Kim Mulkey Immortalized in Bronze: A Historic First for Tigers Basketball and Women’s Sports
In a historic and emotional ceremony, veteran basketball coach and former
player Kim Mulkey was honoured with a bronze statue at Louisiana Tech University, becoming the first female basketball icon in the Tigers’ long history to receive such recognition. The statue’s unveiling on September 20, 2023, at the Sarah and A.L. Williams Champions Plaza in Ruston, Louisiana, sent shockwaves around the sports world, honouring Mulkey’s enormous influence on women’s athletics.Mulkey, a trailblazer in every way, has left an indelible mark as an extraordinary athlete and a brilliant coach. Her career at Louisiana Tech began in the early 1980s, when she played as a feisty point guard for the Lady Techsters. Mulkey helped lead the team to an incredible 130-6 record during her undergraduate playing career, winning two national championships—one under the AIAW in 1981 and the other during the first NCAA Women’s Championship in 1982. Between 1980 and 1984, her leadership and unwavering competition propelled the team to four consecutive Final Four trips.
In 1984, she received the inaugural Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which is given to the nation’s top college senior under 5 feet 6 inches, for demonstrating her skill, grit, and basketball IQ in the face of physical limitations. Her on-court performance and off-court personality cemented her place in Louisiana Tech’s basketball history.
After her stellar playing career, Mulkey transitioned into coaching and spent 15 seasons on the Louisiana Tech sidelines as an assistant and later associate head coach. Her coaching tenure included a national championship in 1988 and seven Final Four appearances, further demonstrating her consistent excellence.
Mulkey is now regarded as one of the most successful head coaches in NCAA history. Mulkey took over the LSU Tigers women’s basketball program in 2021, following a successful career at Baylor University, where she won three national championships. In just two seasons, she guided LSU to the 2023 NCAA Championship, becoming the first person in NCAA history to win national titles as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.
Mulkey’s bronze statue at Louisiana Tech joins other sporting stars such as Karl Malone, Teresa Weatherspoon, and Fred Dean. It shows her in her signature playing stance, representing the strength and drive she brought to the game. This is not just a tribute to her illustrious career, but also a watershed event for women’s sports, as she is one of the few female figures in college athletics to be recognised in this manner.
The unveiling ceremony received attention from fans, alumni, athletes, and the media, with many hailing it as a long-overdue recognition of Mulkey’s revolutionary impact on female basketball. Mulkey gratefully praised her colleagues, coaches, and family in her acceptance speech, emphasising that the honour belonged to everyone who helped create her journey.
Kim Mulkey’s statue stands as a powerful symbol—one that celebrates excellence, resilience, and the breaking of barriers. It’s a legacy not just cast in bronze but forged through decades of passion, leadership, and groundbreaking success.