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In the center of Washington PostThe article about LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey was about how she treated gay players.
While some former players have claimed that Mulkey is not homophobic, at least one player says the coach “made my life hell.”
That player is former Baylor guard Kelli Griffin, who played for Mulkey over a three-year period.
Why Griffin chose Baylor over Mulkey and why he ended his career on the court is provided in the player’s account, and it leaves some questions unanswered.
Here, DailyMail.com highlights Griffin’s allegations against Mulkey from his time at Baylor University.
The Washington Post article on Kim Mulkey, which she preemptively called a “hit piece,” was published just hours before her LSU Tigers played a contest against UCLA.
One of the former players interviewed by the Washington Post is former Baylor guard Kelli Griffin.
Who is Kelli Griffin?
Kelli Griffin is a Houston area native and former player for Mulkey when she was head coach at Baylor University.
Griffin chose the Bears over Duke, Stanford, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. According to her bio on the women’s basketball team page, she chose Baylor because of “its coaches, players and the fact that it is a great Baptist school.”
In his final year at Baylor, he averaged 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
Griffin (21) averaged 7.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in his final full season at Baylor.
When did you play for Kim Mulkey?
Griffin played under Mulkey at Baylor University from 2007 to 2010, reaching the Final Four once.
He admitted to the Washington Post that ‘Kim Mulkey is an incredible coach; The reason I went to Baylor is because of her.
The Post even details an article Griffin wrote in seventh grade, saying he dreamed of leaving his hometown of Houston to go play for Mulkey and the Bears.
While in high school, Griffin came out as gay, something he assumed Mulkey knew when she was recruited.
Griffin remembers Mulkey promising her mother “that Baylor was ‘family’ and that he would protect Kelli.”
Griffin: ‘Kim Mulkey is an incredible coach; The reason I went to Baylor is because of her.
What accusations has Griffin made?
Upon arriving at the campus in Waco, Texas, Griffin says Mulkey began asking her why she “dressed like a boy” when she wore jeans, basketball shorts or sweatshirts while saying things like “A lady wears a dress.”
Griffin considered transferring, but decided against it after her friend Brittney Griner committed to the Bears.
Griffin (and another unnamed player) claims that Mulkey was also quick to call out players if they gained weight and told the team’s strength coach to conduct weigh-ins in front of the team.
Mulkey’s lawyers responded to the Post denying that she treated gay players “more harshly or differently.”
They also provided an affidavit from former Baylor player Morghan Medlock, who said she was in a relationship with Griffin, who claims she never saw Mulkey mistreat Griffin or any other gay athlete.
Griffin claims Mulkey questioned her style of dress when she arrived at school.
Why did you leave Baylor?
The biggest accusation Griffin made was about the situation that saw her leave the team her senior year.
In 2010, a time when Griffin was the starting point guard on a No. 2-ranked team in the country, he got into a fight with an ex-girlfriend and a teammate at his home.
After reporting the incident to Mulkey, the coach announced that Griffin was suspended indefinitely the next morning. The teammate who fought with her was not punished.
When Griffin confronted Mulkey to ask why she was being punished, Mulkey responded that she was not owed an explanation.
Medlock, who was dating Griffin at the time, provided a statement to the Washington Post through Mulkey’s attorneys claiming that Griffin was suspended for using marijuana. Griffin denies that drug use was the reason for his suspension and claims that he did not use marijuana in college.
After this incident, Griffin says he told an assistant coach that he wanted to transfer. But at the time, NCAA rules required him to obtain clearance before transferring to another school.
Days later, after an exhibition game, the Baylor program issued a statement saying Griffin had left the team. It’s unclear if Griffin played for another program after leaving the Bears.