Kara Lawson is no stranger to big plays or the hard courts. She is, after all, a former WNBA champion, Olympic gold medallist, and a successful coach. Since stepping in as Duke’s women’s basketball head coach in 2020, she has transformed the Blue Devils, including multiple 20-plus-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
While her coaching in itself is one for the books, Lawson is also impacting women’s basketball in other ways. She’s the only active NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach with an NCAA Final Four appearance, a WNBA title, and an Olympic gold medal to her name. So how much does Duke pay to her on the Blue Devils sidelines?
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Kara Lawson’s 2025 Salary & Contract
Duke hired Kara Lawson in July 2020 to replace Joanne McCallie. At the time of the hiring, then-athletic director Kevin White called her the “perfect fit” for the program.
Her impact since has been evident. In the 2024 season, Duke went 26-7 overall and 14-4 in ACC. Now, here’s the real mystery: since Duke is a private school, her contract is still unknown.
According to the USA TODAY database, Lawson isn’t among the top 20 highest-paid women’s basketball coaches. Per that list, the 20th spot has an annual salary of $950,000.
That is quite surprising, considering the accolades Lawson has to her name. Additionally, with Duke being one of the most prestigious programs in the country, there’s a chance the numbers are quite high but just undisclosed.
There is not much data available on her contract upgrade either. Before Duke, she was an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics from 2019-2020, which means her salary cannot be on the lower end.
Kara Lawson’s Net Worth
Various reports have estimated Kara Lawson’s net worth at around $2 million, up from the previous estimate of $1 million.
So, where does Lawson’s big money come from? Well, it is a combination of WNBA earnings, her high-profile broadcasting career with ESPN, and, of course, her coaching gig at Duke.
Most of the NCAA Division I head coaches earn anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million per year.
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However, let’s be real: Lawson is likely on the upper end. Kara Lawson put up her best during the 2022-23 season, going 26-7 overall and earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Lawson has also built one of the top defensive squads in the nation, leading the ACC in scoring defense and blocks while ranking among the NCAA’s best in multiple categories. Duke is bound to pay a woman like that quite well.
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