Baylor's Kim Mulkey says she felt 'horrible' for 'knock them in the face' comments

By Sports Illustrated and SI Wire/Sports Illustrated
Published

Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey says she feels horrible concerning comments she made after recording her 500th career win on Saturday.

Mulkey addressed the home crowd about the reports of dozens sexual assaults that have put the school in the spotlight.

At least 31 Baylor football players allegedly committed at least 52 acts of rape over at least three years, beginning in 2015. At least 125 Baylor students have reported being sexually assaulted in that period, apart from the football program.

Mulkey suggested that “If somebody is around you and they ever say ‘I will never send my daughter to Baylor,’ you knock them right in the face."

After not backing down from those comments in the press conference later that day, Mulkey expressed regret over her words a day later.

"I hate that I used the remark about punching them in the face," Mulkey said to ESPN.com. "That was not literal. I was trying to make a point, to be firm in what you are saying back at them. I'm not a violent person. I apologize for the very poor choice of words."

"My point was, 'Please don't paint, with a broad brush, the women at Baylor,'" said Mulkey, who has won two national championships during her time at Baylor. "I didn't think about what I was going to say. I looked at my players, and the little girls and the women who are cheering for them. And I spoke with a lot of emotion."

Mulkey said she did not intend for the remarks to mean that the victims should "move on."

"Not only do I sympathize with victims, I am angry about the way victims were treated at this university," Mulkey said. "It is horrible, horrible anytime someone does not take care of a victim. Even one sexual assault is too many. Nobody is dismissing what happened here. I want us to get to the bottom of it. I'm a woman, and I recruit women to come her. "I will never, ever support anybody at this university that dismisses what happens to victims or who doesn't help victims.

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