When we talk about Kim Mulkey, the conversation often revolves around her stellar coaching career, championship titles, and larger-than-life presence in women’s basketball. But beyond the sidelines and roaring crowds is a deeply personal story one that includes love, heartbreak, motherhood, and the constant juggle between personal and professional aspirations. At the heart of that story is her relationship with Randy Robertson, a man she once called her partner through nearly two decades of marriage.
This article dives into their journey together how it started, how it evolved, and the lessons both beautiful and difficult that came from it.
College Sweethearts: Where It All Began
Kim Mulkey and Randy Robertson’s story begins at Louisiana Tech University in the early 1980s. Both were student-athletes with bright futures. Kim was blazing trails on the basketball court, while Randy was the starting quarterback for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team. They weren’t just part of the same school they were part of the same culture. Fiercely competitive, highly driven, and passionate about their sports.
Their romance grew from that shared drive and athletic spirit. It was a connection built on mutual understanding. When your world revolves around training, games, and the pressure to perform, it helps to have a partner who truly gets it. In 1987, they tied the knot at the First Baptist Church in Louisiana. It was a union that symbolized more than love it was the beginning of a life rooted in shared goals, discipline, and dreams.
Building a Life and Raising a Family
Over the next several years, Kim and Randy’s life revolved around raising a family and supporting one another’s careers. They welcomed two children Kramer and Makenzie. If you’re thinking this family was built for sports, you wouldn’t be wrong. Kramer pursued a professional career in baseball, playing in the minor leagues, while Makenzie followed in her mother’s footsteps, making her mark in college basketball and softball.
Balancing coaching and parenting is no small feat, especially when your coaching job demands national travel, game-day intensity, and long hours. Yet, Kim made it a point to show up. She was there at games, cheering from the stands, and never let her demanding schedule keep her from being present in her children’s lives. It wasn’t just about raising athletes it was about raising grounded, determined, and independent people.
Randy, too, played a major role in building this supportive environment. While Kim’s job often placed her in the public spotlight, Randy provided a stable base. He understood the demands of sports, the sacrifices it required, and what it meant to support someone through the highs and lows of a coaching career.
When Things Fall Apart: Divorce and Reflection
After 19 years of marriage, Kim and Randy divorced in 2006. It was a deeply personal turning point for both of them. The reasons behind the separation weren’t plastered across tabloids, but Kim has, over the years, spoken candidly about the emotional strain that came with the end of the marriage.
In one particularly heartfelt moment, she shared that she would have given up her coaching career to save her marriage a powerful statement that shows just how seriously she took her commitment to family. For someone so often described as intense, bold, and unapologetically strong, this vulnerability painted a fuller, more human picture of the woman behind the whistle.
Divorce, especially in a family so tightly bound by shared values and routines, is never easy. It wasn’t just a breakup it was a shift in the entire family dynamic. For Kramer and Makenzie, it meant adapting to a new reality while still chasing their own athletic dreams. But through it all, the foundation of love and support remained intact.
Randy’s Life After Kim
After the divorce, Randy didn’t disappear from the sports world entirely. He moved into marketing and consulting in Waco, Texas, and stayed connected through work with organizations like the Waco Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. His post-divorce life became a new chapter one that focused more on community involvement and business pursuits than game plans and field goals.
Importantly, he continued to be an active father, working alongside Kim in co-parenting their children. There’s something deeply admirable about that two people navigating the end of a marriage while still standing shoulder-to-shoulder for their kids.
Kim’s Rise Continues
If there’s one constant in Kim Mulkey’s life, it’s her relentless drive. While her personal life was going through seismic shifts, her coaching career was only climbing higher. NCAA championships, Coach of the Year honors, and becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in women’s basketball Kim’s list of accolades is long and impressive.
But it’s not just about the trophies. Kim used her life experiences heartbreak, family changes, the pressure of parenting and leading to connect more deeply with her players. She became not just a coach, but a mentor. Someone who could talk honestly about setbacks and show what it means to push through them.
She often brings that emotional intelligence to the court, showing players that strength isn’t just physical it’s about grit, empathy, and resilience.
What the Public Sees vs. Who She Is
Public perception of Kim Mulkey is a mixed bag. Some see a fierce competitor with an unfiltered mouth and bold fashion statements. Others see a deeply dedicated mother, a passionate mentor, and a woman who has worked tirelessly to elevate women’s basketball.
The truth is, she’s all of those things and more.
Her relationship with her children remains strong. Kramer and Makenzie have both spoken about the tough love they received growing up, but also about the consistent support and life lessons their mom provided. For Kim, it was never just about winning it was about building character.
She’s also been open about difficult family relationships outside of her immediate family. Her strained bond with her father has added another layer to her understanding of love, forgiveness, and what it means to protect your peace.
The Bigger Picture: Lessons from Kim and Randy’s Story
At the surface, the story of Kim Mulkey and Randy Robertson might seem like a typical tale of love, success, and eventual separation. But look closer, and it becomes something deeper a story about identity, ambition, family, and the complicated intersections between them.
It’s about two athletes who found love, raised remarkable children, and tried to make it work under immense pressure. It’s about knowing when to fight for something and when to let go. And most importantly, it’s about finding purpose and strength even when life doesn’t go as planned.
For Kim, her journey with Randy was a chapter not the whole book. And yet, it was a chapter that shaped her in profound ways. Her resilience, both on and off the court, continues to inspire fans, players, and anyone navigating their own balancing act between personal dreams and professional goals.
Final Thoughts
Kim Mulkey’s story isn’t just about championships or dramatic sideline moments. It’s about real life the messy, beautiful, heartbreaking, and triumphant parts that don’t always make the headlines. Her marriage to Randy Robertson, their shared years, and their eventual separation are all threads in the fabric of her life. And while the relationship may have changed, the strength it helped build continues to carry her forward.
As her coaching legacy grows, one thing is clear: Kim Mulkey’s impact goes far beyond basketball. It’s written in the lives she’s touched, the lessons she’s shared, and the example she sets every time she shows up, unapologetically herself.