Oklahoma's Patty Gasso is the highest-paid collegiate softball coach in the country.
Gasso signed a record contract extension with the Sooners through 2028 after her program secured its sixth national title in 2022.
She is the winningest active collegiate softball coach with 1,452 wins across her 29-year tenure. The 61-year-old is close to surpassing Margie Wright, who finished her career at Fresno State in 2012 with 1,457 total wins, for third place on the all-time list.
Carol Hutchins, who was at Michigan from 1985-2022, leads that list with 1,707 total wins, and is followed by Mike Candrea, who had multiple stints at Arizona between 1986-2021, with 1,674 total wins.
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Here's what you need to know about Gasso's record-setting salary as the Sooners head into their fourth consecutive Women's College World Series final.
Patty Gasso salary 2023
According to Just Women's Sports, Gasso's record contract extension with the Sooners for the next five years has brought her salary up to $1.625 million annually, incentives included.
She's tied for second-highest paid coach across both softball and baseball, right there with Mike Bianco of Ole Miss baseball. Vanderbilt's Tim Corbin heads that list, making more than $2 million annually.
The last time she signed a significant contract extension like this was in 2017, which was worth more than $1 million. The announcement of the new deal was made in September 2022 at an Oklahoma University Board of Regents meeting.
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Patty Gasso contract details
JWS reported that Gasso's contract has her base salary set at $300,000 — a $20,000 increase from her previous $280,000 — and is to be paid by the university.
There will be an additional $825,000 that siphons out of private funding, and that number is not set in stone — it will increase yearly on July 1 by $50,000, already representing what JWS said is a $130,000 increase from previous documents.
That's not all, either.
Tusla World reported that Gasso is getting another $200,000 as a stay benefit and bonus, paid each Feb. 1 during the length of the contract. Another $300,000 was added to a supplemental retirement income plan for her on July 1, 2022, and this July 1, it will increase to $400,000.
The list isn't quite done.
Gasso will also get a $150,000 performance bonus if the Sooners win another national championship, according to Sports Illustrated.
OK, now it is. Gasso sure is reaping the benefits of being one of the best softball coaches to go down in NCAA history.
“She’s the queen," Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said to Tulsa World. "Not just for softball. She is one of the remarkable coaches of our time. Her record is extraordinary and the level of success is virtually unprecedented.
