Women’s college basketball salaries have exploded heading into the 2025–26 season. The game’s top coaches are commanding multimillion-dollar base salaries, reflecting record TV ratings, NIL-fueled recruiting battles, and championship-level expectations.
Below is a look at the ten highest-paid coaches in women’s basketball for 2025–26, ranked by annual base pay.
Highest-Paid Coaches in Women’s College Basketball in 2026
| Rank | Coach | School | Base Salary (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dawn Staley | South Carolina | $4.0M |
| 2 | Kim Mulkey | LSU | $3.36M |
| 3 | Geno Auriemma | UConn | $3.33M |
| 4 | Vic Schaefer | Texas | $2.30M |
| 5 | Brenda Frese | Maryland | $1.88M |
| 6 | Jeff Walz | Louisville | $1.75M |
| 7 | Joni Taylor | Texas A&M | $1.50M |
| 8 | Kenny Brooks | Kentucky | $1.30M |
| 9 | Teri Moren | Indiana | $1.25M |
| 10 | Adia Barnes | SMU | $1.20M |
1. Dawn Staley (South Carolina) $4 Million
Staley built a powerhouse that won three national titles (2017, 2022, 2024), including a 38–0 season in 2024. She followed that by taking South Carolina back to the title game in 2025.
South Carolina pays at the top of the market because she wins, recruits nationally, and drives TV interest. Her January 2025 extension reset the salary bar in the sport.
Off the court, she interviewed for the New York Knicks head-coaching job this past summer, a reflection of her profile across basketball.
2. Kim Mulkey (LSU) $3.36 Million
Mulkey has four NCAA titles, three at Baylor and one at LSU in 2023, and LSU’s first women’s hoops championship came in year two.
LSU locked her up on a 10-year deal after that run, with scheduled escalators that keep her near the top of the pay scale through 2033.
The contract comes thanks to her track record: titles, packed arenas, and year-round relevance.
3. Geno Auriemma (UConn) $3.33 Million
Auriemma guided UConn to a record 12th national championship in April 2025 and remains the sport’s standard for sustained dominance.
His latest five-year deal signed in 2024 reflects both on-court results and brand value, and he added hefty performance bonuses during the 2025 title run.
UConn pays for a near-annual Final Four threat and the recruiting pull that comes with it.
4. Vic Schaefer (Texas) $2.30 Million
Texas hired Schaefer to win deep in March, and that’s what he’s delivered: a Final Four in 2025, SEC Coach of the Year, and a program win record.
His résumé already included two NCAA runner-up finishes at Mississippi State and the shot that ended UConn’s 111-game streak in 2017.
Texas moved to extend him again in 2025, with raises that track the program’s rise and his market value.
5. Brenda Frese (Maryland) $1.88 Million
Frese’s salary reflects two decades of high performance: a 2006 national title, multiple Final Fours, a stack of Big Ten trophies, and near-annual second-weekend trips.
Maryland pays for consistency, top-20 teams, strong recruiting, and postseason revenue. Even in reload years, her teams reach the Sweet 16 and keep the program nationally relevant.
6. Jeff Walz (Louisville) $1.75 Million
Walz turned Louisville into a perennial contender: national runner-up twice (2009, 2013), four Final Fours (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022), eight Elite Eights, and 16 NCAA trips in 18 seasons.
Louisville extended him through 2028–29, which fits a résumé that consistently reaches the second weekend. His pay tracks with top-10 production and brand value in a power league.
7. Joni Taylor (Texas A&M) $1.50 Million
Taylor won SEC Coach of the Year at Georgia in 2021, then took over at Texas A&M in 2022. She added significant USA Basketball work, serving as an assistant coach on the 2024 Olympic gold-medal staff under Cheryl Reeve.
The combination of SEC pedigree, Olympic-level credentials, and long-term program build explains A&M’s investment level.
8. Kenny Brooks (Kentucky) $1.30 Million
Brooks took Virginia Tech to its first ACC tournament title in 2023 and first Final Four the same year, then moved to Kentucky on a five-year deal announced in March 2024.
That run and his consistent recruiting success shifted his market tier and justified a top-10 slot. Kentucky hired him to import that March pedigree to the SEC.
9. Teri Moren (Indiana) $1.25 Million
Moren raised Indiana’s floor and ceiling: Big Ten regular-season title in 2023, 10 straight 20-win seasons, seven NCAA appearances, and AP National Coach of the Year in 2023.
Indiana extended her through 2029, and public salary data lists a $1.25M base in 2024. That combination of sustained results and league titles underpins her compensation tier.
10. Adia Barnes (SMU) $1.20 Million
Barnes took Arizona from rebuilding to a 2021 NCAA title-game appearance, plus four straight postseason bids and five consecutive 20-win seasons.
Arizona raised her 2021–26 deal to $5.85M total, with a $1.2M base that SMU matched when she left for them in 2025.
Her salary reflects deep March runs, program growth, and the ability to raise visibility wherever she coaches.
