Thoughts on the hire of Kim Caldwell

Thoughts on the hire of Kim Caldwell

  • 1. Very Pleased

    Votes: 196 25.5%
  • 2. Pleased

    Votes: 247 32.1%
  • 3. Not Sure Yet

    Votes: 260 33.8%
  • 4. Displeased

    Votes: 38 4.9%
  • 5. Very Displeased

    Votes: 28 3.6%

  • Total voters
    769
  • Poll closed .
Lucy, I don't agree with you about DW, but I like the way you roll.
In life I believe 90% of us agree on 90% of the issues. Unfortunately we spend a lot of time arguing about the disagreements instead of getting on with the things we pretty much all agree on.
We’ll agree to disagree on DW and get on with rooting for the Lady Vols and their new young coach to have a great season next year!!
 
In life I believe 90% of us agree on 90% of the issues. Unfortunately we spend a lot of time arguing about the disagreements instead of getting on with the things we pretty much all agree on.
We’ll agree to disagree on DW and get on with rooting for the Lady Vols and their new young coach to have a great season next year!!
RIGHT ON!!!
 
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In life I believe 90% of us agree on 90% of the issues. Unfortunately we spend a lot of time arguing about the disagreements instead of getting on with the things we pretty much all agree on.
We’ll agree to disagree on DW and get on with rooting for the Lady Vols and their new young coach to have a great season next year!!
Agree. WGWDA
 
Well, here we are!
Kellie deserved at least one more season with increased NIL and decreased injuries. I will always wish her much success and appreciate everything she did for UT as a player and coach.

We have a new coach now and I will be 100% behind her. I hope she values and takes care of our current Lady Vol’s as they are a great group of young women. She will definitely need help recruiting at this level so I hope she retains Sam and Joy and I hope the reports of increased NIL are correct.

I know Coach Caldwell will give lip service to honoring Pat and the Lady Vol traditions and legacy. She really needs to understand our history and make sure the LVFLs are still active participants in the program. The support of Tamika, Candace, Draya, Jordan and even Rickea could really help her in the short and long term.

We as LV fans need to welcome our new coach and continue to support our program with dollars and attendance. I know I will do my best to get up to Knoxville for a couple of games this year.

Finally I will eagerly await the day when DW is no longer our AD.
So if she pans out you still want DW gone?
 
This was also going to be true even if Kellie had remained. I believe a new coach with a new beginning and energy will help with the portal rather than the same ol same ol with Kellie.
I don't have a problem with the termination, I was just hoping for a more established coach. I am on board, hopefully she is already running with it. I just hate the thought of a rebuild but I guess it was inevitable.
 
Yep, it was going to make or break Kellie next season by all accounts too.

That’s too much uncertainty for a program this large. I said it before, but as an AD it would be a hard pill to swallow what the coach is selling for the future when they have one 2025 recruit, one 2027 recruit and 5 players on their roster who can actually compete at this level.

Wasn’t exactly sending off waves of confidence that we were heading a good direction.
Just posted this but just to reply, I am good with moving on from Harper. My thoughts was elite 8 or we should move on. I was hoping for a more established or experienced coaching hire.
 
“best” is in the eye of the beholder.
He didn’t hire men’s bb coach, he didn’t hire the baseball coach, he didn’t hire the softball coach. Those are the big successful teams right? I’m not diminishing track or swimming at all but football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball are the sports that move the needle.
Regarding football, I like Heupel a lot. He has pulled our football program out of the burning dumpster. But, we are not good enough yet to win the SEC East championship, the SEC or get into the Nattie picture. Hopefully we will get there in the next few years. So currently football is a good, not great, hire.
DW gets a lot of credit for teams he had nothing to do with.
I give him adequate, certainly not one of the best. Relief over the football program has led, IMO, to grading DW too high.
In the eyes of the average fan, We judge Danny on the hires he has made. But being one of the Best AD's in the country is more than that. Its managing all your programs, dealing with boosters, throwing fund raisers, facilities upgrades, personnel management inside the AD department and so much more. Danny has excelled in most of these category's since stepping foot on campus and while he was at UCF aswell. With the new world of NIL you need a person like Danny white to help navigate the rules that come along with it. Making sure your coaches are not breaking the rules. I get it, you wanted the "Big Name Hire" like we all did. Im sure Danny put out feelers to see if there was interest. He isnt like the past AD's that shopped in the bargain bin. One thing to note, and it pains me to say this, but the Lady Vol brand has history, yes, but it isnt currently relevant in the world of Women's Basketball. That is not Danny's fault. That is a mixture of bad hires and terrible leadership within the AD. Kellie didnt help this at all. Thats why she was let go. We need new blood. Coach Caldwell is very young and innovative and unlike Kellie she has won everywhere she has been. So lets get behind her and see what she can do :)
 
Well, here we are!
Kellie deserved at least one more season with increased NIL and decreased injuries. I will always wish her much success and appreciate everything she did for UT as a player and coach.

We have a new coach now and I will be 100% behind her. I hope she values and takes care of our current Lady Vol’s as they are a great group of young women. She will definitely need help recruiting at this level so I hope she retains Sam and Joy and I hope the reports of increased NIL are correct.

I know Coach Caldwell will give lip service to honoring Pat and the Lady Vol traditions and legacy. She really needs to understand our history and make sure the LVFLs are still active participants in the program. The support of Tamika, Candace, Draya, Jordan and even Rickea could really help her in the short and long term.

We as LV fans need to welcome our new coach and continue to support our program with dollars and attendance. I know I will do my best to get up to Knoxville for a couple of games this year.

Finally I will eagerly await the day when DW is no longer our AD.
Who has White hired that turned out to be bad so far?
 
Finally I will eagerly await the day when DW is no longer our AD.
LOL, Danny White is one the top 3-5 ADs in the country if not #1 with how the majority of Tennessee Athletics is going on the courts/fields & diamonds right now. Money is flowing into the Athletic department for renovations & upgrades at Neyland, TBAaFCC and Linosey Nelson stadium.

Your probably going to be waiting a very, very long time.
 
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7 season tickets available section 119 row 11. A swing for the fences turns out to be a popup to the catcher. What a major disappointment.
Is this a legitimate offer? Face value? For the duration of Coach Caldwell's tenure in Knoxville? Those are baseline seats but close enough for me to bite and with 3 grandchildren the right number.
 

Sun Belt Power Rankings​

1. Marshall​

  • Current Record: 26-7 | Projected Record: 24-7
  • Overall Rank: 58th
  • Strength of Schedule Rank: 139th
  • Last Game: L 92-49 vs Virginia Tech
Oh yeah...Lady Vols program got a huge bump with this hire.
 
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Has the Big Incentive Clause been discussed?

Also, the one-year buyout clause?

Asking for my people.
Just reported her deal is 5 years @ 750K per year. The incentive clause, allegedly, is that if she wins a national championship she will be given a raise to equal or exceed the highest paid coach in the country at that time.

As many psosters proclaimed in the search stage, $ talk (except for some reason to Becky Hammon), so make room for #9 in the rafters next season. Incentives BABY!
 
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First of all, it's sell not sale. Secondly we were high school coaches in Indiana and we do have a clue about iconic programs. What makes you think this coach can recruit at a high level?
We know Kellie couldn't. We don't know that Kim can or can't do. I loved it when we were an iconic program. I will love it when we are again.
 
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Well, here we are!
Kellie deserved at least one more season with increased NIL and decreased injuries. I will always wish her much success and appreciate everything she did for UT as a player and coach.

We have a new coach now and I will be 100% behind her. I hope she values and takes care of our current Lady Vol’s as they are a great group of young women. She will definitely need help recruiting at this level so I hope she retains Sam and Joy and I hope the reports of increased NIL are correct.

I know Coach Caldwell will give lip service to honoring Pat and the Lady Vol traditions and legacy. She really needs to understand our history and make sure the LVFLs are still active participants in the program. The support of Tamika, Candace, Draya, Jordan and even Rickea could really help her in the short and long term.

We as LV fans need to welcome our new coach and continue to support our program with dollars and attendance. I know I will do my best to get up to Knoxville for a couple of games this year.

Finally I will eagerly await the day when DW is no longer our AD.
You claim you’re a fan of all of our sports and our university as a whole but I simply don’t believe that.

You recently claimed White hired Vitello. He didn’t.

You claimed the middle finger nothing burger was committed by Blake Burke. It wasn’t. (It was Jordan Beck)

If you’re so passionate about baseball and its image, you’d likely know those things. But it seems to me you only follow the Lady Vols. That’s fine, but you’re lacking a lot of perspective it seems. That or you’re just envious of the big 3 mens sports, specifically the recent success Baseball has brought that has overshadowed the Lady Vols.


The truth is, White screwing up a Women’s basketball hire won’t cost him his job. The good news is, baseball won’t cost him his job either. Only football, and maybe men’s basketball could do that.

a second truth is that the women’s program has been left to flounder in mediocrity for almost 15 years. Young girls probably have no clue Tennessee was once the premier power in the sport. The young football players sure didn’t and don’t.

This job isn’t nearly as appealing to coaches as you wish it was for that reason. This is a rebuilding project in which almost nothing will ever be good enough because of Pats shadow. It’s an impossible proposition.

It mirrors the football delusions of the past 15 years almost precisely except you seem to think the women’s basketball program is even close to as important as football. It isn’t.


Hating this coach or the AD or the baseball team won’t change any of that. We got who we got and it’s no one’s fault but the boosters who’ve demanded legacy hires and meddled since Pat retired. It’ll take a long long time to get back to what she built, and another her is never walking through that door.
 
"Thots" Please a show of hands for all those that had ANY positive comments on USC hiring Staley. Turns out to be a good hire doesnt it!
No one knows how this hire will turn out.............and with this board many will criticize no matter what happens. Good Coach, Bad Coach, another rebuilding is starting. God Bless her and Good Luck!
As centered a quote from you as I’ve ever heard. There is redemption! 😉
 
Just reported her deal is 5 years @ 750K per year. The incentive clause, allegedly, is that if she wins a national championship she will be given a raise to equal or exceed the highest paid coach in the country at that time.

As many psosters proclaimed in the search stage, $ talk (except for some reason to Becky Hammon), so make room for #9 in the rafters next season. Incentives BABY!

I know all this is legaleze and not intended to accurately reflect expectations, but I still find it funny when a contract simultaneously includes a clause implying the possibility of winning a national title coupled with clauses that imply that White might have to fire her within a year without cause. How's that for inspiring confidence?

If he fires her without cause before Mar. 31, 2025, he owes her 100% of her remaining salary. If he waits a day, he only owes her half of her remaining salary.

"Hey, Kim, you just might win a championship next year and become the highest+paid coach in women's basketball. Paid as much or more than coaches with eleven championships!"

"Gee, thanks, Danny. I really appreciate the vote of confidence. It means a lot to me.'

"Well, of course, I just might have to fire you by next Spring, too. There is that."
 
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I know all this is legaleze and not intended to accurately reflect expectations, but I still find it funny when a contract simultaneously includes a clause implying the possibility of winning a national title coupled with clauses that imply that White might have to fire her within a year without cause. How's that for inspiring confidence?

If he fires her without cause before Mar. 31, 2025, he owes her 100% of her remaining salary. If he waits a day, he only owes her half of her remaining salary.

"Hey, Kim, you just might win a championship next year and become the highest+paid coach in women's basketball. Paid as much or more than coaches with eleven championships!"

"Gee, thanks, Danny. I really appreciate the vote of confidence. It means a lot to me.'

"Well of course, I just might have to fire you by next Spring, too. There is that."
I think it reflects where her career is. She's betting on herself, and DW is making sure he isn't stuck with a big mistake if she proves herself in over her head. At least he knows it's not a sure thing.
 
I think it reflects where her career is. She's betting on herself, and DW is making sure he isn't stuck with a big mistake if she proves herself in over her head. At least he knows it's not a sure thing.
Yep. She’s got nothing to lose. She’ll land on her feet at another Marshall type school if she fails here. She’d have been stupid to not take it just because the terms weren’t great for an unproven coach like herself. Of course they were, because she’s unproven lol
 
I think it reflects where her career is. She's betting on herself, and DW is making sure he isn't stuck with a big mistake if she proves herself in over her head. At least he knows it's not a sure thing.

I know. I don:t expect either clause to have any relevance next year. I hope she'll have a good first season and lay the groundwork. Big learning curve.

Funny, though. All those wanting to cut ties with the LV past and "legacy" shouldn't be concerned with relics of the past such as "the Tournament Streak." It's a new day, and a new dawn....
.
 

Sun Belt Power Rankings​

1. Marshall​

  • Current Record: 26-7 | Projected Record: 24-7
  • Overall Rank: 58th
  • Strength of Schedule Rank: 139th
  • Last Game: L 92-49 vs Virginia Tech
Oh yeah...Lady Vols program got a huge bump with this hire.
From some crappy website at an Alabama TV network that didn't even have ratings for this a year ago, when she wasn't coaching. (I checked on the Internet Archive.)

Anyway, using something more legitimate, like the ratings at sports-reference.com, we get that Marshall in 2023-24 was the 82nd best D1 team in the nation, with an SOS rated 146th: 2023-24 Marshall Thundering Herd Women 's Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

And one year before, when someone else coached the team, Marshall was the 182nd best team with an SOS rated 223rd.

Gee, she improved them by 100 spots. But you are absolutely right that she doesn't need to create such a huge bump with Tennessee. The Lady Vols were 24th this season.

I'm glad there is an "ignore" option on here...
 

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