bring for their packages as well as the sport in M88 general.
Honorable Mentions
Although these 5 coaches at this time direct the way in terms of earnings, various Other folks are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of those coaches has produced sizeable strides with their respective packages and could split into the top rated five in the approaching yrs as Ladies's basketball continues to mature.
Closing Thoughts
The days of underfunded Girls’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command substantial salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, condition the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to increase in attractiveness and assistance, we could anticipate these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to carry on mounting.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just keeping tempo—it’s placing the rate for the way forward for competitive sports activities.