Geno Auriemma isn’t just a coach. He’s a basketball legend who turned the UConn Huskies women’s program into a dynasty, and his bank account reflects that. As of 2025, his net worth sits at a cool $18 million, built on decades of winning, savvy business moves, and a loyalty to UConn that’s rare in sports. Let’s break it down, starting with the numbers that matter most.
In June 2024, Auriemma signed a five-year contract extension with UConn worth $18.7 million, locking him in through April 2029. For the 2024-25 season, his salary is $3.34 million, which includes a $400,000 base and a whopping $2.94 million in additional compensation for speaking gigs, consulting, and media work. That extra $2.94 million isn’t static, it grows by $200,000 every year, meaning by the final year of his deal in 2028-29, he’ll be pulling in $4.14 million. Not bad for a guy who started at UConn in 1985 with a $30,000 package and a Pampers box as a coffee table.
Geno Auriemma’s Net Worth Is $18 Million While His Salary Stands at $3.34M for the 2024/2025 Season
Auriemma’s financial climb mirrors his on-court dominance. Under his leadership, UConn has won 12 national championships (the most recent in 2025), made 24 Final Fours, and racked up a record 1,250 wins (and counting). His 2024 extension didn’t just pad his wallet, it also made it pricier for him to leave. If he bolts for another job, like the WNBA, UConn gets a $5 million buyout in 2025, which drops by $500,000 each year.
But let’s be real: Auriemma isn’t going anywhere. He’s been at UConn for 40 years, and as he put it when he signed the extension, “I still find it hard to believe that I’ve been at UConn for over half my life. I feel like there’s so much more that can be done, and will be done.” That loyalty has paid off. His previous contract, inked in 2021, paid him $3.1 million annually, with a $600,000 base and $2.2 million in extras.
The new deal bumped him past peers like LSU’s Kim Mulkey ($3.25 million) and, for a hot second, South Carolina’s Dawn Staley ($3.2 million). But Staley one-upped him in 2025 with a $4 million-a-year deal, stealing the title of highest-paid women’s basketball coach.
The money doesn’t stop with basketball. Auriemma’s a regular on ESPN as an analyst, critiques his former players (hello, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird) during WNBA broadcasts, and has side hustles that scream “Italian pride.” He owns two restaurants in Connecticut and sells his own line of Italian wines and sauces. Then there’s the philanthropy. He’s on the board of the WBCA Cancer Fund and the Connecticut Children’s Foundation, hosting annual “Geno for the Kids” charity events. Oh, and he’s invested in a new 3-on-3 women’s pro league. Because why not?
Auriemma’s career is a masterclass in turning success into longevity. He’s the fastest coach in college basketball history to hit 800, 900, 1,000, and 1,200 wins, and his .883 winning percentage is the highest ever. His players, 160 of them, from Rebecca Lobo to Paige Bueckers, rave about his tough-love approach. As Lobo once said, “We have been yelled at. Forced to tears. We have been pushed to the limits of what we thought was possible.” And it works. UConn’s 111-game winning streak (2014–2017) is a record, and his teams have sold out arenas for decades. In 2022-23 alone, UConn women’s basketball pulled in $2.8 million in ticket sales, tops among public schools.
The man’s even got Olympic gold, two of them, from coaching Team USA in 2012 and 2016, plus two World Championships. His international record? A perfect 32-0. That’s the kind of resume that makes $18 million seem almost modest. But Auriemma’s never been about the money. In 2022, he joked, “I already make more money than any coach in the country coaching women’s basketball, so what am I going to do, make more money?”
Well, yeah. Because in 2025, he’s still cashing checks, still winning titles, and still proving that the best investment UConn ever made was a $30,000 gamble on a guy from Montella, Italy, who taught himself English and rewrote basketball history.
