Kim Mulkey sings country song, describes thrill of March Madness

LSU coach Kim Mulkey still gets excited about March Madness, even after a decorated career filled with several NCAA Tournament championships and appearances.

Mulkey has won a national title at every level. The former Louisiana Tech guard won a championship as a player in 1982 and again as an assistant coach for the program in 1988. As a head coach, Mulkey has four titles. She won three with the Baylor Bears in 2005, 2012 and 2019. Then, Mulkey won a championship in 2023 with the Tigers in her second season with the program.

Under her leadership, LSU is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this season. Still, she says a thrill remains.

"Well, you handle each situation, each year, each team differently, but the thing that never goes away is inside your soul, how excited you are for players that are doing it for the first time, for coaches that you may have on your staff that are doing it for the first time," Mulkey said ahead of first-round play.

"Just like anything in life, the very first time you do anything ― have your first child, some of us first marriage, OK ― it's different, right? But when you keep doing something consistently, it's rewarding."

Mulkey says that she believes it's a thrill for people who are doing it for the first time. Still, for her, she explained no matter how many times she's been to March Madness, if she loses excitement, she should "get out."

"That's why you coach. You coach to get to the postseason. You coach to try to win championships. And this is a fun time of the year. And the thing I've always said, there's only going to be one happy program when this is all done. There's only going to be one happy program. And I've been blessed to be a part of that numerous times, "Mulkey said.

The LSU coach then sang to explain how much of a thrill it is to continue coaching on college basketball's biggest stage.

"I still get a thrill. Isn't that an old song?" Mulkey said before singing "Do Ya'" by the late K.T. Oslin.

"'Do you still get a thrill when you see me coming up the hill? Do ya?' Okay? Go look that one up."