Kim Mulkey is the next LSU women’s basketball head coach.
After 21 seasons at Baylor, Mulkey left Waco on Sunday to move back to her native state of Louisiana, replacing Nikki Fargas in Baton Rouge.
“Kim Mulkey is a champion and a Hall of Famer, and we are thrilled to welcome her home,” LSU Athletics Director Scott Woodward said in a statement. “Her accomplishments are unprecedented, her passion is unrivaled, and her commitment to winning in all aspects of life – in the classroom, on the court, and in the community – is unparalleled. We look forward to working with her as she instills that championship culture at LSU.”
Kim Mulkey, 58, grew up in Tickfaw, Louisiana, which is a little more than 50 miles away from the LSU campus, and played college basketball at Louisiana Tech in the early 1980s, then coached at the school as an assistant and associate head coach from 1985 to 2000.
“Louisiana, I’ve said many times, will always, always be my home,” Mulkey said on The Jordy Culotta Show on April 16. “It doesn’t matter where my career takes me; you always go back to your roots. My children were born in north Louisiana. My son played right there at LSU. You always listen. You’re always talking to people connected in one way or another to Louisiana.”
Kim Mulkey is one of the most successful Division I women’s basketball coaches of all time and a titan in the sport – she’s the only woman to have won a national title as a player (AIAW in 1981, NCAA in 1982), an assistant (1988) and as a head coach (2005, 2012, 2019). She also won a gold medal as a member of the 1984 Olympic Team and led Baylor to 12 Big 12 regular season titles and 11 Big 12 Tournament crowns as coach. Mulkey became the fastest coach ever to reach 600 wins in NCAA Division I history in February 2020 and put together a 632-104 (.859) overall record as a head coach.
Mulkey will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May.
“We are grateful for the more than two decades Kim Mulkey poured into building Baylor women’s basketball to one of the nation’s premier programs,” Baylor Athletics Director Mack B. Rhodes said in a release. “Coach Mulkey’s sustained success is one of the most remarkable runs in college basketball history, and her accomplishments are worthy of the Naismith Hall of Fame induction she’ll experience later this year.”
The details of Mulkey’s deal with LSU were not released. She reportedly made $2.27 million each year at Baylor, and Fargas earned $700,000 per year in her most recent contract with LSU.
Now for some other news from across the sport this week:
Nothing But News: April 20-26, 2021
Kentucky player and NBA prospect Terrence Clarke died after a car accident in Los Angeles on Thursday. He was 19.
Kentucky held a tribute for Clarke a few days after his death, and John Calipari has spoken at length about the loss, among many of the shows of compassion in the wake of the tragedy.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the season.
Steph Curry set an NBA record with 85 triples in one month, and his shooting has been crucial for the Warriors winning seven of their last nine to get back to the right side of .500.
WNBA training camps started with the 2021 season just around the corner in a couple weeks. Information for team rosters can be found at the team websites on wnba.com.
Coffeyville CC won the men’s basketball NJCAA national championship, defeating Cowley, 108-99.
Japan declared a COVID emergency for the third time just three months before the Olympics are set to begin in Tokyo.
Get Caught Up on NBN Content!
Here’s a recap of some of our content from the last week:
Doubt Their Doubt: My Basketball Story
Tylor Perry wrote about his personal basketball journey, from waking up way before school to shoot hoops in his backyard to accepting an offer from Coffeyville CC in Kansas out of high school to committing to North Texas last weekend and more.
Post Player Breakdown – Mark Edwards Monthly
We spoke with national championship coach Mark Edwards again, this time delving deep into the post position and everything that it entails.
When Did the NBA Add the Shot Clock?
Thursday marked 67 years to the day since Danny Biasone introduced the NBA to the concept of a shot clock. His innovation changed the sport forever and saved what is now the world’s premier basketball league.
Brittney Griner Phoenix Mercury Jersey – Hall of Thread
Logan Meyer shares an unique jersey from his mass collection: a Brittney Griner Phoenix Mercury. Check out the details of how he copped it and more.
Shekinna Stricklen: No. 2 Pick and Three-Point Winner
Shekinna Stricklen has had a long WNBA career and even longer basketball one. Take a look back at some of the biggest moments in her hoops career so far.
