five Highest-Compensated Women of all ages's School Basketball Coaches

Gals’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the amplified popularity 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 continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.

In this article’s a consider the five best-compensated Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their impressive salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.

one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $3.one million

Dawn Staley carries on to be the gold typical in Females’s college basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Final 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).

In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head coach in Gals's school 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
Believed Annual Salary: $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 remodeled This system into One of the more dominant dynasties in school basketball historical past—Adult males's or women’s.

Auriemma’s longevity and dependable efficiency have ensured valuable deal renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel deals, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament operates. While UConn has confronted recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his benefit high.

three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Believed Once-a-year Income: $2.7 million

Right after a successful two-decade operate at Baylor, where she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period Using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.

Her superior-profile arrival arrived using a profitable eight-12 months, $23.6 million deal, generating her among the highest-paid out Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Gals's hoops.

4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $one.4 million

Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a model of regularity at Maryland considering that taking over in 2002. With many M88 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 impact and progress of leading-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her current deal features bonuses for academic general performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and pupil progress.

5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $one.3 million

Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the highest-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.

Even though VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.

A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The growing salaries of these coaches are reflective in the developing acceptance and money viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Tv set discounts, ticket income are rising, and corporate sponsors are becoming more invested in women's sporting activities.

The increase in coaching salaries is not only a sign of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and success these coaches convey for their plans as well as the Activity in general.

Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of others are going up:

Kelly Graves (Oregon)

Vic Schaefer (Texas)

Jeff Walz (Louisville)

Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)

Every single of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective programs and will break in the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Females's basketball proceeds to expand.

Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command superior salaries—Additionally they mentor generations of athletes, condition the culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to develop in attractiveness and help, we could anticipate these salaries—plus the profiles of such leaders—to continue growing.

Women of all ages’s school basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of aggressive athletics.