Heartbroken Kim Mulkey Finds Peace After Loss of a Family Member

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Spencer Ostrow | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 1:50 PM ET

LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey has been leading college basketball programs for 25 years. She spent her first 21 seasons at Baylor, where she won three national championships in 2005, 2012, and 2019. Mulkey then took over at LSU, and in just her second season, led the Tigers to a national title in 2023.

The 62-year-old may be looked up to as one of the greatest head coaches in college basketball history, but she's still a human just like everyone else.

Mulkey missed a game in November of 2017 following the passing of her granddaughter, Scout Marie. Scout Marie was yet to be born and was diagnosed with a heart condition as well as Turner Syndrome.

The passing wasn't an easy one for Mulkey and her family. But she recently opened up about it on "Jacques Talk."

Mulkey discovered that when she talked about it rather than avoiding it, it helped her find peace.

"I had found that everybody has really the same things happen in their lives," Mulkey said. And the best therapy for me is to talk about it. Some people don't want to talk. It's kind of like they want to erase it. I feel like when you talk about it, it helps you deal with it."

That wasn’t the first time Mulkey had dealt with a personal loss during her coaching career. Earlier this season, in March, she missed LSU’s SEC Tournament game against Florida due to a sudden death in the family.

After returning to the team, Mulkey admitted she was still struggling mentally. But just like she had done in 2017, she spoke about it because it led her to peace.

"My week was awful. My mind still isn't good. I don't feel good, first of all. But we all deal with death," Mulkey told the media. "I've dealt with a stillborn grandchild, but I was prepared for that. We're prepared for our parents, for our grandparents. It's the unexpected deaths that throw you for a loop."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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