As the game becomes more popular and profitable, the salaries of Division I softball coaches are rising by the year. Many of the top coaches make over $400,000 annually. Below, we list the top 10 highest-paid college softball coaches in 2023.
Top 10 Highest-Paid College Softball Coaches 2023
Patty Gasso is the only head coach in softball to earn more the $1 million annually. With six national championships in the last 23 years, Gasso has earned the right to be the game’s highest-paid coach.
Like college baseball, the SEC owns most of the spots in the top 10, occupying seven. Once the SEC welcomes Oklahoma and Texas to the conference, Lonni Alameda will be the lone coach from a non-SEC conference to be on the list.
Click to jump to one of the highest-paid softball coaches in 2023:
- Patty Gasso, Oklahoma — $1.625 million
- Mike White, Texas — $625K
- Lonni Alameda, FSU — $575K
- Trisha Ford, Texas A&M — $570K
- Patrick Murphy, Alabama —$500K
- Tim Walton, Florida — $460K
- Courtney Deifel, Arkansas —$450K
- Beth Torina, LSU — $430K
- Rachel Lawson, Kentucky — $405K
- Karen Weekly, Tennessee — $340K
10. Karen Weekly, Tennessee — $340K
— Karen Weekly (@KarenWeekly) May 29, 2023
Coming in at No. 10 is Karen Weekly of Tennesee. Weekly became the head coach in 2002. After failing to reach the first two NCAA Tournaments, Tennessee has not missed the NCAA Tournament since 2004.
Weekly’s teams at Tennesse have made the Women’s College World Series, with their best finishes coming in 2007 and 2013 as National Runner-Ups.
Before Tennessee, Weekly served as the head coach of Chattanooga for five seasons. Chattanooga finished first in the conference in all five seasons.
Weekly’s career record is 1260–423–2. The veteran coach has an annual salary of $340,000.
9. Rachel Lawson, Kentucky — $405K
After finding success as a player at UMass in the 1990s, Rachel Lawson turned to coaching after her playing career, serving as the head coach at Western Kentucky from 2005-2007.
In July 2007, Lawson was named the head coach at Kentucky. The Wildcats have not missed the NCAA Tournament since 2008. Lawson led Kentucky to their first-ever Women’s College World Series appearance in 2014.
Weekly’s career coaching record is 587–381. The Kentucky head coach currently earns $405,000 annually.
8. Beth Torina, LSU — $430K
After a fantastic career as a pitcher at Florida, Torina went into coaching, working her way up to be named head coach at FIU in 2008.
In 2011, Torina was hired by LSU as the next head coach. In her first season, Torina led the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the 2012 Women’s College World Series. LSU has never missed the NCAA Tournament under Torina.
Torina’s career record is 621–331. Torina recently got a raise in compensation in 2021, and in 2023, her annual compensation is an estimated $430,000.
7. Courtney Deifel, Arkansas —$450K
Courtney Deifel won a championship in 2002 as a player for the California Golden Bears.
After working as an assistant for several years, Deifel became the head coach at Maryland in 2015. After going 27-27, Deifel was hired as the Arkansas head coach ahead of the 2016 season.
Since 2021, Arkansas has won 40 games or more every season, with three straight trips to the Super Regional.
In nine seasons as a head coach, Deifel is 305–174. Deifel signed a contract extension in 2022, making $450,000 annually.
6. Tim Walton, Florida — $460K
After playing for Oklahoma baseball, Tim Walton became an assistant coach of the Oklahoma softball team in 1999. After serving as the head coach at Wichita State from 2003-2005, Walton was hired as the head coach at Florida.
Walton has experienced success since the day he stepped foot on campus. In 2008, Walton’s Gators set the NCAA single-season record for wins with 70. Florida has been to the Women’s College World Series 10 times under Walton, winning back-to-back national championships in 2014 and 2015.
Walton has eclipsed the 1000 career wins mark, with an overall record of 1049–287. Walton’s annual compensation is just over $460,000.
5. Patrick Murphy, Alabama —$500K
Alabama softball has landed safely in OKC.
Follow @AlabamaSB for lots of stories, videos and world-famous gifs during the WCWS.
We love the support of #Team27 from all corners of the world! #BAMASB staff. pic.twitter.com/eUoX94L7q1
— Patrick Murphy (@UACoachMurphy) May 30, 2023
Patrick Murphy is one of the most successful coaches in college softball. After serving as an assistant at Alabama from 1996-1998, Murphy was promoted to head coach for the 1999 season.
Murphy has taken Alabama to 13 Women’s College World Series, winning the university’s first national championship in 2012. Alabama finds itself back in the Women’s College World Series in 2023.
Murphy’s career record is 1247–364. Because of his success, Murphy is one of the five highest-paid softball coaches, with a $500,000 annual compensation.
4. Trisha Ford, Texas A&M — $570K
Trisha Ford has won at each of her four head coaching stints. After two years as the head coach at Saint Mary’s from 2002-2003, Ford elected to serve as an assistant coach at Stanford.
In 2013, Ford became the head coach at Fresno State, making the NCAA Regionals in 2015 and 2016. Ford was then hired to be the head coach of Arizona State before 2017. Arizona State made the NCAA Tournament in Ford’s five full seasons, highlighted by a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2018.
After the 2022 season, Ford left Arizona State to become the head coach of Texas A&M, becoming the highest-paid coach in the SEC at $570,000, which includes her $70,000 signing bonus.
3. Lonni Alameda, FSU — $575K
Lonni Alameda started her head coaching career in 2004 at UNLV. In five seasons, Alameda won 157 games, with the highlight being a 44-win season in 2005.
In 2009, Alameda was hired as the head coach at Florida State. Alameda’s FSU teams have made the NCAA Tournament every season during her tenure. Alameda reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2018 when Florida State won the national championship during the 2018 season.
In 2023, Alameda and Florida State find themselves back in the Women’s College World Series. Alameda should be at Florida State for the foreseeable future after signing an extension worth $575,000 in 2023.
2. Mike White, Texas — $625K
Mike White was hired as the head coach at Oregon in 2010. White made the NCAA Tournament in nine-straight seasons, making five College World Series appearances.
On June 25, 2018, White left Oregon to become the head coach at Texas. The success from Oregon has followed White to Texas, as the Longhorns have made the NCAA Tournament in four full seasons. Texas reached the Women’s College World Series finals in 2022, losing to Oklahoma.
Following the National Runner-Up season, White received a raise, bringing his annual compensation to $625,000.
1. Patty Gasso, Oklahoma — $1.625 million
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 🏡 pic.twitter.com/xdBpGiKDZm
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 27, 2023
One softball coach stands above the rest: Patty Gasso of Oklahoma.
Gasso became the coach at Oklahoma in 1995, and every year since, the Sooners have played in the NCAA Tournament.
The Women’s College World Series has become a second home to Gasso, as the Sooners have made 14 appearances during her tenure. Gasso’s teams have the national championship six times: 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2022. Gasso will look to make it three straight titles as Oklahoma enters the Women’s College World Series with a 56-1 record.
Because of her dominance over the sport, Gasso is the highest-paid college softball coach, earning a record-breaking $1.625 million annually.
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