Without uttering a single word, Kim Mulkey made headlines after LSU’s 121-41 win over Langston in their final exhibition game before the 2025-26 season. She chose not to attend the postgame press conference.
This happened soon after LSU’s athletic director, Scott Woodward, was announced to be leaving the institution following a public condemnation from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.
Now, the name of NC State head coach Will Wade has surfaced amid the raging controversy.
Why Did Kim Mulkey Not Attend the Press Conference
Associate LSU head coach Bob Starkey showed up at the press conference in Kim Mulkey’s stead. When asked about her absence, Starkey said she was “heartbroken.”
“It made its way to the bench,” Starkey added about the news of Scott Woodward’s exit. Woodward was a major advocate for Mulkey, famously luring her back to her home state from Baylor in 2021. She was later signed to a landmark 10-year, $32 million contract, making her one of the highest-paid women’s basketball coaches in the nation.
Mulkey’s decision to forgo the press conference after her team’s exhibition victory appears to be a clear, non-verbal expression of her loyalty to the departed AD and a disapproval of the situation.
Jeff Landry’s Spat with Scott Woodward
LSU announced on Thursday night that a separation agreement with Scott Woodward has been reached, ending his six-year tenure as LSU’s athletic director. Verge Ausberry, his deputy and a former LSU football player, would serve as the interim AD.
Woodward’s exit came just a day after Gov. Landry went off at the former AD for the sheer size of recently fired Brian Kelly’s contract. The former football coach had a $95 million deal with LSU, set to run for 10 years. After the college cut ties with him only eight games into his fourth year, Kelly’s buyout was estimated at $53 million.
Mere days after claiming LSU should build a statue of Charlie Kirk on the premises, Gov. Landry took the podium at a press conference to address the matter and blasted Woodward for Kelly’s contract.
“My role is about the fiscal effect of firing a coach under a terrible contract,” Landry said. “All I care about is what the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for. I was also not happy with the fact that we were raising ticket prices while we were having a losing season, and we were paying a coach $100 million, and we weren’t getting the results.”
Landry also stated that Woodward would not be involved in the search for LSU’s next football coach. Many assume that Woodward’s exit is directly connected to Landy’s comments.
However, there is more to the story.
Where Does Will Wade Fit In?
According to Yahoo! Sports, when the LSU men’s basketball team had an underwhelming season under Matt McMahon last spring, Landry wanted to bring Will Wade back. He urged Woodward and administrators to do so.
An insider revealed to the outlet that Woodward refused to cave in to Landry’s demands. This was one of many disagreements between the two.
Wade, who now heads NC State’s men’s basketball team, was with LSU from 2017 to 2022 and took the Tigers to three NCAA tournaments. Woodward fired him amid a federal probe for bribing players, for which he was later suspended for the first 10 games of the 2023–24 season and received a two-year show-cause penalty.
A year later, Wade made a comeback down the road from Baton Rouge, winning 50 games in two seasons at McNeese.