5 Best-Paid Women of all ages's College Basketball Coaches
5 Best-Paid Women of all ages's College Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the amplified popularity and commercial success of the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I applications, coaching salaries have risen to reflect the worth and Management these prime-tier coaches carry to their groups and universities. As universities go on to take a position within their Females’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the monetary benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.
In this article’s a consider the five best-paid out Gals’s college or university 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
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on for being the gold standard in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has designed South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Considering the fact that taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.4 million agreement, earning her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Females's college or university basketball historical past. That offer has considering that been restructured and extended with performance incentives, putting her firmly at the best of the checklist.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies into a jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership preserve his worth large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million
Right after a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd season Using the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her large-profile arrival arrived with a worthwhile 8-yr, $23.6 million contract, making her one of the best-paid Ladies’s coaches at any time. Known for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant vogue, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $one.4 M88 million
Brenda Frese has quietly designed a model of regularity at Maryland given that taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for more than two decades.
Her extensive-phrase effects and growth of top-tier talent have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and college student enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not simply 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 gain document and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and diverse Remaining 4 appearances.
Whilst VanDerveer has never been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, enhancement of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Shifting Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The increasing salaries of these coaches are reflective from the increasing level of popularity and financial viability of women’s university basketball. Plans are attracting far more nationwide Television offers, ticket revenue are growing, and corporate sponsors are getting to be extra invested in Gals's athletics.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition in the hard work, Management, and results these coaches carry for their programs plus the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
While these 5 coaches at present guide how with regard to earnings, many Other individuals 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 will split into your prime five in the coming years as Gals's basketball continues to improve.
Remaining Thoughts
The times of underfunded Females’s programs and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command higher salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the tradition in their universities, and elevate Ladies’s basketball to new heights. As being the Activity continues to improve in reputation and aid, we are able to be expecting these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to carry on rising.
Girls’s college or university basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive athletics.