Girls’s higher education basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased popularity and commercial success of the Activity, specifically in NCAA Division I courses, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the value and leadership these top-tier coaches bring for their teams and universities. As universities proceed to invest of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that include making powerhouse packages.
Right here’s a look at the 5 greatest-paid 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.
1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Salary: $3.one million
Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold conventional in Girls’s school basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has developed South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to various NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she manufactured headlines by signing a historic seven-yr, $22.four million deal, producing her the best-paid Black head coach in Women of all ages's university basketball record. That deal has considering that been restructured and prolonged with functionality incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.
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 national titles. His tenure at UConn, which started in 1985, has remodeled This system into one of the most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—men's or Ladies’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and regular effectiveness have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, attire promotions, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Though UConn has faced new worries with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management preserve his value large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Wage: $2.7 million
Just after a successful two-decade run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In just her next year with the Tigers, she led them to a 2023 countrywide championship, bringing a different stage of excitement and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her significant-profile arrival came having a lucrative eight-yr, $23.6 million agreement, producing her certainly one of the best-paid out Ladies’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 designed a model of regularity at Maryland due to the fact taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has saved the Terrapins in countrywide rivalry for more than 20 years.
Her extensive-term effects and growth of top-tier talent have built her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day offer includes bonuses for academic general performance, wins, M88 and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and pupil enhancement.
5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Yearly Income: $one.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the best-paid coaches but in addition the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to a few countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four 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 determination to excellence have solidified her place among the all-time greats in coaching background.
A Modifying Landscape in Girls's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective with the escalating popularity and financial viability of women’s college basketball. Applications are attracting much more national Television set promotions, ticket gross sales are expanding, and company sponsors have become a lot more invested in Ladies's sports.
The increase in coaching salaries is not simply a sign of development—it’s a recognition with the exertions, leadership, and achievement these coaches convey for their plans and also the Activity as a whole.
Honorable Mentions
Whilst these 5 coaches at the moment lead just 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 these coaches has made significant strides with their respective courses and will crack to the top 5 in the approaching several years as Ladies's basketball carries on to develop.
Closing Thoughts
The times of underfunded women’s systems and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command significant salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport carries on to mature in reputation and aid, we are able to be expecting these salaries—and also the profiles of those leaders—to carry on soaring.
Females’s faculty basketball isn’t just maintaining tempo—it’s placing the speed for the way forward for aggressive sports.