As a player at Hammond (La.) High School, her teams went 136-5 and won four state titles as she scored 4,075 points, then a national record. As the point guard at Louisiana Tech, she led the Lady Techsters to two national titles and a 130-6 record before becoming a member of the 1984 gold-medal-winning Olympic team.
During her 15 years as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, the team went 430-68 and won another national title. In fact, she would never have thought to venture to Baylor if Louisiana Tech had not tried to engage in some horse trading that Mulkey-Robertson found insulting.
When the coach she played for and assisted, Leon Barmore, retired in 2000, Mulkey-Robertson was designated his successor. University officials, however, refused to offer her a five-year contract, which is not only the industry standard, but would have also ensured that Mulkey-Robertson had 20 years at Louisiana Tech and would have qualified for a full pension.
I remember watching Kim Mulkey play in college. She is tiny and always played with her hair in two long braids. Tough as nails, though. She was the leader of those two national championship teams.
La. Tech refused to give her a long-term contract when Barmore retired. Women coaches in general have much less job security than male coaches. Most ADs are men and they are far more likely to give men long-term deals. Remember when Bob Marcum signed Bruiser Flint to a 5-year contract after John Calipari left UMass? Flint had been an assistant for 7 years, and to be honest, no one had ever heard of him. They even had to buy out the last year of his contract. In his 5 years he compiled an 86-72 record. If he was a woman, he would have had a one year deal & probably fired after two.
Kim Mulkey is women's basketball royalty, and La. Tech threw her away without a backward glance. And where is La Tech today? Not ranked, not even a vote in the AP coaches poll. Well, they earned it. Stupid is as stupid does. I wonder if the AD who decided to play hardball with Kim Mulkey kept his job? (runs to google). Oh yeah, that fool is still there. Jim Oakes, La. Tech athletic director since 1994.
Revenge is a dish best eaten cold. Enjoy your Baylor national championship, Kim.
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