Kim Mulkey remains one of the most polarizing figures in women's March Madness history. And she's also one of the most successful.
The LSU head coach has appeared in the NCAA tournament for more than three decades as either a player or coach, missing only two years since the women's event took flight in 1981. Her flashy style and big personality have made her impossible to ignore on college basketball's biggest stage.
Mulkey stands alone as the only person to win a national championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach. She's also the only coach in women's basketball to win titles at two different programs — Baylor in 2005, 2012, and 2019, and LSU in 2023.
Only UConn's Geno Auriemma and the late Pat Summitt of Tennessee have won more NCAA championships than Mulkey.
From Louisiana Tech to Baylor: Building a Championship Dynasty
Mulkey won an AIAW title as a point guard at Louisiana Tech in 1981, before capturing the inaugural NCAA tournament championship in 1982. The five-foot-four firebrand then earned Olympic gold with the 1984 US team before transitioning to coaching.
She took over Baylor's program in 2000 and immediately turned the Lady Bears into contenders, building a strong recruiting class while leading the program to its first championship in 2005.
Later, the 2011/12 Baylor team completed the program's only undefeated season with star center Brittney Griner anchoring the roster. That squad went wire-to-wire at No. 1 and captured the national title — the most successful team in Mulkey's career.
Mulkey's 2018/19 lineup earned the NCAA tournament's No. 1 overall seed behind future WNBA stars NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo, going on to deliver Mulkey's third championship at Baylor.
Off-Court Controversies Color March Madness Success
However, Mulkey's championship pedigree does come with some baggage. She's faced criticism for fraught relationships with former players and made controversial statements over the years.
Brittney Griner told ESPN in 2013 that Mulkey advised students to remain quiet about their sexual orientation, saying she wouldn't have approved if Griner had come out as gay during her time at Baylor. Mulkey later declined to publicly voice support Griner when the WNBA star was detained in Russia in 2022.
Mulkey also defended Baylor during a university-wide sexual assault scandal in 2017, before making derisive comments about COVID-19 precautions in 2021.
A New NCAA ERA Forces Mulkey to Modernize
In 2021, Mulkey made the surprising leap from Baylor to LSU — just as NIL deals were transforming college athletics. And she's proven more adaptable than expected within the new NCAA landscape.
LSU became a titan of NIL opportunities under Mulkey. The program remains aggressive in the transfer portal, while offering players more compensation and high-profile competition.
Mulkey has embraced Baton Rouge's culture, leaning into the school's vibrant colors and raucous crowds. But building another juggernaut has taken time in the much tougher SEC conference, where top coaches like South Carolina's Dawn Staley and Texas's Vic Schaefer are more than prepared to challenge Mulkey's March Madness dominance.
Fast-Tracking LSU's 2023 Championship Win
In 2023, Mulkey led LSU to its first national title in just her second season, despite the Tigers not being college basketball's best team all year. That distinction belonged to South Carolina — one team Mulkey's LSU has never beaten.
High-profile transfer Angel Reese and top recruit Flau'jae Johnson powered the Tigers to an unexpected March Madness run. LSU subsequently defeated Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in the championship game, launching Reese into superstar status and padding Mulkey's already stacked resume.
With that, the 2023 NCAA final became arguably the most influential single game in women's college basketball history.
Navigating Shifting Roles as 2026 March Madness Tips Off
While LSU's 2026 roster still features players from that 2023 championship team, Mulkey's role has shifted from conference protagonist to dark horse contender.
Mulkey doesn't schedule aggressively in nonconference play, opting for matchups against teams like Houston Christian, Marist, and Alcorn State. LSU ranks second in NCAA history this year for games scoring over 100 points, giving the transfer-heavy roster some extra cushion to gel.
The Tigers' four regular-season losses came against top-ranked SEC programs Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas, and South Carolina. Mulkey acknowledged the stiff competition during the 2026 SEC tournament.
"How long has Dawn been at South Carolina? 18 years? I was at Baylor for 21 years," she said. "It takes time to lay a foundation. I've been at LSU five years. We've won a national championship. We're so close."
With Johnson wrapping up her college career this April, Mulkey is expected hit the transfer portal hard to recruit the best available talent for next season.
LSU remains an unfinished product. But if one thing is true, it's that the Tigers will always deliver a show when they take the court.
And, of course, you can never count out a Kim Mulkey team once March Madness arrives.
