5 Greatest-Paid Women's College Basketball Coaches
5 Greatest-Paid Women's College Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Girls’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased recognition and commercial achievement from the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these best-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities keep on to take a position within their women’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Ladies’s school basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their outstanding salaries but in addition the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Approximated Annual Wage: $3.1 million
Dawn Staley continues being the gold normal in women’s faculty basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous 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 Females's college or university basketball background. That offer has since been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $2.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball record—Males's or Girls’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His recent deal features a foundation wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. When UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management retain his price significant.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.7 million
Soon after An effective two-decade run at Baylor, where she received a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd season Using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her superior-profile arrival came which has a rewarding 8-year, $23.six million agreement, generating her one among the highest-compensated Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, M88 flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls'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 a number of conference championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in countrywide competition for more than two decades.
Her extensive-phrase effects and growth of leading-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her current deal incorporates bonuses for academic general performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and scholar development.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just certainly one of the very best-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Whilst 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 spot Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective from the developing acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Courses are attracting extra countrywide Television set specials, ticket profits are raising, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Females's sports activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the hard work, Management, and results these coaches convey for their packages along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
Even though these 5 coaches currently guide how regarding earnings, numerous 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 major strides with their respective plans and could split in to the top five in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball carries on to develop.
Closing Thoughts
The times of underfunded women’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 anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue climbing.
Women of all ages’s university basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sporting activities.