Kim Mulkey Holds Back Tears During LSU Championship Parade: 'This is My Home'
Mulkey and the LSU Tigers celebrated their March Madness championship with thousands of fans during a parade in Louisiana on Wednesday
The LSU Tigers celebrated their March Madness championship with a parade in Louisiana on Wednesday, and for head coach Kim Mulkey, the ceremony was quite emotional.
Mulkey, 60, spoke to the audience at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center during the ceremony, where Baton Rouge mayor Sharon Weston Broome presented the coach with a key to the city, according to ESPN.
The Tigers coach, who grew up in Hammond, Louisiana, said, "This is my home," when addressing the LSU fans and friends. "I'm trying not to cry," Mulkey admitted during her speech.
Before the ceremony, thousands of fans lined the university streets to catch a glimpse of the NCAA Tournament champions, including Tigers star Angel Reese.
Reese, 20, took in the celebratory moment from the back of a convertible, where she waved to fans and handed out Tigers shirts.
The LSU star, who was criticized for her taunts towards Iowa's Caitlin Clark on Sunday, got cheers from the crowd when she did the John Cena-inspired taunt again during the parade.
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ESPN reported that Mulkey said she made it a personal goal to win a championship for LSU when she took the job after winning three championships for Baylor University.
However, the coach said she never put a timetable on it and purposely omitted it from the team's goal list heading into the season.
Mulkey's list of goals for the Tigers heading into the preseason was to "win 90% of non-conference games, finish in the top four of the SEC, win one game in the SEC tournament and remain ranked in the AP Top 25 throughout the season," according to ESPN.
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards spoke highly of Mulkey during Wednesday's ceremony. "We all knew she could do it, but what she has done to elevate this program and all of women's sports is truly remarkable," he said, per ESPN.
Related:LSU Star Angel Reese Responds to Critics: 'This Is for The Girls That Look Like Me'
Addressing LSU's players, Edwards said that Louisiana "always had faith" the team could bring a title to the school, ESPN reported.
"But more importantly, you had faith in yourself and were smart enough not to listen to all the experts who said you didn't have a chance," the governor continued.
Related:Everything to Know About the Taunts Between March Madness Stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
LSU guard Alexis Morris also addressed the crowd of Tigers supporters during the ceremony, and thanked the school and its community on Wednesday.
"I appreciate your love, your unwavering support and for believing in us," Morris, 23, said. "I just want you all to know I love you with all my heart."
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