LSU coach Mulkey is threatening to sue Washington Post
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU coach Kim Mulkey lashed out at and threatened legal action against The Washington Post on Saturday, saying the paper has spent two years pursuing a “hit piece” about her and that it gave her a deadline to answer questions this past week while the defending national champion Tigers were preparing for the women's NCAA Tournament.
“The lengths he has gone to try to put a hit piece together,” Mulkey said of award-winning Post reporter Kent Babb, whom she did not mention by name. “After two years of trying to get me to sit with him for an interview, he contacts LSU on Tuesday as we were getting ready for the first-round game of this tournament with more than a dozen questions, demanding a response by Thursday, right before we're scheduled to tip off. Are you kidding me?
“This was a ridiculous deadline that LSU and I could not possibly meet, and the reporter knew it,” Mulkey continued. “It was just an attempt to prevent me from commenting and an attempt to distract us from this tournament. It ain't going to work, buddy.”
Babb confirmed to The Associated Press that he is working on a profile of Mulkey, but declined further comment. The Post also declined comment.
Mulkey is in her third season at LSU, which signed her to a 10year, $36 million extension after she won her fourth national title as a coach last season. She also won three with Baylor, along with two as a player at Louisiana Tech and a gold medal as a player for Team USA at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Sunday, the defending national champions beat Middle Tennessee, 83-56, to earn a berth in the Sweet 16.
Michigan hires May as next head coach
Dusty May was announced as the new coach at Michigan on Sunday, agreeing to a five-year contract worth almost $19 million, the school said. He leaves Florida Atlantic after six seasons, highlighted by a Final Four run a year ago and more wins in the last two years than almost anyone nationally.
The 47-year-old May replaces Juwan Howard, a former Michigan star who was fired after five seasons with the Wolverines. Howard went 82-67 with two NCAA Tournament appearances, but the Wolverines went 8-24 this season — the school's worst record since 1960-61.
May earned $1.25 million in base salary this season, plus an additional $25,000 for making the NCAA Tournament.
Florida Atlantic is due a $1 million buyout now that May has decided to leave.
Cal, Santa Clara fall in WBIT
Cal pulled to within a point three times in the final minute, but Marta Suarez missed a would-be game-winning 3pointer at the buzzer as the Bears lost 63-61 to St. Joseph's in a second-round WBIT game at Haas Pavilion on Sunday.
The Bears (19-15) trailed 58-48 with 2:54 to play before going on a 9-0 run.
Suarez scored a game-high 20 points for Cal, which was in the postseason for the first time under fifth-year coach Charmin Smith.
Santa Clara's second-winningest t season in school history came to an end as Washignton State erupted for 30 fourthquarter points in a 73-47 win in Pullman, Wash.
Santa Clara finishes 25-9, the program's most wins since the 1991 team finished 28-3.