While Kim Mulkey’s coaching staff was just recovering from assistant Gary Redus II’s move to Rutgers, the Tigers’ position was further jeopardized by yet another key staff member bidding goodbye to the program.

Daphne Mitchell, a Georgia Tech alum who has been an assistant in LSU’s coaching staff for over five years now, is leaving to tip off a new chapter with Rutgers under Redus. Mulkey had already hinted at something like it a few weeks back, when she expressed support and urged Redus to take someone like Mitchell with him to Rutgers to assist. In her latest press conference following Selection Sunday, Mulkey confirmed these reports.

“Yes, but didn’t I already say that?” Mulkey said when asked whether Mitchell is leaving, too.

The LSU head coach also shared a brief drawing board of how her entourage would look in the absence of two crucial members of her staff, emphasizing that these absences wouldn’t even cause a beat to her coaching staff or the roles associated with them. “No, y’all don’t understand job responsibilities,” Mulkey said. “Daphne and G are our recruiters. I have one person that does scout report, and that’s Bob (Starkey).”

“So, Bob will do what he normally does, and on the floor coaching, just move Seimone to fill in for G on passing drills, probably move Joe down here with Bob,” Mulkey added further. “We’ll just have two chairs

Similar to Redus, Daphne Mitchell has been part of the scouting team, which naturally forms the backbone of any team. She played a significant role in post-player development and recruitment, and she groomed freshmen to take an easy stride into college basketball. That isn’t all. During her LSU stint, Mitchell was a member of her coaching staff that guided the team to a National Championship in 2023, and she has also extensively worked with LSU veterans like Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow.

With all these extensive skill sets on the table, it’s definitely true that Mitchell and Redus leaving together would leave a void, especially in recruiting. A lot of freshmen, like Bella Hines and Grace Knox, who are currently on the LSU team, have also been heavily recruited by Redus. In her press conference, Mulkey didn’t mention who will head the Tigers’ recruiting desk in the coming seasons.

But as Mulkey hinted, much of the added responsibility might fall to the experienced associate head coach, Starkey, who has been on the coaching circuit for over three decades. That’s a chapter for later discussions, as Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers’ immediate concern is the March Madness.

Kim Mulkey’s Quite Content With LSU Getting No. 2 Seed for March Madness

Going into Selection Sunday, it was a no-brainer that, with multiple Quad 1 losses, the LSU Tigers would not get a No. 1 seed. And as reality set in, it turned out the same. The Tigers are a second seed for the Big Dance, along with teams like Iowa, Michigan, and Vanderbilt. Yet despite missing the most comfortable spot for the National Championships, Mulkey isn’t complaining, as, for her, this second seed is about progress rather than a result.

“This is our fifth year doing this, and this is the highest seed we’ve ever had at LSU,” Mulkey said. “That shows progress. That shows your trajectory is up. The trajectory was already up when we won the National Championships, but I think it needs to be written, as I think it’s going to get lost in everything.”

The LSU Tigers are in the Sacramento 2 Regional for the March Madness. They will tip off their tournament against the Jacksonville Dolphins. The Dolphins are one of the most formidable teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference this season. They finished their regular season in second place. But they followed it up with winning the ASUN Conference Championships, which gave them an edge for an automatic bid.

A victory in this opening round of the tournament will ensure that Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers face either Texas Tech or Villanova in the second round. As per the brackets, the Tigers can also face formidable opponents, such as Duke and the No. 1 seed, UCLA, as the tournament deepens.

What are your expectations for the LSU Tigers this March Madness? Can Mulkey’s team clinch their second National Championship after the 2023 conquest? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments.