Gals’s higher education basketball has seen exponential advancement in viewership, expertise, and competitiveness in the last decade. Along with the elevated recognition and industrial achievement in the sport, specifically in NCAA Division I programs, coaching salaries have risen to replicate the worth and leadership these leading-tier coaches bring for their groups and universities. As universities keep on to invest in their Women of all ages’s athletics departments, a handful of standout coaches are reaping the money rewards that come with setting up powerhouse systems.

Listed here’s a look at the 5 maximum-paid Women of all ages’s college or university 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 Yearly Salary: $3.one million

Dawn Staley carries on to become the gold standard in Gals’s university 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 This system in 2008, she has led the Gamecocks to a number of NCAA Last Four appearances and two countrywide championships (2017 and 2022).

In 2021, she made headlines by signing a historic seven-12 months, $22.4 million agreement, making her the very best-compensated Black head coach in Girls's college basketball heritage. That offer has given that been restructured and prolonged with overall performance incentives, inserting her firmly at the top of this listing.

2. Geno Auriemma – University of Connecticut
Approximated Once-a-year Income: $2.9 million

A living legend, Geno Auriemma has guided the UConn Huskies to your jaw-dropping eleven national titles. His tenure at UConn, which began in 1985, has reworked This system into The most dominant dynasties in college basketball background—Adult men's or Women of all ages’s.

Auriemma’s longevity and steady effectiveness have ensured lucrative contract renewals. His present contract includes a base salary, media obligations, clothing discounts, and significant bonuses tied to NCAA Match operates. When UConn has confronted new worries with accidents and roster turnover, Auriemma’s legacy and Management continue to keep his benefit superior.

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

Just after A prosperous two-ten years run at Baylor, the place she gained a few countrywide titles, Kim Mulkey shocked the basketball entire world by becoming a member of LSU in 2021. In just her 2nd period Together with the Tigers, she led them to your 2023 nationwide championship, bringing a fresh level of pleasure and Highlight to Baton Rouge.

Her large-profile arrival came with a valuable 8-year, $23.six million agreement, creating her certainly one of the best-paid out Females’s coaches at any time. Recognized for her passionate coaching design, flamboyant fashion, and championship pedigree, Mulkey is central to LSU’s resurgence in Women of all ages's hoops.

4. Brenda Frese – College of Maryland
Approximated Annual Wage: $1.4 million

Brenda Frese has quietly constructed a product of consistency at Maryland since taking over in 2002. With various meeting championships, a national title in 2006, and dozens of NCAA Match appearances, Frese has stored the Terrapins in M88 countrywide contention for more than twenty years.

Her prolonged-term impression and advancement of major-tier talent have designed her indispensable to Maryland’s athletic department. Her latest deal involves bonuses for academic functionality, wins, and postseason success—illustrating her dual motivation to athletics and pupil improvement.

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

Tara VanDerveer is don't just among the best-compensated coaches but additionally the winningest coach in NCAA Gals's basketball history. She surpassed Pat Summitt’s all-time get file and it has led Stanford to 3 countrywide titles (1990, 1992, and 2021) and various Final Four appearances.

Although VanDerveer has not been a person to chase flashy contracts, Stanford has ensured that her legacy and contributions are appropriately compensated. Her leadership, improvement of WNBA stars, and dedication to excellence have solidified her area Among the many all-time greats in coaching record.

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

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

Honorable Mentions
Although these 5 coaches at this time direct the best way with regards to earnings, several others are going up:

Kelly Graves (Oregon)

Vic Schaefer (Texas)

Jeff Walz (Louisville)

Courtney Banghart (North Carolina)

Every single of these coaches has designed important strides with their respective applications and will break in to the major five in the coming years as Gals's basketball continues to mature.

Ultimate Views
The days of underfunded Women of all ages’s plans and underpaid coaches are steadily fading. These elite coaches not only command substantial salaries—they also mentor generations of athletes, form the society of their universities, and elevate Girls’s basketball to new heights. As the sport proceeds to grow in level of popularity and help, we are able to hope these salaries—as well as profiles of these leaders—to continue soaring.

Ladies’s college basketball isn’t just trying to keep rate—it’s setting the pace for the future of competitive athletics.