If you wander around the village of Tickfaw, you will come across a street named ‘Kim Mulkey Drive’, a prominent name in basketball lovers’ memory. Just recall the 2023 NCAA Women’s basketball final–apart from the Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark rivalry, it was more of coach Kim Mulkey’s strategy that stood out in the game as the LSU Tigers bagged the championship. Kim Mulkey, still active in the scene, entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 because of her illustrious career.
Mulkey set a unique record as the only individual in college basketball history–both men’s and women’s–to win national championships as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. Along with her NCAA titles in 1982 as a player and 1988 as an assistant coach, the current LSU Women’s coach has four NCAA titles as head coach, three with Baylor and one with Louisiana State University. With a 12-4 record in the Southeast Conference, LSU will look for their second NCAA title under Kim Mulkey. Let us dive deep into Kim Mulkey’s personal life to get to know her better.
What is Kim Mulkey’s ethnicity?
The most commonly observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mulkey is British and Irish. The European background comprises 60.1% of all ancestry found in people with the Mulkey surname. In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Mulkey identify as White.
A native of Tickfaw, Louisiana, Mulkey spent most of her life in the region, both as a player and as a coach. The experienced coach has been part of every NCAA Women’s tournament since its inception in 1982 – as a player or as a coach, except in 1985 and 2003. Slated alongside big names like Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma, Kim Mulkey has won multiple national titles as a coach.
What sets her apart from other coaches? The impressive winning record. Mulkey’s 751 wins as a head coach rank in the top 20 in NCAA women’s basketball history. But an even more impressive accomplishment by Mulkey is her win percentage; in 2020, Mulkey became the fastest-ever NCAA coach (men or women) to reach 600 wins. She hit that mark in her 700th game – a whopping 16 games faster than legendary Auriemma and four games faster than men’s team HC Adolph Rupp.
Nov 17, 2023; Hammond, Louisiana, USA; LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the second half against the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions at the Pride Roofing University Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Making history with every team Kim was associated with, she led the sides to their first titles. Mulkey’s head coaching career began in 2000 as she took the position at Baylor. Before her tenure, the Bears never qualified for the NCAA and tasted success in 2005 – the fourth year of Mulkey’s tenure. Similarly, she broke the barrier for LSU in 2023.
What is Kim Mulkey’s nationality? Where was she born?
Kim Mulkey was born in Santa Ana, California and spent her childhood in Tickfaw. Leading the Hammond High School basketball team to four consecutive state titles, Kim Mulkey became a household name in Louisiana. After success with Baylor, Kim returned to her roots and took charge of the LSU team in 2021. In her third year, Mulkey led the side to its first title in 2023.
“Coaches coach for a lifetime. This is the fourth time that I’ve been blessed,” Mulkey said to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, “Never in the history of LSU basketball, men or women, have they ever played for a championship. And to win it? I think my tears are tears of joy. I’m so happy for everybody back home in Louisiana.”
On a personal front though, Kim opted to keep her family matters away from the spotlight. Even in her autobiography – Won’t Back Down: Teams, Dreams and Family, there has been little mention of Kim’s family; she wrote about her father Les Mulkey and sister Tammy. Kim’s mother Dru Mulkey was also seen on television as she gave an interview to WDSU after LSU’s historic NCAA Championship win in Dallas.
During her time at Louisiana Tech as assistant coach, Mulkey married Randy Roberton in 1987. Like Kim, Randy was associated with sports and played as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs. The couple had two children, Mackenzie and Kramer. Mackenzie played basketball and softball for Baylor while Kramer played baseball.
What religion does Kim Mulkey follow?
Just like her family matters, Kim Mulkey is not very vocal about her religion. Yet her actions and part of interactions suggest that Kim Mulkey is a devout Christian. Her interviews drop slight hints regarding her beliefs. Her faith is more prominent as she widely uses the ‘blessed’ word, of course, deep-Bible Belt talk. She is often seen wearing religious jewelry, such as a cross and utters prayers before matches.
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