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Baylor Women's Basketball

No budget or commitment changes in sight for Baylor women's basketball

April 27, 2021
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It’s been a trying couple of days for Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades. One of the top coaches in the world of women’s college basketball, Kim Mulkey, opted to leave Waco and Baylor to return to her home state accounting after 21 seasons, three National Championships and too many Big 12 Championships to count in the Green and Gold.

» Insider Notes: The latest on a search for Baylor's next WBB coach « 

Rhoades is catching the brunt of the blow back from the avid supporters of Baylor women’s basketball for what they believe was a lack of effort to keep Mulkey in Waco. Mulkey won her first National Championship in 2005 and followed it up with additional changes in seven years increments. 

It was her success that many believe gave Baylor administration and the vision to commit to success in other sports. Baylor is in the midst of an 11-year stretch that marks the most successful stretch in the history of the University’s athletic department which was highlighted a Heisman Trophy (2011), two Big 12 football championships (2013, 2014), three New Year’s Six Bowl Games (2013, 2014 and 2019), Baylor men’s basketball National Championship in 2021 and significant success in other minor sports in addition to Mulkey’s dominant run in the Big 12. 

“The legacy that Kim and her staff and student athletes — and fans, by the way —everybody was a part of it, of building this legacy,” Rhoades told SicEm365 Radio on Tuesday. “You think about the regular season Big 12 Championships and the tournament championships and the three National Championships and the Final Four appearances, we don't want to lose that.”

He continued, “We want we want our women's basketball program to continue to be nationally relevant, to compete at high level.”

Rhoades realizes that the commitment nationally to women’s basketball is as strong as it has ever been and the timing of Mulkey’s departure isn’t ideal, but it can be overcome.

“You think about the big brands on the national level in terms of women's basketball, and you know, I don't know if that's in two years, I don't know if that's in five years, 10 years, but there's going to be changes there at some of the other institutions and we want to position ourselves to continue to be elite in the sport of women's basketball.”

Whatever might be the case and the true reasoning behind Mulkey’s departure, Rhoades told SicEm365 that the commitment to the program is not going to change. After winning the 2019 National Championship, Mulkey received a total of slightly less than $3 million in salary. That did not include the salary pool for assistants or additional budget for the program in areas such as recruiting. 

Needless to say, as Rhoades begins his search for a new coach, something he hopes to have finished within a short amount of time, he is playing with a full deck to recruit his next head coach to Baylor. 

“We've not changed any funding in terms of our operational budget, assistant coaching salary pool, all of those things,” Rhoades said. “We're prepared and committed to fund it at the highest level and continue to compete for championships.”

Mulkey will receive a base salary of $2.5 million at LSU in 2021-2022. That total will grow up to $3 million over the life of the contract. 

Discussion from...

No budget or commitment changes in sight for Baylor women's basketball

10,313 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by BaylorRocks
EducatedBear
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Who cares? Sports, and particularly women's basketball, are not what's most important at a college or university. Baylor needs to put its primary focus and resources into all students and educating them, not winning sports championships. If people cared as much about all aspects of Baylor as they do about its sports teams winning, Baylor would be a powerful player in the global higher education community.
ScottS
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Obviously you don't care
blackie
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Thing is though that like it or not, or that isn't the way it should be or not, the fact remains that many people's view of a school is highly influenced by the success and visibility of its sports programs. And that has an effect on donations, quality of student interest and overall perception of the school. There are some exceptions....Rice, Ivy league, and others, but most schools don't have the academic reputations of schools such as those. It does matter and is also important to likely the majority of the school's students that are not athletes..
Edmond Bear
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And EB doesn't understand how sports leads to better pools of student applicants and more money from donors for said education.
Edmond Bear
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Edmond Bear said:


And EB doesn't understand how sports leads to better pools of student applicants and more money from donors for said education.


inside my head/

hmmmm.....what is an educated bear who doesn't like or understand sports doing on a sports message board.....oh crap, I've been had!!!!

BellCountyBear
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EducatedBear said:

Who cares? Sports, and particularly women's basketball, are not what's most important at a college or university. Baylor needs to put its primary focus and resources into all students and educating them, not winning sports championships. If people cared as much about all aspects of Baylor as they do about its sports teams winning, Baylor would be a powerful player in the global higher education community.
Why not both?
baylorbear33
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EducatedBear said:

Who cares? Sports, and particularly women's basketball, are not what's most important at a college or university. Baylor needs to put its primary focus and resources into all students and educating them, not winning sports championships. If people cared as much about all aspects of Baylor as they do about its sports teams winning, Baylor would be a powerful player in the global higher education community.
If you don't actually care, what the he!! are you doing on a sports message board? Clearly you have taken an interest in some capacity, so please save us your intellectual, high and mighty attitude and find yourself a relevant chat.
whitetrash
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PartyBear
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EB may be a faculty member and that is completely fine for a faculty member to think this way if he or she is. I would venture a guess here that the likes of University of Michigan, the University of Texas, University of California have a higher percentage of faculty with that position than there are at the likes of Baylor, TCU, Miami. (Though Cal does not have a blue blood athletic department like Michigan and Texas). I think one facet to Michigan and Texas becoming what they are academically has actually been that blue blood athletic reputation.

I will also say that I think Baylor is much more well regarded now as an academic institution, is far more of a household name around the country and I would guess is a wealthier school now than 20 years ago and before prior to its athletic department becoming rather top notch (not trying to brag or be pollyanna about our athletics).
BaylorRocks
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EducatedBear said:

Who cares? Sports, and particularly women's basketball, are not what's most important at a college or university. Baylor needs to put its primary focus and resources into all students and educating them, not winning sports championships. If people cared as much about all aspects of Baylor as they do about its sports teams winning, Baylor would be a powerful player in the global higher education community.
Created an account just to post this? Sure bro......

Buh Bye.......<ignore>

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