five Optimum-Paid out Women of all ages's University Basketball Coaches

Gals’s faculty basketball has seen exponential development in viewership, talent, and competitiveness over the past decade. Along with the increased recognition and commercial achievement in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these best-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities continue on to take a position within their Ladies’s athletics departments, a couple of standout coaches are reaping the financial benefits that come with developing powerhouse programs.

In this article’s a consider the five highest-paid out Girls’s university basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing not only their spectacular salaries and also the achievements that justify their elite compensation.

one. Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Believed Yearly Income: $3.one million

Dawn Staley continues to 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. Because taking on the program in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Last 4 appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).

In 2021, she created headlines by signing a historic seven-year, $22.4 million deal, creating her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Gals's school basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the best of this checklist.

2. Geno Auriemma – College of Connecticut
Believed Once-a-year 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 began 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 general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base wage, media obligations, attire discounts, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. When UConn has confronted new challenges with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit superior.

three. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana Condition University (LSU)
Estimated Annual Salary: $two.seven million

Immediately after A prosperous two-10 years run at Baylor, exactly where she won a few nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball planet by joining LSU in 2021. In only her next period Together with the Tigers, she led them into a 2023 national championship, bringing a brand new level of pleasure and spotlight to Baton Rouge.

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

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

Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking up in 2002. With numerous meeting 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 extended-time period effect and development of prime-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer consists of bonuses for educational overall performance, wins, and postseason accomplishment—illustrating her twin dedication to athletics and scholar improvement.

5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Once-a-year Salary: $one.3 million

Tara VanDerveer is not merely amongst the highest-paid coaches but in addition the winningest mentor in NCAA Women of all ages's basketball background. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time acquire report and it has led Stanford to 3 national titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Last Four appearances.

When VanDerveer hasn't been one 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 record.

A Changing Landscape in Ladies's Basketball
The escalating salaries of those coaches are reflective on the rising attractiveness and economical viability of girls’s college or university basketball. Programs are attracting more countrywide Television set deals, ticket sales are increasing, and company sponsors have gotten far more invested in Girls's sports activities.

The rise in coaching salaries is not merely a sign of progress—it’s a recognition of the effort, leadership, and good results these coaches deliver to their courses plus the sport in general.

Honorable Mentions
When these five coaches currently guide the best way with regards to earnings, a number of Many others are M88 going up:

Kelly Graves (Oregon)

Vic Schaefer (Texas)

Jeff Walz (Louisville)

Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)

Each and every of such coaches has manufactured considerable strides with their respective programs and will crack to the leading 5 in the coming several years as Ladies's basketball proceeds to expand.

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 carries on to grow in level of popularity and assistance, we could expect these salaries—along with the profiles of such leaders—to carry on growing.

Gals’s college basketball isn’t just preserving rate—it’s setting the tempo for the future of aggressive athletics.