Ladies’s school basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Using the improved acceptance and business accomplishment on the sport, especially in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities go on to speculate within their Females’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $three.1 million
Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, creating her the best-paid out Black head mentor in women's higher education basketball history. That deal has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the record.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $two.nine million
A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Women of all ages’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and constant functionality have ensured valuable contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. While UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his benefit high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In only her next year Together with M88 the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a whole new degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a lucrative eight-yr, $23.six million deal, generating her among the very best-paid Girls’s coaches at any time. Noted for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland considering the fact that taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than twenty years.
Her prolonged-term affect and improvement of major-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal involves bonuses for tutorial overall performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and scholar improvement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only among the very best-compensated coaches but also the winningest coach in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and it has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Closing 4 appearances.
While 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 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 these coaches are reflective with the escalating popularity and monetary viability of women’s school basketball. Courses are attracting additional countrywide Tv set specials, ticket product sales are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming much more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition on the labor, leadership, and success these coaches bring for their packages along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every single of these coaches has designed important strides with their respective applications and could crack to the top 5 in the approaching yrs as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Females’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not simply command higher salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to mature in popularity and assist, we can assume these salaries—plus the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the tempo for the way forward for competitive sports.