Report: LSU, Kim Mulkey nearing 10-year, $32 million contract extension

LSU and women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey are nearing an agreement on a monster contract extension, NOLA.com’s Reed Darcey reported. The university board of supervisors is set to meet and discuss the deal on Friday.

The extension would be for 10 years and $32 million, according to the report. Mulkey just wrapped up a banner second season at LSU, leading the Tigers to a national championship just two years removed from a 9-13 record.

With the new contract, Mulkey would become the highest-paid women’s basketball coach in the nation. It would start out with a salary of $2.75 million and increase to $3.65 million by the final year. That means she will top UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s $2.9 million salary and South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s annual salary of $2.7 million.

Mulkey has had plenty of success in her coaching career. A longtime head coach at Baylor, she led the Bears to three national titles before deciding to return home to Louisiana in 2021. On the whole, she has a 692-112 overall record since becoming a head coach in 2000.

How Kim Mulkey, LSU made the top roster in the country even better this offseason

LSU put together a 2022-23 season for the ages, finishing with a 34-2 overall record and a 15-1 mark in SEC play. The Tigers made a run to the national championship, where they knocked off Iowa to bring home the first title in program history.

As if that wasn’t enough, LSU managed to get even better this offseason. The Tigers brought in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, led by Mikaylah Williams, as well as multiple high-profile transfers. Former Louisville standout Hailey Van Lith was the biggest commitment, choosing LSU after entering the transfer portal. Last year with the Cardinals, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points per game as she shot 41.1% from the field en route to her second straight first team All-ACC selection.

Additionally, LSU secured a commitment from former DePaul sensation Annesah Morrow, who averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds for the Blue Demons last year. That means Mulkey and the Tigers brought in two of the top available talents.

Van Lith and Morrow join a roster that will also have one of the top players in the nation, Angel Reese, back in the fold after winning the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. In addition, SEC Freshman of the Year Flau’jae Johnson will also be returning, giving LSU perhaps the top roster in the country for the 2023-24 season.