5 Best-Compensated Women's Faculty Basketball Coaches
5 Best-Compensated Women's Faculty Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s college basketball has observed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last ten years. With all the greater popularity and commercial good results on the Activity, especially in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and Management these top rated-tier coaches provide to their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest in their women’s athletics departments, a few standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with creating powerhouse applications.
Here’s a think about the five greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not merely their extraordinary salaries but also the achievements that justify their elite payment.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Approximated Once-a-year Wage: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold typical in Females’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has constructed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that taking over This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to numerous NCAA Closing Four appearances and two nationwide championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she produced headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 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 performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.
2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Annual Wage: $two.nine million
A dwelling legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to some jaw-dropping eleven countrywide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has transformed the program into Among the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Females’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and reliable performance have ensured rewarding agreement renewals. His present-day deal features a foundation income, 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 preserve his worth substantial.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Just after A prosperous two-ten years operate at Baylor, the place she gained 3 national titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball environment by signing up for LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd season with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a completely new stage of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.
Her high-profile arrival arrived that has a beneficial 8-year, $23.six million agreement, producing her among the highest-compensated Girls’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching type, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Yearly Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking over in 2002. With various convention championships, a countrywide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in countrywide contention for more than two decades.
Her extensive-phrase impact and progress of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason results—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and university student advancement.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Believed Annual Salary: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time gain record and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Remaining 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 motivation to excellence have solidified her position Amongst the all-time greats in coaching history.
A Modifying Landscape in Gals's Basketball
The expanding salaries of such coaches are reflective of the developing acceptance and money viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more 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 progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, Management, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their programs and the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at this time direct the way in which when it comes to earnings, several Many others are going up:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each and every of these coaches has designed important strides with their respective applications and will break in the best 5 in the coming decades as Gals's basketball continues to mature.
Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Gals’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command substantial salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Females’s basketball to new heights. Given that the sport carries on to grow in level of popularity and assistance, 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 M88 tempo for the way forward for aggressive sports.