2025 Recruiting

[VolBall09]

what a bunch of drivel!

I’m glad I improve your vocabulary from time to time.

 

[Lucy]

Coach Kim's to do list: Fire the assistant with the extensive recruiting experience and contact,s knowing you have none of either.
Then blow off the first truly elite recruit the program has had in years bc she reopened her recruitment.

We don't think twice about new coaches asking current players or recruits to leave, but we're mad at recruits who want to look around when circumstances change on them. I don't get it. All the incredible stroking that goes on with recruits, it doesn't seem unreasonable that a recruit in this situation wants to be re-courted. IMO not calling her would be cutting off nose to spite face.

Also, I didn't see comments where Nyla said she was mad, just disappointed. Maybe I missed it.

We don’t know Coach Caldwell hasn’t called Nyla. I’m sure we are working to get her on campus again or set up an in home visit to let her meet Coach Caldwell. Sam would be a great facilitator for all of that.
We need to keep in mind Sam had been a successful assistant/recruiter for many years before Kellie hired her after firing her first recruiter at UT.

 

[glv98]

We don’t know Coach Caldwell hasn’t called Nyla. I’m sure we are working to get her on campus again or set up an in home visit to let her meet Coach Caldwell. Sam would be a great facilitator for all of that.
We need to keep in mind Sam had been a successful assistant/recruiter for many years before Kellie hired her after firing her first recruiter at UT.

Yeah, I had edited my post to add I'm sure CKC has already made that call and set a visit if she can. Absolutely zero reason not to. She needs to pursue recruiting opportunites handed to her. She has enough of an uphill climb.

 

[Memvol44]

Why would she under

Please remember, she’s the one who de-committed.

She is the one taking new visits.

She is the one making social media posts of other teams.

She’s a kid, I get it, but her uncle seems yappy and dramatic. I’m just not here for it.

CKC can’t control this, she can do her best, but it’s really Nyla who is stepping away. I don’t think I’d even call her at this point. She immediately made comments that she was mad Tennessee had fired Harper so it was a long shot she was going to remain committed.

Maybe they can reel her back in, but I truly think we will be starting from 0 with high school recruiting.

And I love coach Sam, but I do not anticipate she will be on staff at Tennessee next season. Most newly hired head coaches just are not going to take a chance on the previous coaches assistants, sets you up to be undermined immediately.

Why would she undermine the person that gave her a job???

 

[Coach Jumper]

I’m glad I improve your vocabulary from time to time.

Yes there are many unwonted words I associate with you
;o)

 

[AllVols3]

Why would she under

Why would she undermine the person that gave her a job???

She wouldn't. She would be a big asset.

 

[lvocd]

Please remember, she’s the one who de-committed.

She is the one taking new visits.

She is the one making social media posts of other teams.

She’s a kid, I get it, but her uncle seems yappy and dramatic. I’m just not here for it.

CKC can’t control this, she can do her best, but it’s really Nyla who is stepping away. I don’t think I’d even call her at this point. She immediately made comments that she was mad Tennessee had fired Harper so it was a long shot she was going to remain committed.

Maybe they can reel her back in, but I truly think we will be starting from 0 with high school recruiting.

And I love coach Sam, but I do not anticipate she will be on staff at Tennessee next season. Most newly hired head coaches just are not going to take a chance on the previous coaches assistants, sets you up to be undermined immediately.

I think it's perfectly reasonable and easily forgivable that a teenager got her feelings hurt and reacted with disappointment and a bit of anger that the coach she admired and cared enough about to commit to was fired. Look at the initial reactions of thousands of life-experienced ADULTS over it! People were all over the place in emotions that ran the gamut from one extreme to the other.

But just like most of the Lady Vol message board/social media regulars, she's likely to calm down and get to a better place. I'm actually happy for her that at this particularly vulnerable, hard-lesson-about-adult-careers-learning time in her young life that she's getting some love and affirmation from others.

I hope like everything she eventually decides to stick with Tennessee -- ohpleaseohpleaseohplease! -- but if she doesn't, I wish her well. Sure seems like a good kid. Obviously loyal, which I love.

COME BACK, NYLA!

 

[madtownvol]

I think it's perfectly reasonable and easily forgivable that a teenager got her feelings hurt and reacted with disappointment and a bit of anger that the coach she admired and cared enough about to commit to was fired. Look at the initial reactions of thousands of life-experienced ADULTS over it! People were all over the place in emotions that ran the gamut from one extreme to the other.

But just like most of the Lady Vol message board/social media regulars, she's likely to calm down and get to a better place. I'm actually happy for her that at this particularly vulnerable, hard-lesson-about-adult-careers-learning time in her young life that she's getting some love and affirmation from others.

I hope like everything she eventually decides to stick with Tennessee -- ohpleaseohpleaseohplease! -- but if she doesn't, I wish her well. Sure seems like a good kid. Obviously loyal, which I love.

COME BACK, NYLA!

I would not say it is even an over reaction. She committed under one set of coaching circumstances and now there is a different one.
At this point, Tennessee/Caldwell is another school/coach trying to sign her. We like to think that players commit to "a program" but a lot of times it is the relation to the coaches that is the draw. Knecht did not come to Tennessee he came to play under the man who coached Kevin Durant. I know a different context but the general illustration applies, I think.

 

[madtownvol]

It's an offer...not an acceptance,,,she will get more,,,can't overreact

Exactly. The act of de-committing means she is going to entertain multiple offers.

Beyond that, a coaching change is inevitably going to bring some line-up disruption. You hope that the net gains will outweigh the net losses.

Hopefully, we will soon see posts from players being grateful for the offer from Tennessee.

 

[Rooster1]

It didn’t seem to hurt South Carolina.

SC did 5 min rotations, but yeah, get your point.

 

[turbovol]

Your logic doesn’t make much sense. Sam will be on the staff. She’s gonna be the sole purpose the recruiting even had a pulse. She’s a pro with getting recruits. Has been her whole career. To not keep her would be stupid. Nyla will be a star and if Coach didn’t even contact her then she’s not starting off on the right foot.

Where does all this idea that "coach Sam" must be kept come from? She was the recruiting coordinator on a team that did not recruit well. As such, she was part of a staff recruiting problem. That likes saying that you absolutely keep the barber or hair dresser who keeps messing up your hair. I do obviously get that Caldwell, who doesn't have any major-college recruiting experience, might benefit from keeping her. But there seems to be this assumption that she absolutely should keep her, and I'm not sure I'd go that far given the results of the last two/three years.

 

[Orange007]

Yeah, I had edited my post to add I'm sure CKC has already made that call and set a visit if she can. Absolutely zero reason not to. She needs to pursue recruiting opportunites handed to her. She has enough of an uphill climb.

yeah there is about a 1000% chance they have spoken and probably more than once

 

[Coach Jumper]

Exactly. The act of de-committing means she is going to entertain multiple offers.

Beyond that, a coaching change is inevitably going to bring some line-up disruption. You hope that the net gains will outweigh the net losses.

Hopefully, we will soon see posts from players being grateful for the offer from Tennessee.

not worried

 

[Coach Jumper]

yeah there is about a 1000% chance they have spoken and probably more than once

agree

Where does all this idea that "coach Sam" must be kept come from? She was the recruiting coordinator on a team that did not recruit well. As such, she was part of a staff recruiting problem. That likes saying that you absolutely keep the barber or hair dresser who keeps messing up your hair. I do obviously get that Caldwell, who doesn't have any major-college recruiting experience, might benefit from keeping her. But there seems to be this assumption that she absolutely should keep her, and I'm not sure I'd go that far given the results of the last two/three years.

No, this team recruited very well...Just as with the 2025's,,,Sam lined them up, we just had a bad shooter (aka, closer)

Coach Kim comes across as a closer to me
She is coaching TN with very little D1 experience,,,so she must be a pretty good speaker and pretty convincing

 

[Hooper22]

Nyla has been in contact with Coach Kim and she will be coming in the fall on a visit. Appears to me Coach Kim is making moves already. She knows what she has to do.

 

[glv98]

agree



No, this team recruited very well...Just as with the 2025's,,,Sam lined them up, we just had a bad shooter (aka, closer)

Coach Kim comes across as a closer to me
She is coaching TN with very little D1 experience,,,so she must be a pretty good speaker and pretty convincing

This has become the baked in narrative - KJH couldn't close. But she closed very effectively with portal players. I wonder what the difference is in closing on the two. What's the thing she wasn't able to do with hs recruits but could do so well with older, more experienced players? I could never make sense of that..

And what is it about CKC that already says "closer"?

Nyla has been in contact with Coach Kim and she will be coming in the fall on a visit. Appears to me Coach Kim is making moves already. She knows what she has to do.

Hope this is true, but source?

 

[chuckiepoo]

Nyla has been in contact with Coach Kim and she will be coming in the fall on a visit.

Please confirm source.

 

[Coach Jumper]

This has become the baked in narrative - KJH couldn't close. But she closed very effectively with portal players. I wonder what the difference is in closing on the two. What's the thing she wasn't able to do with hs recruits but could do so well with older, more experienced players? I could never make sense of that..

And what is it about CKC that already says "closer"?

Hope this is true, but source?

1
HS'ers are starting their journey
portal players are finishing theirs
much more uncertainty in navigating the start of a journey than finishing one
There was a lot of uncertainty around Kellie
Anyone starting out in a journey wants a competent, proven, wise leader,,,any uncertainty in the leadership of that journey's leader and the "wagon train" will opt for a new trail boss

2
there are 351 D1 WCBB teams
there are probably 10-15 coaches who would turn this job down (5%)
CKC got a job that 95% of ALL college coaches would jump at
If that doesn't prove she's a closer,,,nothing does

3
Those with real contacts most often can't name their sources
This affects me as well
But I will say without reservation,,,Nyla and this org are in constant contact,,,even now
And I for one, (at this moment) am not too worried about TX or any other team

 

[KTrain]

agree



No, this team recruited very well...Just as with the 2025's,,,Sam lined them up, we just had a bad shooter (aka, closer)

Coach Kim comes across as a closer to me
She is coaching TN with very little D1 experience,,,so she must be a pretty good speaker and pretty convincing

Underrated post IMO, I've went in to meetings thinking I'm going to absolutely hate this person, from some of the chatter I've heard. Then you come out and think what just happened, this person just gets it, amazing. With all that said DW has undoubtedly sat across from some elite people.

 

[glv98]

HS'ers are starting their journey
portal players are finishing theirs
much more uncertainty in navigating the start of a journey than finishing one
There was a lot of uncertainty around Kellie
Anyone starting out in a journey wants a competent, proven, wise leader,,,any uncertainty in the leadership of that journey's leader and the "wagon train" will opt for a new trail boss

Agree to disagree.

Wouldn't a high school player know before the 4th or 5th visit they had uncertainty about the leadership? The multiple visits, like Maddie Booker, Shade, etc., never made sense to me if Kellie personally was the issue. She was always a known quantity

A player who actually had the experience of being recruited both as a hs and a portal, Rickea Jackson, was asked in an interview last year what the difference was. She said out of hs it is all and only about winning and getting to a FF. (In 2019 when she was recruited out of hs money wasn't an issue). She said in the portal she was looking for a place she felt at home, the culture and to become a better player for the next level.

It may be a difference wo a distinction but IMO the issue w hs recruiting was failing to have the marquee wins and FFs partly, but mostly not matching the money when push came to shove.

CKC got a job that 95% of ALL college coaches would jump at
If that doesn't prove she's a closer,,,nothing does

CKC is a closer on this level, though totally without experience or evidence of that, because DW said she is. I pray you're right and I pray she has closing type money to offer. We're about to find out.

 

[Hooper22]

3
Those with real contacts most often can't name their sources
This affects me as well
But I will say without reservation,,,Nyla and this org are in constant contact,,,even now
And I for one, (at this moment) am not too worried about TX or any other team

This part. Nyla wants to be a Lady Vol. Her family loves Knoxville and if her and Coach Kim continue to build a great bond, she will be a Lady Vol.

 

[brittannica]

 

[Mafiaboss]

agree



No, this team recruited very well...Just as with the 2025's,,,Sam lined them up, we just had a bad shooter (aka, closer)

Coach Kim comes across as a closer to me
She is coaching TN with very little D1 experience,,,so she must be a pretty good speaker and pretty convincing

My initial impression of her is that she is confident, caring, firm, and charismatic without being annoying

 

[lvocd]

Gosh, I sure would love for Nyla to be a Tennessee Lady Vol.

 

[Volfan2012]

Gosh, I sure would love for Nyla to be a Tennessee Lady Vol.

Up to her Coach Caldwell had reached out hopefully she will accept and be a Lady Vol.