Kim Caldwell (Rookie Coach of the Year-WBCA) is named Head Coach of Iconic Lady Vols WBB

[volfan__18]

That's false. That narrative is spewed every time a coaching change happens in any sport. That portal player may be great. But she also may not fit the new coach's style of play or culture. She is not more important than getting the RIGHT coach.

So, stop the freak out. If you get the right coach, then the right players will come.

If we take too long there will be no portal players left. that’s his point. ur simply missing it. A choice needs to be made soon in order to even have a team to put out there to compete. Trust me we are going to have some players transfer out after firing kellie.

 

[JohnnyPayne]

Lindsay Gottlieb, YOU are the next Lady Vol coach

No thanks.

 

[Probably_in_Class]

My serious prediction:


Who is still coaching in the tournament with Tennessee ties. strong recruiting credentials, championship pedigree, and for whom this job would be a huge step-up and would keep on the key current players and recruits in place

Jolette Law. The next LV head coach.

It is actually the only move that makes sense under the current circumstances.

Pretty underwhelming head coaching history, right?

 

[TNHopeful505]

If we take too long there will be no portal players left. that’s his point. ur simply missing it. A choice needs to be made soon in order to even have a team to put out there to compete. Trust me we are going to have some players transfer out after firing kellie.

Sure, and the high school girl already decommitted too. It's going to happen. And of course DW knows that.

But again, it is not more important than making the right choice. No matter who is chosen, it is HIGHLY unlikely they will come in and have instant success in year 1. Heupel didn't, Rick Barnes didn't, and this coach won't. The new coach will work with what is here, perhaps bring some transfers or recruits as well, and go from there.

I'm not missing any point. Its a dumb point, and it just isn't nearly as big of a deal as you're making it. I promise, it will be fine. He will get the right coach. And we will be happy.

 

[volforlife10]

No thanks.

what’s not to like about her?

 

[TNHopeful505]

but if we wait too long and end up with a mediocre coach with no availability in the portal, more seasons of losing. i’m truly hoping DW made this decision with coaches in mind.

We won't. DW is not like Mike Hamilton, Dave Hart, John Currie, Phil Fulmer. He is the best athletics director we have had in the past 40 years.

Look at the budget, the facility upgrades and plans, the new hotel and entertainment district coming, and more importantly, look at the fact that football is Top 15 in the country, Men's Basketball is Top 8 in the country, Baseball and softball are doing fantastic as always.

Danny White has Tennessee Athletics in a better place as a whole than it has ever been. The fact he fired Kellie just tells you he knows this program can be even better. He will make the right hire. This is a marquee program. He will treat it as such.

 

[Probably_in_Class]

Sure, and the high school girl already decommitted too. It's going to happen. And of course DW knows that.

But again, it is not more important than making the right choice. No matter who is chosen, it is HIGHLY unlikely they will come in and have instant success in year 1. Heupel didn't, Rick Barnes didn't, and this coach won't. The new coach will work with what is here, perhaps bring some transfers or recruits as well, and go from there.

I'm not missing any point. Its a dumb point, and it just isn't nearly as big of a deal as you're making it. I promise, it will be fine. He will get the right coach. And we will be happy.

Ya, freaking out over possibly missing out on the best options in year one is really putting the cart before the horse. Plus, the tournament isn't even over. There will be tons of portal entries in the near future. It's not like DW will drag this to the summer or anything. The new coach should have plenty of time to hopefully rebuild the relationship with Finley.

 

[orange beard]

We won't. DW is not like Mike Hamilton, Dave Hart, John Currie, Phil Fulmer. He is the best athletics director we have had in the past 40 years.

Look at the budget, the facility upgrades and plans, the new hotel and entertainment district coming, and more importantly, look at the fact that football is Top 15 in the country, Men's Basketball is Top 8 in the country, Baseball and softball are doing fantastic as always.

Danny White has Tennessee Athletics in a better place as a whole than it has ever been. The fact he fired Kellie just tells you he knows this program can be even better. He will make the right hire. This is a marquee program. He will treat it as such.

And he has said he wanted all our programs to win a national title every 5 years.

 

[TNHopeful505]

And he has said he wanted all our programs to win a national title every 5 years.

I think that with coaching searches in every sport, people think its as easy as saying, "Oh, you make $1M? Here's $2M!"

No. Coaches want a school where they will be successful and have the resources to be successful. They want a chancellor and an AD who will support them and give them what they need in terms of facilities, budgets, and plans to keep their programs at the forefront.

Tennessee was the first to get a collective in Spyre. Tennessee was the first to roll out an official NIL plan for student athletes. Tennessee put it's money where it's mouth is when it went scorched earth on the NCAA, fighting for students' rights in NIL. They may be responsible for the downfall of the NCAA as we know it.

Tennessee is committed to being a place that coaches and players want to come to. But with that, comes expectations. We expect to win and get a good ROI.

Coaches want to work for Danny White and Donde Plowman. Tennessee is a premier program right now in many many ways.

 

[wellsea180]

We will cover it as best we can. White is not going to give any hints I'm sure and I admittedly don't have the sources across the national landscape of the women's game that I have in football and basketball.

I would imagine, White swings pretty big for a proven coach.
-BH

I think you start with a proven coach. Someone who has a resume of success. You are making a huge investment into the the program by making this move, I don't think your choice is to hire someone who doesn't have a real track record.
-BH

fact that he's making a move feels like he's not settling for mediocracy
-EC

Quotes from volquest chat tonight

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

what’s not to like about her?

What’s she won?

 

[volforlife10]

What’s she won?

who’s your choices?

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

No thanks.

Predictable. Wants to keep a coach who has never made it past the S16 and doesn’t want to replace her with a coach that has a Final Four and Elite Eight under her belt.

 

[glv98]

Anyone who says we have plenty of time to make a hire is not aware of our roster needs. If it does take awhile the new coach better have lots of players to come with them. We already missed an important portal visit today.

 

[TNHopeful505]

We will cover it as best we can. White is not going to give any hints I'm sure and I admittedly don't have the sources across the national landscape of the women's game that I have in football and basketball.

I would imagine, White swings pretty big for a proven coach.
-BH

I think you start with a proven coach. Someone who has a resume of success. You are making a huge investment into the the program by making this move, I don't think your choice is to hire someone who doesn't have a real track record.
-BH

fact that he's making a move feels like he's not settling for mediocracy
-EC

Quotes from volquest chat tonight

If you look at the "Big 5" (football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball), women's basketball is the only one who isn't pulling their weight and winning like expected. Softball is 28-5, baseball is 24-5, football finished 9-4, basketball made it to Elite 8. Other sports are on a championship level. Women's Basketball should be as well.

 

[Bakers1]

Lindsay Gottlieb, YOU are the next Lady Vol coach

I hope not! she coached a horrible game that was winnable especially with Uconn in foul trouble with no bench.

 

[VolsAgainstTheWorld15]

That's false. That narrative is spewed every time a coaching change happens in any sport. That portal player may be great. But she also may not fit the new coach's style of play or culture. She is not more important than getting the RIGHT coach.

So, stop the freak out. If you get the right coach, then the right players will come.

I agree that the freak out over one portal player who may or may not fit the new coach’s system is silly, but I also think it’s true that a hire does need to be made quickly given how fast things move in the portal.

 

[TNHopeful505]

Anyone who says we have plenty of time to make a hire is not aware of our roster needs. If it does take awhile the new coach better have lots of players to come with them. We already missed an important portal visit today.

No one is saying we have plenty of time. Sure you act with urgency. I would anticipate this choice is made within the next two weeks, probably much less.

But you don't let transfer portal players who show zero loyalty to a school, or high school recruits who have yet to play collegiate ball, push you to make a decision about the person you are going to trust to market, grow and take care of one of the most historic women's basketball program in the country.

Most major searches like this are done within a week. The ONLY thing that would hold it back is if the target is still coaching. Which, given the timing of the announcement, I doubt is the case.

It will be the only thing White focuses on, and it will get done within the next 5-12 days I would bet.

 

[I4Vols]

Kim Mulkey may be available after tonight!

Yup, kick in a really high clothing allowance and maybe so. She must have run out of $ as she was way too conservatively dressed in a loss tonight.
My superstitious nature tells me that alone lost the game for LSU

 

[BreatheUT]

I hope this doesn't turn into the football search after the Fulmer era. We have been such a model of consistency due to Summitt. Then we decided to allow the "insiders" talk the AD's into hiring two mediocre coaches. The good news it Danny White is proven and I doubt we get another inbred just because they played here.

 

[mudcat1973]

Lisa Bluder will have to rebuild after Clark is gone anyway, so she might as well do a rebuild at Tennessee. ; )

She has a Five star guard coming in 2025

 

[creekdipper]

No one is saying we have plenty of time. Sure you act with urgency. I would anticipate this choice is made within the next two weeks, probably much less.

But you don't let transfer portal players who show zero loyalty to a school, or high school recruits who have yet to play collegiate ball, push you to make a decision about the person you are going to trust to market, grow and take care of one of the most historic women's basketball program in the country.

Most major searches like this are done within a week. The ONLY thing that would hold it back is if the target is still coaching. Which, given the timing of the announcement, I doubt is the case.

It will be the only thing White focuses on, and it will get done within the next 5-12 days I would bet.

You seem to denigrate "transfer portal players who show zero loyalty to a school."

Do you hold "transfer portal coaches" to the same standard?

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

If we take too long there will be no portal players left. that’s his point. ur simply missing it. A choice needs to be made soon in order to even have a team to put out there to compete. Trust me we are going to have some players transfer out after firing kellie.

No problem, with your defined urgency it is clear those demanding immediate hire of a new coach, like yourself, will all step up and kick in an additional 50K donation to allow offering a salary that cannot be turned down by the coach of DW’s choice, followed by similar donations to the women’s collective to retool the roster.

Knowing this I will sleep better tonight. AFTER ALL this IS TENNESSEE.

 

[SGMVols]

I hope not! she coached a horrible game that was winnable especially with Uconn in foul trouble with no bench.

Come on. They were a one woman team this year.

But they won’t be next year. #1 recruiting class in the country.

There’s no shame in losing a close game to GENO AURIEMMA in the tournament. Especially when you’re a program who is just now becoming relevant again for the first time since the Reagan administration.

 

[plumbervol]

Sure, and the high school girl already decommitted too. It's going to happen. And of course DW knows that.

But again, it is not more important than making the right choice. No matter who is chosen, it is HIGHLY unlikely they will come in and have instant success in year 1. Heupel didn't, Rick Barnes didn't, and this coach won't. The new coach will work with what is here, perhaps bring some transfers or recruits as well, and go from there.

I'm not missing any point. Its a dumb point, and it just isn't nearly as big of a deal as you're making it. I promise, it will be fine. He will get the right coach. And we will be happy.

I agree the right choice better be made very quickly. As bad as KJH has recruited we have to hit the portal. We also got to re recruit the players that can return. With that in mind if the program is a scorched earth scenario a lot of big name coaches may not find the UT job as favorable as many think it is. Has anybody watched what Coach YO went thru at Ole Miss? She has done a wonderful job but that does not need to happen here.

On to Gottlieb, did anybody watch that mess she put on the floor? If she is the great hope then we need to understand she is a work in progress. Watching everything unfold it seems that many people are smitten with Walz and the guy just does not seem like he knows how to work the NIL. He may be a fine coach but he has resources at Louisville and he does not seem like he can sign and keep the big fishes in recruiting or on his roster. He won before the era of the NIL and I really do not see that he is relevant in this new era. Lawson probably does not get a sniff because she is a VFL and people want new blood coaching the team. Wes Moore age is a problem with me but he is very good coach. I like Payne from Colorado, she has TN ties and will also have a learning curve but she has the it factor.She would be a good hire but not a homerun and a lot of part time LV fans want a male coach and would gripe groan and complain about her resume.