Healing. A word so simple, yet we never truly understand its weight until life forces us to. LSU’s run in the SEC Tournament came to an end with a 56-49 semifinal loss to Texas, but for Kim Mulkey, basketball wasn’t the biggest thing on her mind. The fiery, passionate coach—always known for her animated presence on the sidelines—was noticeably subdued.
The Tigers started their SEC Tournament on Friday against Florida, but Mulkey didn’t arrive in Greenville until game day due to personal reasons. Turns out, just a day after LSU’s regular-season finale against Ole Miss, she received devastating family news. An unexpected loss.
In her absence, associate head coach Bob Starkey took over preparations for the Florida game, and when Mulkey finally joined the team, she was there—but not in the way we’re used to seeing her.
Despite everything, Mulkey was present for LSU’s dominant 101-87 win over Florida, though she let Starkey take the lead as head coach. Against Texas, it was a similar story. Mulkey sat on the bench, offering input here and there, but letting Starkey run the show.
Coach Mulkey was asked if it was healing to be back out on the court with her team.
“Only time heals your heart.” -Kim Mulkey
There’s so much more to life than the game of basketball, you can tell this week has been extremely tough on her.@LSUwbkb @KimMulkey pic.twitter.com/xzkBKzWefk
— Chessa Bouche (@chessabouche) March 8, 2025
When asked if returning to the court was healing, Mulkey didn’t sugarcoat it. “No,” she admitted. “I love this great game of basketball, but it’s not more important than the time it takes to heal from an unexpected death. What I didn’t want is to be a distraction, and I don’t think I was. I think I was the biggest cheerleader.”
She wasn’t about to step in and take over, either. She told Bob that he would be coaching that night, acknowledging all the preparation he had done throughout the week. And at the end of the day, she knows there’s no quick fix. “Only time heals your heart,” she said, with a solemn look and sorrowful eyes.
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