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Baylor’s Kim Mulkey becomes fastest Division I head coach to 600 wins

By Christine M. Hopkins

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Head coach Kim Mulkey of the Baylor Lady Bears is interviewed after the 82-81 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the championship game of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 07, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Head coach Kim Mulkey of the Baylor Lady Bears is interviewed after the 82-81 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the championship game of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 07, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Multiple milestones for Baylor

Ahead of April’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announcement, what’s one more accolade for Class of 2020 nominee and Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey to boost her résumé?

Mulkey became the fastest Division I head coach to reach 600 wins Tuesday night as Baylor defeated Texas Tech in her 700th game. She passed Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp on the men’s side, who did it in 704 games, and UConn’s Geno Auriemma on the women’s side, who needed 716 games.

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Her 20-year head coaching career, the entirety of which has come at Baylor, includes three national championships, seven National Coach of the Year Awards and seven Big 12 Coach of the Year awards.

But Mulkey was quick to share her spotlight after Tuesday’s win.

“Coaches are only as good as their players, that’s the God’s truth,” Mulkey said. “I can draw up every play in America. I can be the smartest coach in the world. But, if you don’t have players, and they don’t go out there and perform, you don’t win basketball games.”

Texas Tech didn’t make things easy for the visiting No. 2 Lady Bears, tying up the score at 52 entering the fourth quarter. But Baylor exploded for a 25-10 advantage in the final frame, thanks to a Juicy Landrum-led 9-0 run.

And Tuesday’s milestones didn’t end with Mulkey, as Landrum reached 1,000 career points in the victory.

“Getting 600 and being able to celebrate that with her, that is special,” Landrum said.

In addition to her players, Mulkey credited the longevity of her coaching staff. Assistant athletic director Johnny Derrick and coordinator of women’s basketball operations Jennifer Roberts both came to Baylor from Louisiana Tech in 2000 along with Mulkey, and associate head coach Bill Brock — who came to Baylor the same year — has spent 17 years with the program, leaving briefly to coach at Texas Tech.

“Those 600 victories, coming as quickly as they did, it’s because of those kids,” Mulkey said. “Secondly, it’s because of the coaching staff. I’ve got three of them that have been with me since I’ve been at Baylor, with the exception of a couple years. That’s unheard of now. And thirdly, I’m getting old. I’m just getting old, but I still have a lot of fight left.”

Baylor is 13-0 on the Big 12 season and is seeking its third straight undefeated campaign in conference play. Under Mulkey, the Lady Bears have finished Big 12 play undefeated four times (all 18-0), including their historic 40-0 run that culminated in the 2012 national championship.

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