LSU's Kim Mulkey has utmost respect for Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech women's basketball
Kim Mulkey began her head-coaching career in the Big 12, facing the likes of Marsha Sharp at Texas Tech. The LSU coach reflected on the impact Sharp made on her.
BATON ROUGE, La. — Kim Mulkey had her moments of doubt when she became a head coach. When she arrived at Baylor in 2000, the program had just finished last in the Big 12.
Mulkey began to turn things around in her debut season, but the losses were still hard to bear. She found an unlikely source of encouragement in a conference rival: Texas Tech coach Marsha Sharp. Texas Tech women's basketball: Complete coverage of the Lady Raiders from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal "She, before we played them one year at Baylor, came to my office and sat down, and I'll never forget," Mulkey said.
"I said, Coach, I don't know if this coaching is for me. I said, this losing eats at me. I said, I'm a point guard that's used to having that ball in my hands and (to) go win a ballgame.
As a coach, you're really helpless somewhat. "And I'll never forget what she said to me. She said, Kim, as you age in this profession, you will learn to compartmentalize.