Boyd still carries Kirkwood coach Muhl’s message at Valpo
By Jeff Holmes
ST. LOUIS — Valparaiso women’s basketball head coach Courtney Boyd was reflective about her playing days at Kirkwood Community College when the Eagles won the 2007 NJCAA National Championship.
“They were unforgettable. I’m 40 years old now, it seems like a lifetime ago,” she said during Missouri Valley Conference media day at the Enterprise Center last week.
Boyd has had quite the journey over the last 19 years. From Kirkwood, she went on to play two years at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., then moved through the coaching ranks, eventually being named NAIA National Coach of the Year and winning a National Championship with the Clarke Pride in Dubuque before making the jump to NCAA Division I last season with Valparaiso.
But the Keokuk native has never forgotten her roots, or the guy that gave her first chance — the legendary Kim Muhl.
“I remember the day that it happened like it was yesterday,” Boyd said. “The people that we did it with, the way that coach celebrated with us; you could just tell in his voice and his response and his celebration that he was proud of what we were doing and you know it feels good.”
“Today,” she added, “being in the coach’s shoes and seeing everything kind of click and make sense, I do feel like there are days where I understand now, or I understand better now, his frustration with us to get us where we needed to be.”
Boyd arrived at Valpo in the fall of 2025 with a career coaching record of 180 wins and 68 losses. At the end of the 2025-26 season her record stood at 180 wins and 100 losses. For the math-challenged (like yours truly) out there, the Beacons went 0-32 last season. During the tough season, she fell back to those lessons she’d learned back in Johnson Hall a couple of decades ago.
“I know this is going to sound cliche,” she said, “but you’ve got to remember where you came from. Those things from the NAIA and Division II level, those things don’t change. But now you’re going up against coaches that prepare differently. But how are you getting your team to play all together every single night? Because if you don’t, you’re going to get exposed, especially in the Valley.”
Boyd said that she still is in touch with Muhl regularly, and welcomes their talks.
“We talk a lot,” she said. “The way that he communicates, he always wanted what was best for us. And I think that the coolest part about the whole thing with him is he’s never going to change. He’s always going to treat you the exact same way he’s going to treat you. I still call him Coach to this day because there’s just that respect that I don’t think is ever going to go away.”
As for her latest gig, there’s a lot of growth potential. Coming off the oh-fer season, the Beacons return six members of their roster, and Boyd is optimistic going forward.
“The off-season has been great,” she said. “I think that it’s almost been a breath of fresh air in a way, and I think the reason I say that is because the people that are at Valparaiso now chose to be there, and they chose to be there for the same reason that my staff and I chose to be there. This is the right group to do it with to build that foundation, and I’m super excited to see what the season brings.”
The Beacons open the 2026-27 season Oct. 26 with an exhibition game against Judson, then travel to East Lansing on Nov. 3 to take on Michigan State.
