Women of all ages’s college basketball has seen exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last ten years. Together with the greater level of popularity and professional results with the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the value and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities continue to speculate inside their Girls’s athletics departments, a number of standout coaches are reaping the economic rewards that include constructing powerhouse plans.
Right here’s a think about the five greatest-compensated Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their spectacular salaries and 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 be the gold regular in Females’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking up This system 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-yr, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head mentor in women's faculty basketball background. That offer has since been restructured and extended with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Yearly Income: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball history—Gentlemen's or Women of all ages’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and constant functionality have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. While UConn has faced latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his price superior.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Following a successful two-decade run at Baylor, where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball earth by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her second season with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival came having a profitable eight-calendar year, $23.six million agreement, generating her among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With several meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for M88 over 20 years.
Her lengthy-time period affect and improvement of top-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer contains bonuses for tutorial efficiency, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and pupil progress.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Annual Salary: $1.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-paid coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
When VanDerveer hasn't been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her spot Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.
A Changing Landscape in Females's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of your growing reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Television set deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Women of all ages's sporting activities.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition of your effort, Management, and results these coaches provide to their plans as well as the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of Other people are rising:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Just about every of those coaches has made considerable strides with their respective plans and will break into your top rated five in the approaching many years as women's basketball carries on to develop.
Closing Thoughts
The times of underfunded Ladies’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not just command high salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the sport carries on to mature in acceptance and support, we will expect these salaries—plus the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Women’s higher education basketball isn’t just holding tempo—it’s placing the rate for the future of competitive sports activities.