Kim Mulkey: In Her Own Words

As we talked about the Spring issue of this publication, we all agreed that a profile of Lady Bears basketball coach Kim Mulkey would make a great cover story.

We scheduled this interview with Mulkey a week before she won her 500^th game and seventh Big 12 championship on Senior Day at the Ferrell Center. In the emotional aftermath of a milestone victory, Mulkey passionately defended the institution she loves. The language she used drew some criticism after the game, and she subsequently clarified her words but not the underlying sentiment. It would have been understandable if she decided not to do a 1:1 interview with this magazine.

This interview was scheduled to take place at what turned out to be about 12 hours after the second-ranked Lady Bears were upset in the Big 12 Tournament Final by West Virginia. Again, we were a bit worried that Mulkey might cancel, but she could not have been more polite or generous with her time.

In addition to the victories, championships, recognition, high graduation and eligibility rates, and what she’s done for Baylor’s national reputation, Mulkey has earned the love of her players, her coaches, and the Baylor Family. She fulfilled her commitment to do this interview despite the media flurry, and she spoke with the same candor that has marked her nearly two decades in Waco.

We considered writing this story as a traditional profile, but decided that it made more sense to publish it in her own words and voice, with no transitions from the interviewer and no comments from anyone else. In some cases, we’ve edited the transcript of our interview for clarity and length, but when your legacy is your passion and you’re willing to speak your mind with intensity, it seemed to us that it should be presented without a filter.

Here’s a link to the story as it appears in the magazine. We hope you enjoy it.

It’s true that you can read much of our content online for free, even if you’re not a member of the Baylor Line Foundation.  Our members will receive the full 88-page Spring 2017 issue within the next week to 10 days.  If you’re not a member, we hope you’ll consider becoming one or making a donation to the organization.  We are committed to reminding alumni why they love Baylor — by telling the stories of the Baylor Family; helping future alumni write their own Baylor stories (through our Legacy Scholarships); and speaking with an independent voice committed to preserving the timeless values of Baylor’s founders. If you’d like to join or renew your membership, you can do that here.  If you’d like to make a donation to support one of our programs, you can do that here.  Thanks!