5 Best-Compensated Women's Higher education Basketball Coaches
5 Best-Compensated Women's Higher education Basketball Coaches
Blog Article
Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has noticed exponential progress in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness over the past 10 years. Using the improved acceptance and business accomplishment 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 proceed to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the economical benefits that come with building powerhouse applications.
Below’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid women’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not simply their amazing salaries but in addition 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 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. Given that taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to many NCAA Last 4 appearances and two national championships (2017 and 2022).
In 2021, she designed headlines by signing a historic 7-yr, $22.four million contract, generating her the highest-paid out Black head mentor in Ladies's faculty basketball background. That offer has since been restructured and extended with general performance incentives, putting her firmly at the highest of the list.
2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Believed Annual Salary: $2.9 million
A residing legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to the jaw-dropping 11 nationwide titles. His tenure at UConn, which commenced in 1985, has reworked This system into Just about the most dominant dynasties in faculty basketball record—Guys's or Gals’s.
Auriemma’s longevity and dependable overall performance have ensured worthwhile agreement renewals. His present-day deal features a base salary, media obligations, apparel offers, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership hold his price large.
3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition College (LSU)
Estimated Annual Income: $two.7 million
Following An effective two-10 years operate at Baylor, the place she received a few national titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball entire world by signing up for LSU in 2021. In just her second season Using the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.
Her substantial-profile arrival came having a profitable eight-calendar year, $23.six million contract, creating her one of the best-paid out Females’s coaches ever. Noted for her passionate coaching model, flamboyant trend, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Girls's hoops.
four. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Believed Yearly Income: $1.4 million
Brenda Frese has quietly developed a model M88 of regularity at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With various meeting championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Event appearances, Frese has held the Terrapins in national competition for over twenty years.
Her prolonged-phrase impact and enhancement of prime-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Division. Her present-day deal features bonuses for educational performance, wins, and postseason achievements—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and student growth.
five. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford University
Approximated Once-a-year Salary: $1.3 million
Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the very best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball historical past. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time earn record and has led Stanford to a few nationwide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.
Even though VanDerveer hasn't been 1 to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are properly compensated. Her leadership, progress of WNBA stars, and determination to excellence have solidified her location One of the all-time greats in coaching historical past.
A Switching Landscape in Women's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the escalating reputation and fiscal viability of ladies’s faculty basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Television set deals, ticket sales are increasing, and corporate 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 results these coaches convey for their packages along with the sport in general.
Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches presently lead just how with regard to earnings, many Other folks are on the rise:
Kelly Graves (Oregon)
Vic Schaefer (Texas)
Jeff Walz (Louisville)
Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)
Each of such coaches has manufactured substantial strides with their respective programs and will break into your prime five in the approaching many years as Women of all ages's basketball carries on to develop.
Remaining Ideas
The times of underfunded Girls’s applications and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches don't just command substantial salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Women of all ages’s basketball to new heights. Since the Activity continues to improve in reputation and support, we will expect these salaries—plus the profiles of these leaders—to continue mounting.
Ladies’s faculty basketball isn’t just retaining speed—it’s setting the tempo for the way forward for aggressive sports.