Much of the sports commentary world is mad at Kim Mulkey.
The LSU women’s basketball coach has been defying conventional wisdom since she was a little girl, the only one around Hammond or nearly any place else who was playing baseball with the boys. She was the No. 1 draft pick after tryouts and was a pitcher, catcher and shortstop in the local Dixie Youth League. There was no softball league for girls.
That went so well she made the all-star team. Then before the first game, tournament officials said she couldn’t even sit in the dugout, let alone play, because she was a girl – or her team would have to forfeit. Her dad had hired an attorney, but in the early 1970s, that went nowhere. So she stood outside the fence, and her teammates dedicated the win to her.
She’s not passed up many fights since. She’s willing to be unpopular, the lone wolf even, because she’s been there before. She passed on her dream job, succeeding legendary Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech, because Tech president Dan Reneau would not give her a five-year contract – only four. Off she went to become head coach at Baylor.
“Thank God for unanswered prayers,” she’s said again and again, fiercely loyal to Louisiana Tech, but still to this day frustrated that Reneau would not grant her fifth-year wish/demand.
It worked out fantastically well for Baylor, which immediately began winning big in women’s hoops, whipping up on Texas and everybody else from coast to coast.
The late Grant Teaff, legendary football coach at Baylor, said Mulkey could coach any sport and succeed, because at her core, she is a teacher who truly cares about her players as people.
“She’s a hard-nosed coach that’s demanding,” said Teaff in a 2012 interview, “but she loves them like a mother.”
Her autobiography is titled “Won’t Back Down.” The dedication to her children, daughter Makenzie (a starter for her at Baylor) and son Kramer (of LSU baseball fame), finished with the admonition, “Above all, stand your ground – and don’t back down.”
She was named “Wacoan of the Year” after the Lady Bears won the 2011 NCAA Final Four, her second national title at Baylor. An interview with the Wacoan magazine wrapped up with words that still ring true:
“There’s no secrets with me. What you see is what you get. All I want to do is represent Baylor in a way that makes them proud.
“That doesn’t mean I’m perfect, and that doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes. But if, ultimately, I graduate my players (she was the first in her family to get a college degree, and of course had a perfect 4.0 at Tech as a business major), and I put a product on the floor that represents Baylor in the way they want to be represented, then I consider that my job.”
Sub in “LSU” for “Baylor” and that’s Mulkey today.
She’s also a lightning rod, unquestionably the most controversial figure in her sport, maybe all of sports. When LSU won last year’s NCAA championship, the New York Times’ headline read, “Kim Mulkey, a Colorful and Divisive Coach, Wins Another Title.”
Google “Kim Mulkey controversy” and you get a very long list of links to consider.
The latest: her comments in the wake of Sunday’s altercation – it wasn’t really a fight; punches get thrown in fights – between some players from LSU and South Carolina near the end of the titanic Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game. It was triggered when burly South Carolina center Kamilla Cordoso ran into a confrontation and floored LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson with a violent shove, and then for a few moments things were on the brink of a brawl.
Johnson’s lame-brained brother zoomed in from the stands to defend her. He was swiftly taken away by security and later correctly charged with third-degree assault and battery, and disorderly conduct. Fans, not even family, have no place where he was. Anyone suggesting it was understandable, that’s beyond understanding.
Mulkey’s reaction, however counter to conventional wisdom, is not.
“No want wants to see that ugliness, but I can tell you this,” said Mulkey, “I wish (Cordoso) would’ve pushed (much bigger) Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid; you’re 6-8. Don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for, in my opinion. Let those two girls that were jawing go at it.”
She seemingly shrugs off her many critics, and it bothers them. Monday on ESPN’s popular First Take show, panelist Shannon Sharpe ripped her and called for media to “hold her accountable.” If he wanted near-unanimous condemnation, he’s happy.
But understand where she sits, and why she said what she did. That was her player who got attacked by an opponent. It was the byproduct of a game that lacked officiating to limit rough play, something Mulkey cited – and got no disagreement from anyone.
She wasn’t right to suggest a Reese vs. Cordoso rumble, although it was sanctioned by the referees all afternoon. Mulkey didn’t major in political science at Tech, and she’s bold, brash, and rock-solid in her convictions.
It’s at the core of her DNA. It’s as big a part of her success as her coaching and recruiting brilliance, which is undeniable. What she says sometimes will turn off plenty of people – but her approach galvanizes her team, magnetizes recruits, and those are vital components of a coaching resume that stands among the very best in her sport or any other.
Maybe she’ll walk back her remarks about the altercation, maybe not. Hope so. She admits she makes mistakes. But one thing about Kim Mulkey: she will speak her mind. Brace yourself if that bothers you.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
