Is Kim Mulkey the highest paid NCAA WBB coach in 2024? Taking a closer look at highest paid women's coaches

Yes, Kim Mulkey will be the highest-paid women's college basketball coach in 2024. According to USA Today, Mulkey earned $3,264,000 following her contract extension last year. After leading the Tigers to a championship in 2023, Coach Mulkey signed a $36 million extension for 10 years.

She earns $400,000 as her base salary, along with $2.75 million in supplemental income as part of her school pay. Besides this, USA Today has also listed $114,000 in 'Other Pay.' Her maximum bonus is $750,000 and she was paid $443,000 for the 2022–23 season.

Kim Mulkey has won four championships as a coach at Baylor (3) and LSU (1).

Highest-paid women's basketball coaches

Coming in right after Kim Mulkey are South Carolina's Dawn Staley and UConn's Geno Auriemma. They both receive $3.1 million. Geno is an 11-time National championship-winning coach, while Staley just became the first Black Coach in Division I to win three titles. There is no mention of additional income for the two.

Vic Schaefer of the Texas Longhorns ranks fourth. The Texas A&M alum makes $2.3 million and has been with the team since 2020. He is a three-time SEC Coach of the Year who has guided Texas to the Elite Eight three times. Schaefer previously managed Mississippi State to two consecutive NCAA Championship appearances (2017, 2018).

Brenda Frese of the Maryland Terrapins comes in at No. 5, earning $1.88 million. Since taking over in 2002, Frese has led the Terrapins to a title in 2006, along with two Final Four and four Elite Eight appearances. After her, it is Jeff Walz of the Louisville Cardinals with $1.75 million.

Joni Taylor of Texas A&M earns $1.5 million and is at No. 7 followed by Iowa Hawkeyes' Lisa Bluder, who is paid $1.4 million. In her 24th season at Iowa, Bluder has led the team to consistent NCAA appearances and the first Elite Eight appearance in 2019 since 1993.

The Hawkeyes also made their only title game appearance in 2023 and 2024, with Caitlin Clark at the helm.

At No. 9 is Teri Moren of Indiana, who is paid $1.25 million. Adia Barnes of Arizona wraps up the top 10, earning $1.2 million.

The disparity between the pay for women's and men's basketball coaches is quite stark. The most-paid coach in men's college basketball is Kansas' Bill Self at $9.6 million. The popularity and audience interest is often cited as the reason.