5 Best-Paid Females's College or university Basketball Coaches

Gals’s college basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With all the greater attractiveness and professional success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, several standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with building powerhouse packages.

Right here’s a look at the 5 best-paid out Females’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their extraordinary salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.

1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Yearly Salary: $three.1 million

Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Girls’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Closing 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).

In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-calendar year, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the highest-compensated Black head mentor in Girls's college basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this checklist.

two. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Estimated Annual Wage: $2.nine million

A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to a jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has reworked This system into Probably the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball record—Males's or Girls’s.

Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile agreement renewals. His present agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire specials, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Event operates. Though UConn has confronted recent problems with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership maintain his value higher.

3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Wage: $2.seven million

Soon after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, where she won three countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her second year with the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a fresh amount of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.

Her higher-profile arrival arrived using a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million contract, earning her amongst the very best-paid Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching design and style, flamboyant vogue, and M88 championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Females's hoops.

four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Salary: $one.four million

Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With many conference championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national rivalry for over 20 years.

Her long-expression influence and progress of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and scholar improvement.

5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Salary: $one.3 million

Tara VanDerveer is not just one of the very best-paid out coaches but will also the winningest coach in NCAA Females's basketball record. 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 Four appearances.

Although VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, advancement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching record.

A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the increasing attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s college basketball. Programs are attracting more national TV specials, ticket gross sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.

The rise in coaching salaries is not merely an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and results these coaches provide to their applications and the Activity as a whole.

Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at the moment lead just how with regard to earnings, many Other individuals are on the rise:

Kelly Graves (Oregon)

Vic Schaefer (Texas)

Jeff Walz (Louisville)

Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)

Each individual of such coaches has designed important strides with their respective plans and will split into the top rated five in the approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to mature.

Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, form the lifestyle of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to grow in acceptance and support, we will expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.

Gals’s school basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of competitive athletics.