MINNEAPOLIS — Kim Mulkey discovered she had a rebuilding venture when she took over as LSU coach this season.
The longtime Baylor coach shortly managed to orchestrate a surprising turnaround for the Tigers, who’ve gained 26 video games – 17 video games greater than final season.
Mulki was honored Thursday because the Related Press’ Ladies’s Basketball Coach of the 12 months, the third time she has gained the award. Geno Auriemma and Muffet McGraw are the one different coaches to have completed this feat.
“I am undoubtedly honored to be in that group,” Mulki mentioned. “It would not occur with out gamers that can help you practice them and be a part of a system. We have had a very good 12 months.”
Mulki received 10 votes from the 30-member Nationwide Media Committee, which votes on the Related Press’s prime 25 every week. Daybreak Staley of South Carolina got here in second with eight votes. Stanford’s Tara Vandeverere received three whereas Nikki Cullen, who changed Mulkey at Baylor, received two with NC State’s Wes Moore. 5 coaches obtained one vote every.
LSU rose to No. 6 within the AP ballot and hosted the primary two rounds of the NCAA Championship. The Tigers misplaced to Ohio State within the second spherical and completed with over 25 wins for the primary time since 2007-08.
Mulkey in contrast this season to her first at Baylor when she inherited a staff that gained seven video games a 12 months earlier than she took over.
“You are setting reasonable objectives like having a successful season,” she mentioned. “Beat your prime seeded staff, we’ll have a good time that. On the conference if we end the highest half of the SEC, then we will get to the NCAA Championship. It sounds quite simple, however it’s a must to crawl earlier than you’ll be able to stroll and it’s a must to stroll earlier than you’ll be able to stroll.” Working. We have been simply being reasonable.”
The Tigers went 13-3 within the SEC and beat Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Mulkey’s staff additionally performed a troublesome function in South Carolina, dropping by six factors.
Mulke grew up in Louisiana and gained nationwide titles with Louisiana Tech as a participant and assistant coach 21 years in the past at Baylor the place she gained three nationwide titles and have become the quickest coach in ladies’s faculty basketball historical past to 600 wins, in 700 video games. In 2020, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame.
She additionally gained AP Coach of the 12 months in 2012 and 2019 whereas at Baylor.
“I can not recall all of the issues the staff did this 12 months, but it surely was unbelievable,” she mentioned. “We weren’t alleged to do what we did in a 12 months. It is arduous to do.”
