Former Lady Vol, Kara Lawson, leads Duke to ACC Tournament Championship Win!

#27
#27
Folks, this thread took a turn. Can’t we just be happy for Kara? I’m super happy for her. She was one of my favorite Lady Vols players. I’m thrilled that she’s having success and the way I look at it, she’s continuing Pat’s coaching tree.

I want good things for Kellie Jolly and Kyra Elzy and any player that ever put on a Lady Vols uniform and gave her all.

I also want great things for this program and for the Lady Vols to be restored to their former glory. I saw gleams of that this year. I hope it continues. I think Coach Caldwell did a great job in her first year. And I’m going to cheer them on in the NCAA, however far they go.

Do I think they can win it all this year? The odds aren’t in their favor, but that’s why they play the games. (The Vandy game was disappointing). But getting hot at the right time can take you a long way. Let’s see what happens.

Also, looking forward to the new recruiting class next year, as well. I see brighter days ahead and I am so excited. Go Lady Vols!
 
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#28
#28
Majors said:
Croom has gone on record as saying that.

Truthfully Tennessee doesn’t interview too many minorities when we have an opening. How was Kippy Brown handled here? If I recall, the hire was already made but Hamilton gave him a courtesy to not upset people after Brown served as interim HC after Kiffin. We got Dooley instead.
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I’m shocked, shocked I tell you that Croom would blame racism (blue font). You don’t know that, Croom doesn’t know that, the pope doesn’t know that. The only one who knows for sure would be Bill Battle. Given the fact that played the first black QB in the SEC, lends me to believe he wasn’t racist, and didn’t base his hiring on race
 
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#29
#29
Nolan Richardson, basketball coach Arkansas, is probably the most successful black head coach in SEC history, after that, I guess Tubby Smith at Kentucky. While there have been more than a few black coaches in the SEC, there hasn't been a super successful football coach yet, maybe James Franklin. I think when there's a break through coach like Marcus Freeman at ND in the SEC, the instance of black football coaches in the SEC will quickly rise. Additionally, HCs are often hired because of the coaching tree that they come from, especially concerning first time coaching hires. As more black coaches form successful coaching trees and as more black coaches at the high school, collage and pro level get promoted into roles of coordinator, it should eliminate the conversation.
 
#30
#30
Lady_Vol said:
Folks, this thread took a turn. Can’t we just be happy for Kara? I’m super happy for her. She was one of my favorite Lady Vols players. I’m thrilled that she’s having success and the way I look at it, she’s continuing Pat’s coaching tree.

I want good things for Kellie Jolly and Kyra Elzy and any player that ever put on a Lady Vols uniform and gave her all.
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And to add to the coaching tree success of the day, important to note Kyra Elzy is on Kara's staff as well 😊
 
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#31
#31
madtownvol said:
Exactly. It took some time. Kara's has done well in recruiting but her overall record of accomplishments is not yet something to call her a home run hire.

Heck, Kyra Elzy won an SEC tournament championship at KY in 21-22. Conference tournaments can take odd turns because the top teams are more focused on the upcoming big dance.
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I would not call Kara a home run, because that will take a little more time, but she kept the team ranked pretty well all year. I would say that she has a good start at being a very good coach. However, only time will tell.
 
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#32
#32
Vol-e-ball said:
Nolan Richardson, basketball coach Arkansas, is probably the most successful black head coach in SEC history, after that, I guess Tubby Smith at Kentucky. While there have been more than a few black coaches in the SEC, there hasn't been a super successful football coach yet, maybe James Franklin. I think when there's a break through coach like Marcus Freeman at ND in the SEC, the instance of black football coaches in the SEC will quickly rise. Additionally, HCs are often hired because of the coaching tree that they come from, especially concerning first time coaching hires. As more black coaches form successful coaching trees and as more black coaches at the high school, collage and pro level get promoted into roles of coordinator, it should eliminate the conversation.
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Dawn Staley has a decent resume.
 
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#33
#33
Golfteacher said:
I would not call Kara a home run, because that will take a little more time, but she kept the team ranked pretty well all year. I would say that she has a good start at being a very good coach. However, only time will tell.
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She is already a very good coach. I took a boat load of flack earlier in the season for pointing out how she was successfully building the Duke program. There are a lot of Lawson haters around here. She is a good recruiter and she is a very good coach already, one who may soon be considered a great coach. Two years ago I said she was my top pick for an up and coming coach to be watched. I will get some blowback here, her haters are always around. But she is becoming a top notch coach in front of everyone’s eyes even if they continue to deny it. Duke wouldn’t trade her for many others, her stock chart looks excellent and continues to point North.

 
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#34
#34
Rooster1 said:
She is already a very good coach. I took a boat load of flack earlier in the season for pointing out how she was successfully building the Duke program. There are a lot of Lawson haters around here. She is a good recruiter and she is a good coach, one who may soon be considered a great coach. Two years ago I said she was my top pick for an up and coming coach to be watched. I will get some blowback here, her haters are always around. But she is becoming a top notch coach in front of everyone’s eyes even if they continue to deny it. Duke wouldn’t trade her for many others, her stock chart looks excellent and continues to point North.
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After she made the “handle hard better” video in one of her first practices it was only a matter of time. She was using social media as free recruiting after just coming off coaching with the Celtics.
 
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#36
#36
Majors said:
After she made the “handle hard better” video in one of her first practices it was only a matter of time. She was using social media as free recruiting after just coming off coaching with the Celtics.
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She killed that speech, motivating as hell and truth. It was the kind of speech you would want to be told to every young player coming into the game. Will go down as a Classic.
 
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#40
#40
Kara has had slightly fewer % (1%) of wins than our current coach. Different conferences. Kara has 5 years, Caldwell 1 year. etc.
After Harper I suspect many people didn't want to take a chance on a alum.
 
#43
#43
Took her five seasons to win the ACC which is reasonable. Very strong team coming back next season they should be the favorites to win the conference again.
 
#44
#44
I want the absolute best coaches at Tennessee. I don't care about skin color. It's a business, and the one doing the hiring should do as any business should do. Look for and hire the "Best & Brightest". Regardless. Any other criterion can/will result in failure. For Kara to call out UT's Diversity is disingenuous. Conredge Holloway comes to mind. Wade Houston comes to mind. Kara is smarter than that, and as a big fan, I'm sorry She went that route...
 
#46
#46
Golfteacher said:
I would not call Kara a home run, because that will take a little more time, but she kept the team ranked pretty well all year. I would say that she has a good start at being a very good coach. However, only time will tell.
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Start? This is her 5th yr, same as Kellie Harper had. Fortunately for Kara, Duke is more patient. Happy for Kara and Kyra, but still not convinced about either as offensive coaches.
Rooster1 said:
She killed that speech, motivating as hell and truth. It was the kind of speech you would want to be told to every young player coming into the game. Will go down as a Classic.
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Kara needs to kind of be careful about the stilted speechifying, it's becoming a self parody. Folks were predicting a post game Gettysburg Address before the game was even over. Not sure how kids relate to this, my guess is they giggle about it when its finally over. Kara goes to this well alot.
 
#48
#48
If I’m remembering correctly, the Boards issue w Kara wasn’t that she brought up race, but that (according to them) she never brought it up to them during her tenure. Felt ambushed by her in public on her way out the door.
 
#49
#49
Ladyvols4ever! said:
Probably. They do like their story lines. Expect a possible rematch with UConn as well. Maybe Marshall if they make the dance.
Any others?
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I would not be excited by a 1st round rematch with MTSU, though they are only projected in if they win the C-USA tournament (they tied with Liberty to share the regular season crown and are the 2-seed in the conference tournament). I would think they'd be around a 12-seed if they do get in.
 
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#50
#50
Majors said:
www.wbir.com

Former Lady Vol Kara Lawson calls out lack of diversity at highest levels of Tennessee Athletics

"When I look at my alma mater, Knoxville, there is not a single African-American coach at that institution. That is not the same for the majority of the SEC."
www.wbir.com www.wbir.com
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She burned her bridges at UT before this. UT would not allow her to remain on the board of trustees when she became the Duke head coach and absolutely napalmed relationships behind the scenes with the campus side when that happened. I don’t believe the administration would have allowed her to have been interviewed if she had been interested last year.
 
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