When the lights go down and the March Madness pressure turns up, there is one undeniable force pacing the sidelines: Kim Mulkey. As her LSU Tigers gear up for tonight's Sweet 16 matchup against Duke, millions of eyes won't just be on the players—they'll be glued to the Tigers' legendary head coach.
To call Mulkey a trailblazer almost feels like an understatement. She is an absolute icon of the sport—the very first person in NCAA women's basketball history to win a national championship as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach. With her signature fiery passion, unapologetic intensity and a championship pedigree that speaks entirely for itself, Mulkey has become a cultural phenomenon.
But beyond her fierce game face is a devoted mentor who shares an unbreakable bond with her team, protecting and uplifting her players both on and off the court.
And of course, you can't talk about Kim Mulkey without mentioning the fashion. From sequined tiger stripes and neon power suits to flamboyant feather accents, her outfits consistently go viral for a reason!
We're breaking down who the woman behind the sequins really is. From her record-breaking salary to her family ties, here is everything you need to know about trailblazing LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
?SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
Kim Mulkey is the highest-paid women's college basketball coach in the country—and it's not even close. After leading the LSU Lady Tigers to their first-ever national championship in 2023, Mulkey signed a 10-year, $36 million contract extension with the university. Her compensation started at $3.15 million in the first year.
On top of her base pay, Mulkey can earn bonuses in the post-season. For example, $5,000 for making the Sweet 16 and $30,000 if the team plays in the national championship.
The investment speaks to just how transformative Mulkey has been for LSU. Since her arrival in 2021, the Tigers have become one of the most exciting programs in the country—literally filling arenas, drawing national TV audiences and recruiting at an elite level.
Related: Alison Sweeney on Why Success Isn’t a Straight Line
Kim Mulkey’s viral outfits, explained
Mulkey signals to her team during a game against the Tennessee Lady Vols in 2024.Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
If you've watched even just highlights from an LSU women's basketball game, you already know Mulkey's got the fashion game on lock. "I'm 62 years old, and I'm a team player," she told TODAY in 2025. "That's how I got talked into this sparkle stuff, and I said I'll do it for the team, it'll sell tickets to those fashionistas that know nothing about basketball."
Most of Mulkey's game day looks come from Queen of Sparkles—a Baton Rouge-based clothing line led by designer Jaime Glas. Glas now creates pieces with Mulkey specifically in mind, and the partnership has become one of the most fun fashion stories in college sports. Mulkey has also been seen in ensembles from alice + olivia, Nadine Merabi and local Louisiana designer Martha Gottwald of Neubyrne.
Kim Mulkey was born on May 17, 1962, making her 63 years old—and she is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down any time soon. This season, the Tigers have reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
Inside her young playing career at Louisiana Tech
Jerry Wachter /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Before she was a coaching legend, Mulkey was a 5-foot-4 point guard with French braids and a legendary pass.
At Louisiana Tech, she was an All-American point guard who led the team to two national titles—including the inaugural NCAA championship in 1982. But her focus in the classroom was just as intense as her attention on the court: She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business.
How many national championships has Kim Mulkey won?
As mentioned above, during her time playing for Louisiana Tech, she won two national championships. She also won a title while an assistant coach at the university. Finally, as a head coach, Mulkey led Baylor to three NCAA championships and during her time at LSU, the team took the title in 2023.
That's seven national championships across her career. In fact, she is the only person in NCAA basketball history—men's or women's—to win a national championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach. As far as head coaches go, only UConn's Geno Auriemma and the late, great Pat Summitt of Tennessee have won more women's championships.
Related: 'Brack to the Future' and 'Hoop, There It Is'—We've Got 75 Funny NCAA March Madness Bracket Names
"I feel like Coach Mulkey really took a chance on me when nobody was willing to take a chance on me," said Flau'Jae Johnson. The pair hugs after beating Texas Tech on March 22, 2026 and advancing to the Sweet 16.Photo by LSU Athletics/University Images via Getty Images
After 21 seasons at Baylor—where she built the Lady Bears from a last-place program into a three-time national champion—Mulkey made the decision to return to Louisiana in 2021. However, she's stressed that it was not financial. "I did not come to LSU because they gave me more money than Baylor," she told the Trey Gowdy Podcast in 2023. "It was just a feeling in my gut that said, you need to go help your state."
In 2021, she accepted the head coach position at LSU. In her second season with the team, she delivered the program's first-ever national championship. By the way, this is a team that had gone 9-13 the season before she arrived. LSU is now an absolute powerhouse, reaching the Sweet 16 for four straight years.
Related: Wendy’s New March Madness ‘Dunks’ Menu Is Made for Frosty and French Fry Fans
What happened between Kim Mulkey and Brittney Griner?
Griner and Mulkey hug after Baylor's 2012 NCAA national championship victory.Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
The relationship between Kim Mulkey and Brittney Griner is one of the most talked-about storylines in women's basketball.
You see, Mulkey coached Griner from 2009 to 2013, and together they achieved incredible things—including a perfect 40-0 season and the 2012 national championship. There's no question that Mulkey's coaching helped develop Griner into the No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick she became.
However, since then, Griner has revealed that she wasn't comfortable opening up about her identity due to Baylor's culture (it's a private Baptist university). She did not mention Mulkey in particular, but described the tension in her 2014 memoir. Griner also did acknowledge her respect for Mulkey's coaching ability and the way Mulkey defended her against bullies.
But the matter resurfaced in 2022 during Griner's detention in Russia. Mulkey was criticized for not making a public statement of support during that time. However, when asked directly about it at a 2023 press conference, Mulkey said she was glad Griner was home safe.
It's a relationship shaped by the intersection of sports, identity and institutional culture—and one that has clearly evolved over time. What's undeniable is that these women accomplished incredible things together and both have left an extraordinary mark on the game.
No, Kim Mulkey did not have cancer—her 2023 health scare was actually related to her heart.
In June 2023—just weeks after coaching LSU to the national championship—Mulkey had two stents placed in a coronary artery that was 95-99% blocked. The discovery happened almost by accident: She had gone in for a carpal tunnel evaluation when further testing revealed the life-threatening blockage. She had zero symptoms.
Mulkey encourages others to be proactive when it comes to their health. "Don't wait for a symptom," she told KWTX. "If the best news is you're good to go, then walk out. If the worst news is we got some problems—fix it. You got time. Just take the time to go do it. It could save your life."
Where is Kim Mulkey from?
Believe it or not, Mulkey was actually born in Santa Ana, California. However, she grew up in Tickfaw, Louisiana—a tiny town with a population smaller than two sections of LSU's basketball arena! She played at nearby Hammond High School before heading to Louisiana Tech.
Is Kim Mulkey married? Her family and personal life
Kim Mulkey and her children—Makenzie and Kramer—cut down the net right after Baylor won the 2005 Women's NCAA Basketball National Championship.Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Kim Mulkey married Randy Robertson in 1987 after meeting at Louisiana Tech, where he was a quarterback on the football team. The couple had two kids together—Kramer and Makenzie—but after nearly 20 years of marriage, they divorced in 2006.
Kramer Robertson became a professional baseball player for both the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, while Makenzie played basketball and softball at Baylor. In 2012, she even won a national championship with her mom as head coach. Both children are now grown with families of their own, which sees Mulkey in one of her proudest roles yet: grandma!
Mulkey celebrates LSU's semifinals win with her daughter and grandkids during the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in 2023.Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Throughout her life and extraordinary coaching career, Mulkey has navigated some of life's hardest moments with grace, grit and an unshakable belief in showing up for the people she loves—both on and off the court.
Next, Share These 107 International Women’s Day Quotes
Hence then, the article about the outfits the salary the legend all about kim mulkey was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Outfits, the Salary, the Legend: All About Kim Mulkey )
Also on site :
- Retired Gen. Wesley Clark tangled up in a crypto fraud suit with Burning Man buddies
- Wondershare Launches Relumi, an AI-Powered App to Retake and Perfect Missed Photo Moments
- Riz Ahmed’s hilarious Bond comedy Bait shows why playing 007 can be a poisoned chalice