"Coaching has come back to me over time": New LSU assistant coach Seimone Augustus on how she realized her dream

Seimone Augustus has returned to the LSU Tigers as an assistant coach under Kim Mulkey. Once known as the program's most important recruit, the journey marks a full-circle moment for the former LSU star.

When asked about her decision, Augustus claims that coaching young athletes has left a lasting influence on her journey.

"Why not? I mean it's home," Augustus said (via NOLA.com). "I've been away for over 20 years. Obviously, coming in and out whenever I had time. You know, throughout the seasons or whatever breaks that I had. But it was mostly about the opportunity. Coaching has continued to come back to me over time."

Seimone Augustus' new stint comes after her observational role with the Los Angeles Sparks and a coaching role with Athletes Unlimited. While she had similar opportunities on the table, conversations with reputed people in the coaching world helped solidify her return to the Tigers.

"They was like 'The only way to do it, is to do it,' and so this opportunity presented the best situation for me to just gain experiences," she said. "To go out here, to learn, to grow, to fail, to succeed, and that is what coaches do.

"Coach Mulkey sits on the hot seat every day. I am not going to the hot seat but you know, getting to see how it goes every day and see a team work together to accomplish a goal."

Augustus was selected as the top pick out of LSU in the 2006 WNBA draft and played 15 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Lynx, winning four championships. She earned a first-team selection in 2012, along with five second-team selections and eight All-Star honors.

She scored over 6,000 points in 391 regulation games and is a top-10 all-time scorer in league history. Additionally, she represented the U.S. national team as an Olympian and won three gold medals.

Seimone Augustus once rejected LSU Tigers' coaching offer

After retiring from the WNBA as a four-time champion in 2020, Seimone Augustus was approached by Mulkey in the spring of 2021. The head coach was preparing for her first season with the Tigers and hoped to recruit Augustus as part of her crew. Augustus was highly regarded at the university and known for spearheading the program into three Final Four appearances.

However, Seimone Augustus believed that her coaching mettle needed time to meet the high expectations at LSU. With that, she declined Mulkey’s offer and ventured elsewhere to gain experience in the coaching realm.