Kim Mulkey tabs Baylor 'damn best school in America,' says she will punch critics in face
Following her 500th career victory, which saw Baylor down Texas Tech for its 27th win of the season to clinch the Big 12 title, women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey had a message for critics of the university when handed a microphone to address the crowd in attendence. She denounced the school's national blackeye that stemmed from the football program's sexual assault scandal, which cost ex-football coach Art Briles and many others their jobs.
"If somebody around you and they say, 'I will never send my daughter to Baylor,' you knock them right in the face," Mulkey said to a crowd of Bears' faithful on Saturday. "Because these kids are on this campus. I work here. My daughter went to school here...And it's the damn best school in America."
Mulkey's comments, while out of pride for the school she's worked at for the past 17 years, were likely fitting for her audience — of Baylor's alumni and fanbase — but outside that sphere come off undoubtedly tone deaf. Among the most recent lawsuits included allegations of more than 50 acts of rape by dozens of football players in four years, Briles asking why an alleged rape victim would hang out with "bad dudes" and coaches encouraging female students in a hostess group to have sex with recruits.
In an attempt to clarify her speech, Mulkey explained herself in a postgame news conference while once again hammering critics.
"Just tired of hearing it. I'm tired of people talking about it on a national scale. They don't know what they're talking about. If they didn't sit in those meetings and they weren't a part of the investigation, then you're repeating things that you've heard. It's over, it's done. And this is a great institution. And I would send my daughter here. And I would pay for anybody's else's daughter to come here. I work here every day. I'm in the know. I'm tired of hearing it. This is a great institution. The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems of any other school in America. Period. Move on. Find another story to write."
Mulkey has come under scrutiny before, with former player Brittney Griner saying Mulkey told her to keep quiet about her sexual orientation as a lesbian on Baylor's conservative, Christian campus. Mulkey's fiery on-court behavior has also found its way in national headlines, most notably getting T'd up for throwing her coat off when angry at a referee.
MORE ON BAYLOR
What will it take for Baylor to move forward?
Former Title IX officer accuses Baylor of discrimination, intimidation
Baylor rocked by wave after wave of ugly allegations
Big 12 withholding 25% of revenue from Baylor pending review of Title IX changes