5 Greatest-Paid Women of all ages's Higher education Basketball Coaches
5 Greatest-Paid Women of all ages's Higher education Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s school basketball has viewed exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. With the elevated acceptance and business success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and Management these best-tier coaches carry to their teams and universities. As universities continue on to speculate in their Females’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that come with developing powerhouse applications.
Here’s a think about the five greatest-paid Women of all ages’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Salary: $three.one million
Dawn Staley continues to become the gold conventional in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Because 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 built headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, creating her the best-paid Black head coach in women's higher education basketball history. That deal has since been restructured and extended with performance incentives, placing her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $2.9 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 the program into One of the more dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular performance have ensured profitable agreement renewals. His recent agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. While UConn has faced recent problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by 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 completely new stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a lucrative 8-yr, $23.six million contract, making her certainly one of the highest-paid out Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized 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 Once-a-year Salary: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly created a model of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With many convention championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over two decades.
Her very long-term effects and growth of leading-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present-day deal consists of bonuses for academic functionality, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin motivation to athletics and pupil enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not merely amongst the highest-paid out M88 coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire history and it has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, enhancement of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective in the increasing attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s college basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are raising, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not only a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of your effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver for their systems as well as the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches presently lead the way in which concerning earnings, numerous others are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each individual of those coaches has produced significant strides with their respective systems and could split in to the top five in the approaching 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, form the society of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the sport proceeds to develop in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.
Gals’s school basketball isn’t just trying to keep rate—it’s setting the pace for the future of competitive athletics.