Kim Mulkey, who became the first woman basketballer in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to scoop three national championship titles as a player, head and assistant coach , is an established lead-coach, who previously headed Baylor University’s women’s basketball team, and guided them to win the 2002, 2015, and 2019 NCAA championships – she is now heading the Louisiana State University’s NCAA Division I basketball team.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Kimberly Duane ‘Kim’ Mulkey was born under the Taurus zodiac sign on 17 May 1962, in Santa Ana, California, which makes her 70-years-old as of 2022.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYP8GDclQh2/
She was raised in the rural area of Tickfaw, Louisiana, alongside her younger sister Tammy by Les Mulkey and his wife, medical assistant Dru Mulkey. Kim and her sister were physically active when they were growing up; their father was very supportive, and taught them various sports in addition to taking them to basketball and baseball competitions. Kim was very good at baseball, and was selected to play for her local Little League at the age of 12 – despite being the only girl in the team, she played spectacularly and eventually graduated to the Pony League, which had older players.
Kimberly began playing basketball at Nesom Junior High in Tickfaw, and she later led Hammond High School’s basketball team in state championships.
On top of her involvement in sports, she was an above-average student who prospered in her academics. She matriculated from the school in 1980, and was enrolled into Louisiana Tech University, where she was actively involved in basketball as a point guard, and helped the school win a number of national championships, including a 1982 inaugural NCAA title, and an Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) title in 1981. She was also awarded the 1984’s Frances Pomeroy Naismith Women’s Award, which was given to players below 5ft 7ins (1.7m). Mulkey graduated in 1984, and sources reveal that she was later given a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Professional Career
Mulkey was chosen to represent her country in the 1983 Pan American tournament held in Caracas, Venezuela; her team won all their matches, Kim averaging 12.5 points per match, and won the gold medal. She also participated in 1983’s World Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, William Jones Cup championships held in Taipei, Taiwan, where her team beat all the other eight – she had an average of 6.8 points for each match in the 1984 competition. In the same year, she played for the US national team at the Olympics in Los Angeles, and they emerged victorious with Kim averaging 5.3 points per match.
Baylor University Career
Mulkey became the head coach of Baylor University’s Lady Bear in 2000 ,and shortly afterwards led them to their first NCAA tournament. The team lost more than nine games in a season only once, and won over 20 games in a year since she became the coach. She extended her contract at Baylor for 10 years in 2007, and in 2012, she led the team to a spectacular 40-0 season, which was the school’s most wins in its basketball history. The Lady Bears team shortly afterwards beat Notre Dame at the NCAA Championship game that was held in Denver.
The 2011-2012 championship team was among her best – it finished 40-0 – and was led by Brittney Griner, who described Kim’s teaching techniques as fair and strict, adding that she didn’t show any favoritism or sugarcoat anything. Jason made around $2.27 million annually working for Baylor University.
Career at L.S.U.
Kim recently ended her 20-year run at Baylor, and signed a contract as the women’s basketball lead-coach with Louisiana State University on 25 April 2021. She said during an interview that she left Baylor University, Waco, because she desired to ‘return home’ and retire where she began her career. Mulkey hopes to help Louisiana State socially and economically during her stay in Baton Rouge, and recounted that ‘I grew up here…I want people to see me do good things here and think, “You know what? I can stay home in Louisiana and do good things here, too.”‘ LSU’s Athletic Director, Scott Woodward, thanked and welcomed her home, and expressed his confidence in her capabilities as a coach, shortly after she assumed the role of head-coach.
LSU previously made five successive Final Fours (2004-2008) but hasn’t returned since, and Kim warned that it could take her several months to build the team to a contender, saying that ‘It doesn’t happen overnight…let me remind you, a rabid LSU fan can be crazy and want coaches fired tomorrow. Give it time … but I assure you that’s what I came here to do.’
Personal Life, Ex-Husband
Mulkey met her future husband, Randy Robertson, at Louisiana Tech University; he was then playing as a quarterback for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs American Football team in the mid ’70s. Randy has a public relations company.
The duo walked the aisle in 1987, and were later blessed with two children, a daughter named Makenzie Fuller, born in Ruston, Louisiana on 16 September 1991, and who is now the Associate Director of Baylor University’s women’s basketball team, and son Kramer Robertson, born on 20 September 1994, and who’s a professional baseball infielder, famous for playing for LSU Tigers during his college days. Sadly, Mulkey and Randy ended their 19 years of togetherness in 2006 with a divorce – they are alleged to have sought guidance from several marriage counselors, but it didn’t save their union.
For some reason which has remained undisclosed, Mulkey does not relate well with her father.
According to sources, they haven’t spoken for over two and a half decades, and he didn’t attend her wedding with Randy. Mulkey resides in Waco, Texas now.
Height, Weight, and Vital Statistics
Kim has an athletic figure, stands 5ft 4ins (1.63m) tall, weighs around 128lbs (58kgs), and her vital statistics are 33-25-35. She has long blonde hair and a set of blue eyes.
Net Worth
Mulkey has represented the US in several world championships, and now earns an annual salary of approximately $2.5million from her coaching career; she will remain the LSU women’s head-coach until her contract ends in 2029. She has carved a niche for herself and has earned a net worth of around $5 million from her successful basketball career, as of 2022.
Leave a Comment