Who are the top female coaches today? These are the women helping teams achieve extraordinary results on the field and the court.
This year marks exceptional milestones for women in sports. Female stars are gaining more critical acclaim, record-breaking attendance is being reported at games, and there is more screen time than ever before.
So, who are today’s most inspiring and highest-earning female coaches, the important women on the sidelines? From football coaches with roaring success to famous basketball leaders, these women are literally changing the game.
Who are the highest-paid female coaches today, what are their salaries, and how are they driving this momentum in women’s sports?
Discover The Most Inspiring Female Coaches
The 10 Most Inspiring Female Coaches and Their Salaries
Sarina Wiegman
Sport: Football (Soccer)
Team: England Women’s National Team
Estimated Salary: Undisclosed
Sarina Wiegman is one of today’s most legendary female football coaches. A former Dutch international with nearly 100 caps, she has carried her experience as a player into a remarkable coaching career.
She guided the Netherlands to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 title and later took charge of England, leading the Lionesses to their first European Championship in 2022 and another title in 2025. Her teams are known for their discipline, attacking style, and togetherness, and under her guidance, England has reached five consecutive major tournament finals. No other manager, male or female, has ever achieved that.
In 2025, Wiegman was named Women’s Coach of the Year, an honor she shared with her players.
Reflecting on the award, she said, “This is not just a personal honour. I see it as a recognition of the women’s game and of our journey because we have come so far.”
Kim Mulkey
Sport: Basketball
Team: LSU Women’s Basketball
Estimated Salary: $3,264,000
Kim Mulkey is one of the most well-known female coaches in women’s basketball, known for her intensity, boldness, and honesty both on and off the sidelines. She is the only person in NCAA women’s basketball history to win a national championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.
Her career began at Baylor, where she turned the program into a powerhouse and captured three NCAA championships in 2005, 2012, and 2019. In 2021, she took over at LSU and quickly made history again, guiding the Tigers to a national championship in 2023, just her second season in charge.
Mulkey is also one of the highest-paid coaches in women’s sports, earning an estimated $3.26 million a year under her 10-year contract with LSU. Beyond her success, she has become known for her bold courtside fashion and her demand for players to give their all every day.
As she once said, “If what you did yesterday still looks big to you today, then you haven’t done much today.”
Emma Hayes
Sport: Football (Soccer)
Team: United States Women’s National Team (USWNT)
Estimated Salary: About $1.6–2.0 million annually
Emma Hayes is one of the most influential and successful women’s football managers in history, also known as the GOAT. After a dominant 12-year run as head coach of Chelsea Women, where she won seven WSL titles and multiple FA Cups while consistently guiding the team deep into the UEFA Women’s Champions League, she took over the USWNT in 2024.
Her contract with U.S. Soccer reportedly makes her the highest-paid coach in women’s football, with a salary of about $1.6 million. That figure matches the earnings of the U.S. men’s team coach and signals a significant step toward equal pay in the sport.
In her first major tournament with the USWNT, Hayes guided the team to Olympic gold in Paris 2024, cementing her status as a transformational leader in women’s soccer.
As she put it, “I hope I’m a role model for female coaches who are coming through.”
Becky Hammon
Sport: Basketball
Team: Las Vegas Aces (WNBA)
Estimated Salary: About $1 million annually
Becky Hammon is a true game-changer in basketball. After a brilliant playing career in the WNBA, she made history in 2014 when she joined the San Antonio Spurs as the first full-time female assistant coach in NBA history. Working alongside Gregg Popovich, she quickly earned a reputation as one of the brightest basketball minds in the sport.
In 2022, Hammon took the helm of the Las Vegas Aces, and her impact was immediate. She led the team to back-to-back WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023, proving that her leadership and vision could take teams to the very top.
Hammon also became the first WNBA coach to earn more than $1 million a year, setting a new standard for women in coaching and showing what’s possible for future generations.
“The last reason I want to be hired is because of my gender. I want to be hired because you trust me, because of my potential, because you believe that I know basketball, and we go and we build from there.”
Dawn Staley
Sport: Basketball
Team: University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball
Estimated Salary: About $3,100,000
Dawn Staley is one of the most respected figures in women’s basketball. A former WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, she has built South Carolina into a powerhouse, winning multiple NCAA championships and mentoring some of the best players in the game.
Her $3.1 million salary makes her one of the highest-paid female coaches in any sport, yet she remains focused on the bigger picture.
As she says, “If there were ever a secret to being a great coach, that’s it: the connection. I need to have a personal relationship with each player.”
Patty Gasso
Sport: Oklahoma Softball Coach
Team: University of Oklahoma Sooners Softball Team
Estimated Salary: About $2.05 million/ year
Patty Gasso is the most successful coach in college softball history. Since taking over at Oklahoma in 1994, she has built a dynasty with more than 1,500 wins, 17 Women’s College World Series appearances, and 8 national championships — including four in a row from 2021 to 2024. Despite her record-setting career, Gasso stays humble.
“My whole life all I wanted to ever be was a coach and a teacher,” she told ESPN. “I love working with young people, I love watching girls turn into women, but I don’t love when someone credits me because the players have always been the ones doing it.”
Brenda Frese
Sport: Women’s basketball
Team: University of Maryland
Estimated Salary: About $1.9 million annually
Brenda Frese has led Maryland’s women’s basketball program since 2002, turning it into a national powerhouse. She guided the Terrapins to the 2006 NCAA championship and has delivered nearly two decades of consistent 20-win seasons, with multiple Final Four runs.
One of the highest-paid women’s college basketball coaches, Frese earns close to $1.9 million a year. Known for her resilience and high standards, she inspires players to push themselves both on and off the court.
As she once put it, “Coaching is about helping people become the best version of themselves.”
Kara Lawson
Sport: Basketball
Team: Duke University Women’s Basketball
Estimated Salary: About $900,000 annually (reported)
Kara Lawson is a former WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and respected basketball analyst who has carried her love for the game into coaching. After working as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, she became the head coach of Duke University’s women’s basketball program in 2020.
Lawson is praised for her player-first approach, teaching toughness, confidence, and leadership on and off the court. With an estimated salary close to $900,000, she is among the higher-paid women’s college basketball coaches and is building a strong program at Duke.
“We all wait in life for things to get easier, but it will never get easier. We handle hard better.”
Natalie Nakase
Sport: Basketball
Team: Golden State Valkyries (WNBA)
Estimated Salary: Not publicly disclosed
Natalie Nakase has built one of the most unique coaching careers in basketball. She began as a point guard for UCLA, then transitioned into coaching, working her way through assistant roles overseas, in the G League, and even on the staff of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
In 2024, she was named the first head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s newest expansion team. While her exact salary has not been made public, her appointment represents a major milestone and adds another strong voice to the league’s growing coaching ranks.
“Pressure is just a mindset, I see it as a challenge,” Nakase said. “I believe confidence is the key. We’re going to work hard and build confidence based off it.”
Teri Moren
Sport: Basketball
Team: Indiana University Women’s Basketball
Estimated Salary: About $862,500 annually (plus bonuses)
Teri Moren has turned Indiana University into a consistent contender in women’s college basketball. Since taking over in 2014, she has guided the Hoosiers to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and one of the best records in the Big Ten.
Her current contract pays her around $862,500 per year, with additional bonuses and perks, putting her among the better-compensated women’s basketball coaches in the NCAA. Known for her steady leadership and ability to maximize talent, Moren has helped raise the profile of Indiana women’s basketball on the national stage.
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Other Famous Female Coaches Around the World
Jennifer King
Jennifer King made history as the first Black woman to become a full-time coach in the NFL when she joined the Washington Commanders as an assistant running backs coach. Her groundbreaking role in one of the most male-dominated sports has made her a symbol of progress and representation.
Liz Mills
Liz Mills is a pioneer in international basketball coaching. In 2021, she became the first woman to lead a men’s national basketball team at a major tournament when she coached Kenya in the FIBA AfroBasket. She has broken barriers in African basketball and inspired more women to pursue coaching roles in men’s professional sports.
Jenny Boucek
In 2017, she broke barriers by becoming one of the first female assistant coaches in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings. She continued her NBA journey with the Dallas Mavericks and, since 2021, with the Indiana Pacers.
Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie Mauresmo is a former world No. 1 tennis player who transitioned into coaching after her playing career. She made headlines when she famously coached Andy Murray on the ATP Tour, becoming one of the few women to coach a top male player in professional tennis.
Jen Welter
Jen Welter became the first woman to hold a coaching position in the NFL, serving as an assistant linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals during training camp in 2015. Welter’s ground-breaking role opened the door for other women to step into coaching positions and to think bigger about the impact they can make in sport.
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Why Are There Still Too Few Female Coaches
The number of female coaches is growing, but progress is still slow. The NFL will have fifteen full-time female coaches on the sidelines during the 2024–2025 season, a record milestone. Yet compared to the hundreds of coaching positions across professional sports, women still make up only a small fraction. The question is: why?
For decades, sports coaching has been viewed as a man’s domain. Many women who want to coach face skepticism about their knowledge, authority, or ability to lead male athletes.
Another major challenge is visibility. Female coaches often don’t receive the same media coverage as their male counterparts, which limits their recognition and influence. You can’t be it if you don’t see it, and this applies to female coaches.
With the current momentum in women’s sport and leadership positions, the mindset needs to change.
Why Are Female Coaches Paid Less on Average?
Even when women do reach the highest levels of coaching, their pay almost always lags behind that of their male counterparts. A male coach and a female coach can hold the same title, lead equally successful teams, and put in the same hours, yet the salaries often look dramatically different.
Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, is currently reported as the highest-paid coach in the NFL. His estimated salary is around $20 million per year, placing him far above the top-paid female coaches such as Emma Hayes ($1.6 million) or Kim Mulkey ($3.26 million).
This gap is fueled by the same issues that have long affected women’s sports: lower media attention, smaller sponsorship deals, and fewer resources allocated to women’s programs. But it also reflects deeper inequalities, where leadership roles are still seen as more valuable when held by men.
How can we close the gap? More transparency about both male and female coaches’ salaries is a good place to start. They can help us understand where equal pay stands and how we can use our voice to close the gap.
The Good News
The past few years have seen women’s sports grow at a meteoric pace.
- Deloitte projects women’s sports to generate $2.35 billion in 2025, a 25% jump from last year’s record-breaking $1.88 billion.
- The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 achieved more equality in participation than ever before.
- The Lionesses’ UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final victory was a landmark event, setting new viewership records in both the UK and the US, with 1.35 million viewers tuning in.
- Many female Olympians and professional athletes have also become powerful influencers. For example, Ilona Maher, the U.S. rugby star, has overtaken Siya Kolisi as the most-followed rugby player.
- The Olympic Committee even gained its first female president, Kirsty Coventry.
The message is clear: when you invest in women, you win big.
Female Coaches Are Empowering (Not Just in Sport)
Female coaches bring more than strategy and game plans. They bring representation, mentorship, and a perspective that enriches every team they lead. For young athletes, especially girls, seeing women in leadership positions proves that success in sports is not limited by gender.
Having women on the sidelines also changes the culture of sport.
Female coaches often emphasize collaboration, resilience, and inclusivity, creating environments where players can thrive on and off the field. Their presence helps dismantle long-standing stereotypes about who belongs in leadership.
The influence of female coaches extends far beyond sports. In business, finding a coach can transform the way women entrepreneurs lead and grow their businesses. Female business coaches and influencers help shift perspectives, spark new ideas, and encourage people to think bigger.
Coaches can help ambitious women reach their goals.
At its core, coaching is about empowerment. A coach guides others through self-discovery, builds new skills, and helps overcome limiting beliefs. Empowered women empower others, and these female coaches are proving exactly that.
FAQs: Female Coaches
Who is the highest-paid female coach?
Emma Hayes, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, is currently the highest-paid female coach with a reported salary of about $1.6 million per year.
Who is the best female coach in the world?
Female coaches like Sarina Wiegman, Emma Hayes, Kim Mulkey, and Dawn Staley are often mentioned among the best. Each has achieved championships, won awards, and redefined what it means to be a female coach in their respective sports.
Who is the female coach on the Indiana Pacers?
Jenny Boucek is an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. She is one of only a few women to coach in the NBA.
Who was the first female coach in the NFL?
Jen Welter became the first woman to hold a coaching position in the NFL when she worked with the Arizona Cardinals as a training camp assistant in 2015.
What percentage of coaches are female?
Globally, women still make up less than 25 percent of coaches across professional and collegiate sports. The percentage is growing, but men continue to dominate most leadership roles in coaching.
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