Changes at LSU Leave Women’s Basketball Coach Unsettled
With all the buzz surrounding LSU’s football team, it seems one of the university’s championship-winning coaches isn’t feeling too optimistic about recent developments in Baton Rouge.
LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey skipped the postgame press conference on Thursday following the dismissal of athletic director Scott Woodward earlier that evening.
“She’s heartbroken,” assistant coach Bob Starkey shared after celebrating a commanding 121-41 win over Langston.
This week has been quite eventful for SEC schools, particularly with the departure of some prominent figures.
On Sunday, the school parted ways with football coach Brian Kelly amidst a lackluster season, despite a substantial $54 million buyout clause.
Subsequently, it came to light that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry played a considerable role in Kelly’s ousting, which is a bit unusual for college sports.
Since LSU currently lacks a full-time president, Landry is overseeing the Board of Supervisors, the university’s top decision-making body.
He set the stage for Woodward’s exit by pointing out that Woodward was at Texas A&M when Jimbo Fisher received a record $77 million buyout. Landry insisted that Woodward shouldn’t be involved in choosing the next coach.
It appears that their relationship soured over various issues, including political differences.
“It’s a recurring theme,” Landry remarked. “The guy who was here wrote that contract that cost A&M $77 million. Now we’re $53 million in debt and we refuse to go down that road again. We’re confident we’ll find a great coach, possibly President Trump’s pick. He has an affinity for winners. I can assure you, Scott Woodward is not selecting the next coach.”
Woodward soon resigned despite having a buyout clause exceeding $6 million.
Among Woodward’s notable achievements at LSU was hiring Mulkey, who led the women’s program to its last championship in 2023.
While Mulkey hasn’t commented directly, Bob Starkey, who worked alongside Woodward at Texas A&M, expressed his admiration for the former athletic director.
“The news hit hard,” Starkey reflected. “I first met Scott in the early 2000s during our Final Four run. With support from then-Chancellor Mark Emmert, we really turned our program around. He accomplished much for us. I was fortunate to work for him at Texas A&M, where he also thrived. Coming here to work with him again was a privilege. I’ve had the pleasure of working under two great athletic directors—Skip Bartman and Scott Woodward. He worked tirelessly to ensure we had what we needed and was genuinely passionate about the university and us. Personally, it’s better for him this way.”
