Who is Kim Mulkey, the controversial highest-paid coach in US women’s college basketball? From her drama with Brittney Griner to Heidi Gardner’s mocking SNL skit portrayal for March Madness

Apr 18, 2024

Kim Mulkey may be the GOAT of US women’s college basketball coaches, but she’s also sparked plenty of controversy. Photo: @coachkimmulkey/Instagram

US women’s college basketball’s top-paid coach has led her teams to 4 national championships – but she has been called a homophobe and appeared callous in the face of Brittney Griner’s detention

Known for her dramatic sideline coaching, questionably harsh coaching practices and sometimes flamboyant fashion choices, Mulkey was recently spoofed by Saturday Night Live’s Heidi Gardner

Kim Mulkey is one of the most respected women’s basketball coaches in the US ... but she is also one of the most disliked. Not only has she been accused of unorthodox coaching methods, like making her players weigh in in front of each other, she’s also been accused of homophobia.

Currently the head coach of Louisiana State University (LSU) women’s basketball team, Mulkey signed a 10-year, US$36 million extension last September after winning a fourth championship as coach. But here’s why it’s not just her wins that are making headlines.

Kim Mulkey threatened to sue The Washington Post

Kim Mulkey in a post shared with her followers in May 2021. Photo: @coachkimmulkey/Instagram

Per Forbes, Mulkey, 61, recently made headlines in March after threatening legal action against The Washington Post. She read a prepared statement ahead of a tournament game, accusing a journalist from the newspaper of preparing a negative article on her after – she claimed – her former assistant coaches were tricked into giving interviews.

The piece in question detailed Mulkey’s alleged controversial coaching methods, including how she shames players if they gain weight, and specified that weigh-ins should be conducted in front of the team. “Shame was a frequent tool in Mulkey’s coaching arsenal, whether during practice drills or in addresses to the team,” wrote The Washington Post’s Kent Babb.

She was recently mocked on SNL

Mulkey found herself at the centre of Saturday Night Live’s recent skit for March Madness – the name given to the annual NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, which determines the US national champion in college basketball. Heidi Gardner played Mulkey, wearing a pink rose-covered outfit very similar to one Mulkey wore to an NCAA tournament last year.

“I work my girls hard every day. I make them run 10 miles breathing in Louisiana swamp gas. Then we practice full contact,” Gardner’s Mulkey quips.

Is Kim Mulkey a homophobe?

Brittney Griner shared a post ahead of the May publication of Coming Home, the professional basketball player’s memoir about her 10 months spent behind bars in Russia. Photo: @brittneyyevettegriner/Instagram

In a career filled with controversy, Mulkey’s treatment of Brittney Griner is one of the more infamous stand-outs. Griner was detained in Russia for 10 months in 2022 after allegedly carrying illegal cannabis oil in her luggage. Mulkey refused to comment on Griner’s imprisonment, resulting in public outrage.