Indianapolis, IN – Baylor head women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey has been suspended for her team's next NCAA Tournament game for a violation of tournament policy.
The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee announced the suspension on Tuesday for Mulkey, who made disparaging comments about the officials during Baylor's regional semifinal loss to Louisville on March 31 at the Oklahoma City Regional.
Louisville upset the top-seeded Lady Bears, 82-81, and after the contest Mulkey had some harsh words about the officiating.
"I thought that all three of them, if they go past this round of officiating, it will be sad for the game," Mulkey said at the postgame news conference. "I thought the two critical calls at the end of the game were really bad."
Mulkey also received a public reprimand for the comments. The committee noted that it's Mulkey's second act of misconduct during the past three NCAA tourneys. The committee believed "a more stringent penalty is appropriate to prevent these actions from continuing."
She also received a public reprimand for comments to the media during the 2011 tourney. Mulkey was upset Baylor was put in the same bracket as Texas A&M. The Aggies beat Baylor and went on to win the title.
"The committee unanimously felt that the behavior of coach Mulkey was unacceptable and has no place in the women���s basketball championship," said Carolayne Henry, chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee and senior associate commissioner and senior woman administrator at the Mountain West Conference.
The committee also announced it was withholding Baylor's team championship per diem during the regional round of play. The suspension shall apply to the next NCAA postseason opportunity that Mulkey will have as a coach, even if she's not at Baylor.
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