“Extended My Career”: Kim Mulkey Gives Rare Credit to One LSU Coach After Brief Absence

Just as SEC play was ramping up, the LSU squad was hit with a major blow. Coach Kim Mulkey, their leader and mastermind, had to leave the team for a family emergency. It was later reported that her 7-year-old grandson was hospitalised after suffering from a ruptured appendix. That’s when assistant Bob Starkey took over. LSU left no stone unturned against Texas A&M, defeating the Aggies 98-54. It was their largest margin of victory in an SEC road game. After the game, Mulkey only had praise for Starkey.

“The man should be in the women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s the only associate head coach in the women’s game that’s ever taken a team to a Final Four,” Mulkeytold the media. “He has extended my career. He talks my language. We teach the same way. So it does matter when you take yourself away from your team for four days, as I did.”

What Mulkey mentioned is when coach Pokey Chatman was forced to resign just before the NCAA Tournament because of inappropriate behavior in the 2006-07 season. Starkey took over and led LSU to the Final Four. He was 4-1 with the team as an interim head coach. Starkey returned to that position last year at the SEC Tournament Quarter Finals when Mulkey was grieving an unexpected death in her family. There is a reason Kim Mulkey and the program trust Starkey.

He has more than 30 years of SEC coaching experience. From 1989-2011, Starkey coached at LSU with tenures with both the men’s and women’s programs, including LSU legends like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Stanley Roberts. With someone like Starkey to fall back on, Kim Mulkey can prioritise her family whenever needed.

“I would do it with any team I’m with. My family comes first, but I never doubted that he would have our team ready to play,” She said. “In fact, he put in a couple of inbounds, and I was like. I like that. I don’t know if Bob did it or Coach Kalyin, who does a lot of the inbounds plays. But I looked at him, and I said. Oh, I kind of like that.”

Starkey did not let LSU lose their signature flavour. With MiLaysia Fulwiley dropping 23 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals, and Grace Knox chipping in with 19, the Tigers dominated. They won 49-24 on the boards while overwhelming the Aggies in the paint 50-14. The players felt like nothing had changed as well.

“It was the same. I think our goal was the same,” Fulwiley said. “We all come into practice each and every day just wanting to get better, so I think Bob kind of emphasized that tonight. We’ve got to get better; we can’t overlook this team.”

It further proves that coaching is not a one-person job, but it needs effort from the entire team in the background. That applies even when Mulkey is present. Despite being a decorated coach, there are things that assistant coaches might observe or know that she won’t. However, ultimately, it comes down to the players. Mulkey said that this game was evidence of their improved depth.

Kim Mulkey Praises Improved Depth After Flau’Jae Johnson Struggles

Flau’Jae Johnson just couldn’t get it right against Texas. In 23 minutes, she had only 5 points while shooting 2-9 from the field and 1-5 from the three-point line. She even had 4 turnovers in the process. Mikaylah Williams was the same, getting only 4 points while shooting 2-8 from the field and 0-4 from the three-point line. According to Mulkey, they can afford that because of their sheer depth.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very good. You look at Mikaylah and Flau’jae, that’s not typical shooting nights for them. But we have the depth now,” Mulkey said. “We have lots of weapons. You don’t have to worry about pouting. Two captains, one’s got a national championship ring, and the other has been to a couple of Elite Eights and is tired of being at the Elite Eight level.”

And the stats back it up. LSU currently has the best bench in the nation, scoring 43 bench points per game. They are the backbone of the best offense in the country. It gives Mulkey flexibility to use multiple lineups depending on the opponent. This season, Mulkey has used 7 unique lineups. It also adds some fire to the starters. It is a motivation. Knowing someone can replace you easily adds urgency and helps them improve. This domino effect inturn helps the entire team improve.

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