It was a moment of well-deserved recognition at UCLA this week, as the University of California Board of Regents paused their regular meeting to honor women's basketball head coach Cori Close with a standing ovation. The celebration comes on the heels of Close leading the Bruins to their first-ever NCAA national title, a historic achievement that has electrified the program and its fans.
The timing of the honor is particularly significant, as the Regents are scheduled to meet in closed session on Wednesday to discuss "contract compensation parameters" for Close. According to a report by the California Post, this signals a potential salary increase for the coach who has transformed UCLA women's basketball into a powerhouse.
Currently, Close's compensation lags far behind her Final Four counterparts. Texas coach Vic Schaefer reportedly earns $2.3 million, while South Carolina's Dawn Staley—whom Close defeated in the championship game—commands a $4 million salary, the highest in women's college basketball. Close's combined base salary and talent fee sits at $877,500, though she earned an additional $180,000 in bonuses thanks to her team's dominant 37-1 season.
Close's résumé makes a compelling case for a raise. In 15 seasons at UCLA, she has guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA tournament appearances, secured the program's first national championship, produced six WNBA draft picks from the 2026 class, and earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. Each milestone underscores her ability to build a winning culture while developing student-athletes who excel beyond the court.
During her address to the Regents, Close shared a poignant reflection from her team's director of operations, Pam Walker, that captured the essence of her program. "The least impressive thing about this particular team is what they did on the court," Close said. "It's really just putting an orange thing in an orange thing when we really strip it all away. What I love is that they really were committed to growing as people, first, students, second, and actually basketball, third."
As discussions about her contract unfold, one thing is clear: Cori Close has built something special at UCLA, and the basketball world is watching to see how the university will reward her championship leadership.