Big Ten Women’s Basketball Coach Salaries (2026–27)
Pay for the head coach at every Big Ten women’s basketball program, from news reports and public records. Each figure is labeled with how well it is confirmed. Men’s programs: Big Ten men’s basketball coach salaries.
Key numbers
- Median head coach pay: about $1.0 million across 18 programs. Eleven coaches earn about $1.0 million or more.
- Range: about $700,000 (Purdue’s Katie Gearlds) to about $2.0 million (UCLA’s Cori Close). Maryland’s Brenda Frese is second at $1.88 million.
- Three head coaches were replaced in March 2026: Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers. None of the new contracts has public pay.
- Men’s coaches earn about 4.4 times as much at the median ($4.35 million vs. $1.0 million). The ratio ranges from 2.3× at UCLA to 10× at Purdue.
Head coach pay by school
| School | Head coach | Pay | Season | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | Cori Close | ~$2,000,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Extension through 2029–30 |
| Maryland | Brenda Frese | $1,880,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | |
| Indiana | Teri Moren | $1,300,000 | 2025–26 | Partly confirmed | Extension through 2028–29; her 2023 deal put base pay above $1M |
| Illinois | Shauna Green | $1.1M–$1.3M | 2025–26 | News report | Extension reported at $11.225M over ten years, through 2033–34 |
| Washington | Tina Langley | $1,187,500 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Extension of $7.1M over six years |
| Oregon | Kelly Graves | $1,075,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Includes a bonus structure of up to $425k |
| Ohio State | Kevin McGuff | $1,050,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | $675k base + $375k supplemental |
| Michigan State | Robyn Fralick | $1,000,000+ | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | $900k base |
| USC | Lindsay Gottlieb | $1,000,000+ | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Extension through 2029–30; private school |
| Iowa | Jan Jensen | $1.0M–$1.05M | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | $850k base; promoted from associate head coach |
| Michigan | Kim Barnes Arico | $1,000,000+ | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Base pay not confirmed: sources differ ($608,050 or $893,500) |
| Minnesota | Dawn Plitzuweit | $900,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Adjusted by contract extension |
| Wisconsin | Robin Pingeton | $750,000–$850,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Five-year contract; replaced Marisa Moseley |
| Penn State | Tanisha Wright | Not disclosed | 2026–27 | — | Named March 19, 2026. Predecessor Carolyn Kieger: ~$750,000 (2025–26), fired March 5 with at least a year left on her deal |
| Rutgers | Gary Redus II | Not disclosed | 2026–27 | — | Named March 9, 2026; reports of his pay conflict. Predecessor Coquese Washington: $750,000 (2025–26), fired March 2 |
| Nebraska | Amy Williams | $715,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | |
| Purdue | Katie Gearlds | $700,000 | 2025–26 | Unconfirmed | Extension through 2028–29 |
| Northwestern | Carla Berube | Not disclosed | 2026–27 | — | Named March 25, 2026. Predecessor Joe McKeown: ~$700,000 (2025–26), retired |
Sorted by pay (midpoint where a range is given; replaced coaches sorted by their predecessor’s figure). Source: “News report” means a news outlet reported the figure; “Partly confirmed” means reporting supports the figure but not the exact amount; “Unconfirmed” means we found no second source. No contract documents were read for this conference.
Women’s vs. men’s pay at the same school
| School | Men’s | Women’s | Men’s ÷ Women’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue | $7,000,000 | $700,000 | 10.0× |
| Michigan State | $7,200,000 | $1,000,000+ | 7.2× |
| Nebraska | $4,350,000 | $715,000 | 6.1× |
| Penn State | $4,229,999 | ~$750,000 | 5.6× |
| Northwestern | $3,890,000 | ~$700,000 | 5.6× |
| Rutgers | $4,050,000 | $750,000 | 5.4× |
| USC | $4.75M–$5.0M | $1,000,000+ | ≤4.9× |
| Wisconsin | $3,850,000 | $750,000–$850,000 | 4.8× |
| Michigan | $4,650,000 | $1,000,000+ | ≤4.7× |
| Illinois | $5,550,000 | $1.1M–$1.3M | 4.6× |
| Iowa | $4,350,000 | ~$1,000,000 | 4.4× |
| Oregon | $4,000,000 | $1,075,000 | 3.7× |
| Minnesota | $3,200,000 | $900,000 | 3.6× |
| Indiana | $4,500,000 | $1,300,000 | 3.5× |
| Washington | $3,300,024 | $1,187,500 | 2.8× |
| Maryland | $4,900,000 | $1,880,000 | 2.6× |
| Ohio State | $2,500,000 | $1,050,000 | 2.4× |
| UCLA | $4,500,000 | ~$2,000,000 | 2.3× |
Both figures are the coach who held the job in 2025–26 where a change followed. Ratios use the stated figure; where the women’s pay is a floor (“$1,000,000+”), the ratio is an upper bound (≤). Purdue’s men’s figure is unconfirmed.
What the numbers show
- Seven-figure pay is the norm. Eleven of 18 women’s coaches earn about $1.0 million or more, but the men’s median is more than four times higher.
- Dismissals carry real money. Rutgers fired Washington with two seasons left on a six-year deal that guaranteed $4.625 million. USA Today reported Kieger had at least a year remaining at Penn State.
- Long extensions at the top. Illinois’s Green was extended for ten years (reported at $11.225 million), and Washington’s Langley received a six-year, $7.1 million extension.
- The five lowest-paid coaches are all at or below $750,000. Three of those jobs (Penn State, Rutgers, Northwestern) were filled by new hires in March 2026.
Assistant coach pay
Associate head coach and assistant coach pay at Big Ten women’s programs, listed by school and title only. Women’s staff pay is far less reported than men’s; most figures are school pay ranges or unconfirmed payroll figures.
| School | Title | Salary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Associate Head Coach | $287,125 | Unconfirmed |
| Illinois | Assistant Coach | $215,500 | Unconfirmed |
| Illinois | Assistant Coach | $175,000–$210,000 | School pay range |
| Indiana | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$170,000 | School pay range |
| Indiana | Assistant Coach | $125,000–$150,000 | School pay range |
| Indiana | Assistant Coach | $120,000–$150,000 | School pay range |
| Iowa | Assistant Coach | $195,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Iowa | Assistant Coach | $170,000–$200,000 | School pay range |
| Iowa | Assistant Coach | $135,000–$165,000 | School pay range |
| Maryland | Assistant Coach | $190,000–$230,000 | School pay range |
| Maryland | Assistant Coach | $160,000–$195,000 | School pay range |
| Maryland | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$175,000 | School pay range |
| Michigan | Assistant Coach | $223,700 | Unconfirmed |
| Michigan | Assistant Coach | $176,800 | Unconfirmed |
| Michigan | Assistant Coach | $130,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Michigan | Assistant Coach | $85,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Michigan State | Associate Head Coach | $230,000–$270,000 | School pay range |
| Michigan State | Assistant Coach | $185,000–$220,000 | School pay range |
| Michigan State | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$175,000 | School pay range |
| Minnesota | Associate Head Coach / General Manager | $210,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Minnesota | Associate Head Coach | $185,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Minnesota | Assistant Coach | $130,000–$160,000 | School pay range |
| Nebraska | Assistant Coach | $160,000–$190,000 | School pay range |
| Nebraska | Assistant Coach | $150,000–$180,000 | School pay range |
| Nebraska | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$170,000 | School pay range |
| Northwestern | Associate Head Coach | $220,000–$270,000 | School pay range |
| Northwestern | Assistant Coach | $160,000–$200,000 | School pay range |
| Ohio State | Assistant Coach | $230,000 | Unconfirmed |
| Ohio State | Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator | $216,825 | Unconfirmed |
| Ohio State | Assistant Coach | $215,984 | Unconfirmed |
| Ohio State | Assistant Coach | $165,000–$195,000 | School pay range |
| Oregon | Associate Head Coach | $230,000–$280,000 | School pay range |
| Oregon | Assistant Coach | $160,000–$195,000 | School pay range |
| Oregon | Assistant Coach | $150,000–$185,000 | School pay range |
| Penn State | Assistant Coach | $180,000–$220,000 | School pay range |
| Penn State | Assistant Coach | $150,000–$190,000 | School pay range |
| Purdue | Associate Head Coach | $220,000–$260,000 | School pay range |
| Purdue | Associate Head Coach | $200,000–$240,000 | School pay range |
| Purdue | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$170,000 | School pay range |
| Rutgers | Associate Head Coach | $240,000–$280,000 | School pay range |
| Rutgers | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$175,000 | School pay range |
| UCLA | Associate Head Coach | $280,000–$340,000 | School pay range |
| UCLA | Assistant Coach | $200,000–$250,000 | School pay range |
| UCLA | Assistant Coach | $170,000–$210,000 | School pay range |
| USC | Associate Head Coach | $300,000–$380,000 | School pay range |
| USC | Assistant Coach | $200,000–$250,000 | School pay range |
| USC | Assistant Coach | $175,000–$220,000 | School pay range |
| Washington | Assistant Coach | $180,000–$220,000 | School pay range |
| Washington | Assistant Coach | $170,000–$210,000 | School pay range |
| Washington | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$170,000 | School pay range |
| Wisconsin | Associate Head Coach | $180,000–$220,000 | School pay range |
| Wisconsin | Assistant Coach | $140,000–$170,000 | School pay range |
“School pay range” is the range the school uses for the position, not an individual’s salary. “Unconfirmed” is a single figure from state payroll records or university disclosures that we could not check. Treat both as approximate.
Data notes
- Public universities’ contracts are public records, but few are posted online. USC and Northwestern are private; their figures come from tax filings and press reports.
- Figures are for 2025–26 unless noted. New hires are listed with “Not disclosed” until their pay is reported.
- Assistant and staff pay for women’s programs is not available in our data for this conference.
Photo: UCLA’s Cori Close, the Big Ten’s highest-paid women’s coach. John Mac, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped.
