5 Best-Compensated Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches
5 Best-Compensated Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Gals’s faculty basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Together with the greater attractiveness and professional achievements of your Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I systems, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and leadership these top-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest of their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the fiscal rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Right here’s a think about the 5 greatest-compensated Gals’s higher education basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not just their impressive salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.
one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Annual Income: $3.one million
Dawn Staley continues to generally be the gold common in Ladies’s college or university basketball coaching. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has crafted South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Since taking up This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to several 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 Ladies's faculty basketball history. That deal has considering the fact that been restructured and extended with effectiveness incentives, placing her firmly at the very best of the listing.
two. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Estimated Yearly Wage: $two.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 Probably the most dominant dynasties in higher education basketball record—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular general performance have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Whilst UConn has faced recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management keep his benefit high.
three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Annual Salary: $two.seven million
Immediately after An effective two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she received a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second season with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a different degree of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came with a lucrative eight-yr, $23.six million agreement, producing her certainly one of the best-paid out Ladies’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching style, flamboyant manner, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
4. Brenda Frese – M88 College of Maryland
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $one.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a design 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 impact and growth of leading-tier expertise have made her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Section. Her present-day deal incorporates bonuses for academic effectiveness, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her dual determination to athletics and student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Estimated Yearly Wage: $one.three million
Tara VanDerveer is not only one among the best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball record. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and has led Stanford to three nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.
Although VanDerveer has not been one particular to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her Management, growth of WNBA stars, and motivation to excellence have solidified her position Among the many all-time greats in coaching heritage.
A Switching Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of such coaches are reflective of your escalating attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting far more nationwide TV deals, ticket sales are expanding, and company sponsors have become much more invested in women's sporting activities.
The rise in coaching salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, leadership, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their courses plus the sport as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently 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)
Each and every of these coaches has designed considerable strides with their respective programs and will crack to the leading 5 in the coming yrs as Ladies's basketball proceeds to develop.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’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. As the sport proceeds to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to carry on increasing.
Gals’s college basketball isn’t just trying to keep speed—it’s location the pace for the future of competitive sports activities.