Dan Hurley vs Geno Auriemma 2024 Salary Comparison: Which UConn Huskies Coach Gets Paid More?

On Monday night in Houston, No. 4 UConn beat San Diego State in a 76-59 win, for its fifth title in the last 24 years. The Huskies, led by coach Dan Hurley, won each of their six games by a margin of at least ten points as they advanced through the tournament with incredible ease. But Hurley’s Huskies weren’t the only ones to emerge and advance victoriously in the college league.

The women’s Huskies team upset Southern California 80-73 on Monday night. They looked a bit sluggish at the start and even allowed their opponents to go 8-0 in the first quarter. But Paige Bueckers erupted in the second quarter and continued to dominate. Now with both men’s and women’s teams making it to the Final Four, some fans were left pondering which one of UConn’s coaches makes more money.

UConn’s saviour Dan Hurley’s earnings

The Huskies are the epitome of a wagon since stopping Dan Hurley’s complex offense has been next to impossible. Though, it was all possible after Hurley’s hiring in 2018 to restore a damaged program and his six seasons of improvement made it conceivable for the team to ride a slingshot back to the top of college basketball with a re-engaged fan base. With advantages of thirty points or more in every game so far, UConn has completely dominated its rivals this season.

Let’s go back to 2023 and UConn’s national championship, which also resulted in Hurley’s six-year contract extension. His $32.1 million contract for the Huskies’ 2023 national championship made him the highest-paid coach in state history. It allowed him to continue as head coach of the men’s basketball team at UConn through the 2028–2029 season.

Hurley has made a total of $850,000 from UConn’s accomplishments as of March 30. There might be more to come. Let’s examine the massive bracket: Hurley receives a $500,000 yearly retention incentive in addition to his $4.5 million compensation for the duration of his employment at the university. Hurley may also earn a ton of additional bonuses along the way, several of which he has already earned this playoff.

Here is what Hurley has earned this season in addition to his base pay:

• With UConn’s decisive Big East victory, the Huskies coach received a bonus of $100,000.
• After that, UConn won the Big East Tournament, which earned Hurley an extra $100,000.
• Hurley received $50,000 for winning the Big East Coach of the Year award.
• Hurley received $50,000 for each of the first two rounds of appearances, for a total of $100,000.
• An additional $100,000 was awarded to UConn for their victory over San Diego State in the Sweet 16 tournament.
• Hurley received $200,000 for participating in the Elite Eight game.
• After defeating Illinois, the Huskies earned a position in the Final Four adding an extra $200,000.

Read More: Dan Hurley and Bobby Hurley: Meet Brothers Turned NCAA Coaching Rivals

Everything he earned this year was already explained by the Speaker of the House, Matt Ritter who told the CT Insider, “The coaches are always going to be highest paid employees at UConn,” D-Hartford added. “Even now, today, it’s going to be Coach Hurley and Coach [Geno] Auriemma and Coach [Jim] Mora. When you have a competitive athletic program, that’s the going rate. If you look at what Coach Hurley’s done from where we were as a program, he’s one of the best coaches in the country and you have to pay him accordingly.” This also means, head coach Geno Auriemma is also paid a hefty amount.

Geno Auriemma’s paycheck and more explained

In a nutshell, Geno Auriemma has earned himself the title of GOAT and is largely responsible for the high standards of the Connecticut women’s basketball team. Since taking over the women’s basketball program in 1985, he has led the Huskies to every Sweet 16 since 1994. By 1991, he had assembled his first team for the Final Four.

Auriemma last signed a contract on April 13, 2021, with a period that would last until 2025. In addition to his annual base pay of $600,000, the college pays Auriemma quarterly for fulfilling his off-court obligations, which was $2,400,000 for 2022-23; 2023–24: $2,500,000 and this season, a whopping $2,600,000.

With that, his deal’s total worth is  $9,300,000. That’s insane, but it’s well worth given the status he brings to the table. Not only that, but Auriemma is eligible for bonuses based on his team’s on-court performance, just like most coaches. Here’s his 2024 bonus earnings:

• Auriemma received a payment of $25,000, or half a month’s worth of pay, for winning the Big East regular season championship.
• For winning the Big East postseason tournament, he received $25,000.
• For the title of Big East Coach of the Year, Auriemma received $12,500.
• He received a full month’s compensation of $50,000 for leading UConn to the NCAA tournament.
• An additional $50,000 is awarded to Auriemma if he advances to the Sweet 16.
• Another $50,000 was given away as part of the Elite Eight qualification.
• The Huskies’ victory over USC on Monday guaranteed them a spot in the Final Four which added an extra $100,000.

Is there an appetite for exploring additional benefits? As they get closer to winning the national championship this week, both legendary coaches have a lot of work ahead of them, including the guesswork of where to spend another massive amount.

Read More: Dan Hurley or Geno Auriemma, Which Coach Can Save UConn Basketball This NCAA Season?