Kim Mulkey, LSU’s head basketball coach, made a heartwarming gesture to Tennessee Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell ahead of their teams’ game on Thursday. Minutes before the game tipped off, Mulkey gave Caldwell a warm embrace and handed her a gift bag adorned with the word “baby.”
The present was for Caldwell’s unborn child, as the Tennessee coach is expecting her first baby. While reports suggest Caldwell’s due date is January 20, Tennessee officials have not confirmed this detail. Mulkey explained after the game that gifting pregnant coaches is a personal tradition she started years ago.
This practice began in 2017 when Lindsay Gottlieb, then head coach at Cal, was pregnant with her son. During an NCAA Tournament matchup between Cal and Baylor—where Mulkey coached at the time—Mulkey gave Gottlieb a gift to celebrate her pregnancy.
“I’m a big family person,” Mulkey said. “Kids just touch me, and I admire coaches who balance motherhood and coaching. We need more of that. Pat Summitt was very gracious to me when I was an assistant at Louisiana Tech. She mentored me and told me, ‘You can do this. Don’t leave coaching just because you’re having a baby. You can raise a child and still be an outstanding coach.’”
The game between Tennessee and LSU turned out to be as dramatic as Mulkey had humorously predicted earlier in the week. The No. 15-ranked Lady Vols staged an incredible comeback, recovering from an 18-point deficit in the second quarter. The matchup came down to the wire, with No. 4 LSU narrowly clinching an 89-87 victory. Freshman Kailyn Gilbert sealed the win with a tough, off-balance hook shot, allowing LSU to remain undefeated.
Leading up to the game, Mulkey had joked about Caldwell possibly going into labor during the intense matchup. “I hope this game gets so exciting that Kim goes into labor,” she quipped during a press conference earlier in the week. “Pat Summitt had quite a story about when she gave birth. She had to land a plane while recruiting [Michelle] Marciniak. If Kim goes into labor during our game, I’ve got plenty of experience—I’ve had two children. Just come find me, and I’ll hold your hand with your husband and anyone else you allow in the room.”
Caldwell, 36, announced her pregnancy in September, marking her first child with husband Justin, whom she married in May 2023.
Mulkey’s thoughtful gift and her lighthearted remarks highlight her commitment to supporting other coaches as they navigate the dual responsibilities of family life and their careers. Her actions demonstrate the deep sense of camaraderie and shared experiences within the coaching community, particularly among women striving to balance the demands of elite-level sports and motherhood.
