Women of all ages’s college or university basketball has witnessed exponential expansion in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last 10 years. With the enhanced level of popularity and professional achievement in the sport, especially in NCAA Division I packages, coaching salaries have risen to mirror the value and leadership these leading-tier coaches deliver to their groups and universities. As universities continue to speculate of their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the monetary rewards that include making powerhouse systems.

Listed here’s a look at the 5 optimum-paid out Ladies’s college basketball coaches as of 2025, showcasing don't just their spectacular salaries but will also the achievements that justify their elite payment.

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

Dawn Staley carries on for being the gold standard in Gals’s university basketball coaching. A previous WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, Staley has created South Carolina right into a perennial powerhouse. Considering that 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.four million contract, building 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 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 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 regular general performance have ensured profitable contract renewals. His existing agreement includes a base salary, media obligations, apparel bargains, and hefty bonuses tied to NCAA Match runs. Although UConn has faced latest issues with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and leadership hold his worth substantial.

3. Kim Mulkey – Louisiana State University (LSU)
Estimated Once-a-year Income: $two.7 million

Right after An effective two-decade operate at Baylor, where by she received 3 nationwide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball globe by joining LSU in 2021. In only her 2nd period With all M88 the Tigers, she led them to some 2023 national championship, bringing a new amount of excitement and spotlight to Baton Rouge.

Her superior-profile arrival arrived by using a rewarding 8-calendar year, $23.6 million contract, earning her one of the highest-paid out Women of all ages’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching fashion, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in women's hoops.

four. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Estimated Yearly Salary: $1.4 million

Brenda Frese has quietly crafted a product of consistency at Maryland because taking on in 2002. With a number of conference championships, a nationwide title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Tournament appearances, Frese has retained the Terrapins in national competition for over twenty years.

Her lengthy-time period effect and progress of leading-tier expertise have created her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic Office. Her existing offer contains bonuses for educational functionality, wins, and postseason achievement—illustrating her twin determination to athletics and college student development.

5. Tara VanDerveer – Stanford College
Believed Annual Wage: $one.three million

Tara VanDerveer is not just considered one of the highest-paid coaches and also the winningest mentor in NCAA Females's basketball heritage. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time win file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and numerous Ultimate 4 appearances.

Though VanDerveer has never been a single to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are correctly compensated. Her Management, development of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.

A Altering Landscape in Females's Basketball
The raising salaries of such coaches are reflective of your growing reputation and economic viability of ladies’s higher education basketball. Systems are attracting extra countrywide Television set promotions, ticket sales are increasing, and company 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 accomplishment these coaches carry to their applications and also the Activity in general.

Honorable Mentions
Even though these five coaches currently guide how regarding earnings, numerous Other individuals are on the rise:

Kelly Graves (Oregon)

Vic Schaefer (Texas)

Jeff Walz (Louisville)

Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)

Each individual of those coaches has created substantial strides with their respective courses and will break in the best 5 in the coming years as Gals's basketball carries on to grow.

Closing Ideas
The times of underfunded Ladies’s courses and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not merely command higher salaries—In addition they mentor generations of athletes, shape the lifestyle in their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to expand in level of popularity and aid, we can easily count on these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to carry on rising.

Females’s college or university basketball isn’t just trying to keep pace—it’s placing the tempo for the way forward for competitive sports activities.