five Highest-Paid Ladies's College or university Basketball Coaches
five Highest-Paid Ladies's College or university Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Girls’s school basketball has witnessed exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last decade. While using the enhanced popularity and industrial good results with the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I plans, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and Management these major-tier coaches provide for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Girls’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the fiscal benefits that include constructing powerhouse programs.
Below’s a think about the 5 optimum-paid out Females’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their impressive salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Income: $3.1 million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold standard in Girls’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several NCAA Remaining Four appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million deal, building her the highest-paid Black head coach in Girls's college basketball history. That offer has due to the fact been restructured and extended with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this record.
two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Yearly Wage: $two.nine million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has reworked This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball record—Guys's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured lucrative deal renewals. His latest agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, apparel deals, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has confronted the latest worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his price substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out University (LSU)
Believed Annual Wage: $two.7 million
Following A prosperous two-10 years operate at Baylor, in which she received three nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball planet by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her 2nd time While using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a brand new degree of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival arrived having a valuable 8-year, $23.6 million agreement, generating her one of the highest-compensated women’s coaches ever. Recognized for her M88 passionate coaching design, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Wage: $1.four million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking over in 2002. With numerous convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in nationwide contention for more than 20 years.
Her prolonged-expression affect and advancement of leading-tier expertise have manufactured her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her present-day deal contains bonuses for tutorial general performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual dedication to athletics and pupil development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only considered one of the best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win file and it has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final 4 appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her area One of the all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Transforming Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of those coaches are reflective from the expanding recognition and fiscal viability of girls’s university basketball. Systems are attracting much more nationwide Tv set bargains, ticket profits are rising, and company sponsors are getting to be a lot more invested in Women of all ages's athletics.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and achievements these coaches provide to their applications and also the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at this time direct the way in terms of earnings, quite a few Some others are increasing:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Every of such coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective programs and could crack to the top 5 in the approaching several years as Females's basketball proceeds to increase.
Final Feelings
The times of underfunded Females’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command superior salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, form the tradition of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Given that the Activity continues to grow in level of popularity and guidance, we can assume these salaries—and the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Gals’s school basketball isn’t just trying to keep rate—it’s setting the pace for the future of competitive sports activities.