Women of all ages’s university basketball has found exponential growth in viewership, talent, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. Using the enhanced level of popularity and business results with the Activity, particularly in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and Management these major-tier coaches convey for their teams and universities. As universities carry on to invest of their Gals’s athletics departments, some standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that include setting up powerhouse systems.

Listed here’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid women’s college or university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their remarkable salaries but additionally the achievements that justify their elite payment.

1. Dawn Staley – College of South Carolina
Estimated Once-a-year Salary: $three.1 million

Dawn Staley proceeds for being the gold standard in Gals’s higher education basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina into a perennial powerhouse. Due to the fact taking over the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to multiple NCAA Ultimate 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).

In 2021, she built headlines by signing a historic 7-12 months, $22.4 million contract, generating her the highest-paid Black head coach in Ladies's college or university basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with efficiency incentives, positioning her firmly at the top of this listing.

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 most dominant dynasties in university basketball heritage—Adult males's or Ladies’s.

Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. While UConn has faced recent difficulties with injuries and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership keep his value high.

three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Point out College (LSU)
Approximated Yearly Salary: $2.seven million

Just after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, in which she won a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey stunned the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her next year Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new amount of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.

Her high-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her considered one of the very best-compensated Gals’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Ladies's hoops.

four. Brenda Frese – University of Maryland
Believed Annual Income: $1.four million

Brenda Frese has quietly developed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With various convention championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has kept the Terrapins in nationwide rivalry for over twenty years.

Her lengthy-time period influence and enhancement of best-tier expertise have produced her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her present offer includes bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason good results—illustrating her twin commitment to athletics and college student enhancement.

5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $1.3 million

Tara VanDerveer is not merely amongst the highest-paid coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA women's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win document and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.

Although VanDerveer has not been just one to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and commitment to excellence have solidified her spot One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.

A Transforming Landscape in Women of all ages's Basketball
The increasing salaries of such coaches are reflective of the growing recognition and economic viability of women’s university basketball. Plans are attracting a lot more nationwide TV offers, ticket revenue are growing, and company sponsors are getting to be additional invested in Gals's athletics.

The rise in coaching M88 salaries is not just an indication of progress—it’s a recognition from the hard work, Management, and accomplishment these coaches carry to their courses as well as Activity as a whole.

Honorable Mentions
Though these five coaches presently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of 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 considerable strides with their respective programs and could crack to the leading 5 in the approaching several years 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 culture of their universities, and elevate Gals’s basketball to new heights. Because the Activity proceeds to develop in level of popularity 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 competitive athletics.