Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2024-25

#10,101
#10,101
I'm not sure I'd go as far as to say Lawson said "many, many times that she had no interest in coaching." I do remember, many years ago, her saying she didn't think she'd be interested in it, but this was while she was still an active player herself.

What I do remember reading was that after she'd retired from playing, she was recruited to coach a new sport, the 3x3, for the U.S. and she was finally bitten by the coaching bug through that experience. I remember reading about it and how she sounded a bit surprised by how much she enjoyed that coaching experience. So, back when U.T. was looking to replace Pat, that was before she'd been bitten by the bug, and I think that's when I first read that she wouldn't be interested in coaching. It was probably an offhand comment to a question someone had about whether she might be interested in coaching the Lady Vols. By 2016 or so -- because of 3x3 -- I think she'd probably become, in the back of her mind, more quietly open to the idea of coaching full time at some point in her life -- IF the right opportunity came along.

As far as coaching the Lady Vols, I am still unclear as to what happened there. I heard from some she was interviewed but didn't get the job because she lacked D1 head coach experience, but then others said she flat-out said she wasn't interested from the get-go. Either way, I still don't think it's strange that she took the Duke job after having many years ago said that she wasn't interested in coaching. People change. They have new experiences that can make them change, and that's clearly what happened with Kara.

Now, both Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings are two former Lady Vols who actually can be said to have said "many, many times" that they were absolutely not interested in coaching. I'm pretty sure they both know that because they were both the kind of player that never had to have effort coached into them, and both were the type of players who outworked everyone on the team every day to be as good as they were, I think they both know they likely wouldn't have the patience to deal with college students today.
 
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#10,102
#10,102
lvocd said:
I'm not sure I'd go as far as to say Lawson said "many, many times that she had no interest in coaching." I do remember, many years ago, her saying she didn't think she'd be interested in it, but this was while she was still an active player herself.
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lvocd said:
heard from some she was interviewed but didn't get the job because she lacked D1 head coach experience, but then others said she flat-out said she wasn't interested from the get-go
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Definitely my memory ain't what it used to be, but I remember her saying she wasn't interested all million times she got asked while the position was open. From the get go. That's why I'm surprised there's a question. I thought Fulmer said that too when he was asked. Kara was never interested in the LV job, wasn't particularly interested in coaching over broadcasting. Then along came Duke.

I could be wrong.
 
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#10,103
#10,103
VolBall09 said:
I agree the changes she made are positive. But I’m not impressed. What she brought in from the portal is half as a good as what she lost. She took over a Final Four team with Top 5 talent and ran them straight into the ground. A couple coaching changes and some different players aren’t going to fix that. I look for them to finish middle of the pack or worse next season.
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Kellie took over a final four team? No, I really think if the LVs had been a final four team, Holly Warlick would have still been coaching. Hey, but why stop with such a small exaggeration. Let's go all in on the alternative fact history:

I am unimpressed because Kellie took over a team that had just won 15 consecutive national championships and had a roster of 15 All-americans and then she lost every game!!!!!!!!

No, no, no, no, better yet, I am disappointed in Kellie because she had a roster of Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Scarlett Witch, and Lady Shazam and she could not win blah, blah.

I also agree that when Supergirl transferred, only getting Black Widow in the transfer portal was a mistake. She Hulk was available and would have provided a better post presence. Terrible super hero coaching.
 
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#10,104
#10,104
madtownvol said:
Kellie took over a final four team? No, I really think if the LVs had been a final four team, Holly Warlick would have still been coaching. Hey, but why stop with such a small exaggeration. Let's go all in on the alternative fact history:

I am unimpressed because Kellie took over a team that had just won 15 consecutive national championships and had a roster of 15 All-americans and then she lost every game!!!!!!!!

No, no, no, no, better yet, I am disappointed in Kellie because she had a roster of Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Scarlett Witch, and Lady Shazam and she could not win blah, blah.

I also agree that when Supergirl transferred, only getting Black Widow in the transfer portal was a mistake. She Hulk was available and would have provided a better post presence. Terrible super hero coaching.
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I was talking about Nikki McCray....

Thanks though lol
 
#10,105
#10,105
glv98 said:
Definitely my memory ain't what it used to be, but I remember her saying she wasn't interested all million times she got asked while the position was open. From the get go. That's why I'm surprised there's a question. I thought Fulmer said that too when he was asked. Kara was never interested in the LV job, wasn't particularly interested in coaching over broadcasting. Then along came Duke.

I could be wrong.
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Same here. My memory is spotty, at best. :rolleyes:

I do remember one thing very clearly, though, and that was that nearly everyone save for a few message boarders like me were heavily NOT in favor of hiring Kara or any other coach who didn't have experience coaching D1 basketball. To most, even giving Kara Lawson an interview seemed absolutely laughable, and the intelligence of Fulmer was being questioned if he would even remotely consider a first-time coach for the primo position of being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols.

Now, I'm no Kara Lawson expert, but as someone who was ridiculed for advocating for her to get the job despite her lack of experience, I can tell you that Kara is one of the smartest people in ALL of coaching today -- at any level. This is why I though then, and think now, that she will be a highly successful head coach at Duke. I also know that Kara is smart enough to have, herself, recognized herself that maybe the Tennessee job should go to someone with more experience. Even if she deep-down wanted the job, she's not stupid. She'd heard and read the same criticisms and, in some circles, outright over-the-top ridicule, of even the mere idea that she (or any other highly inexperienced coach) might be considered for the job.

Knowing all that, while Duke has a storied past of its own, it was NOT a job anyone considered then or now to be one of the most, if not THE most, respected positions in all of women's college basketball -- but the Tennessee job WAS that. It makes perfect sense to me that Kara would jump on that opportunity because she would be able to hit the floor running without first having to spend her first year battling media naysayers who thought it had been a huge mistake to hire a brand new head coach into that position. Duke was in a better position to take a chance on a first-time head coach, and I doubt they'll ever regret that decision.
 
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#10,107
#10,107
lvocd said:
Same here. My memory is spotty, at best. :rolleyes:

I do remember one thing very clearly, though, and that was that nearly everyone save for a few message boarders like me were heavily NOT in favor of hiring Kara or any other coach who didn't have experience coaching D1 basketball. To most, even giving Kara Lawson an interview seemed absolutely laughable, and the intelligence of Fulmer was being questioned if he would even remotely consider a first-time coach for the primo position of being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols.

Now, I'm no Kara Lawson expert, but as someone who was ridiculed for advocating for her to get the job despite her lack of experience, I can tell you that Kara is one of the smartest people in ALL of coaching today -- at any level. This is why I though then, and think now, that she will be a highly successful head coach at Duke. I also know that Kara is smart enough to have, herself, recognized herself that maybe the Tennessee job should go to someone with more experience. Even if she deep-down wanted the job, she's not stupid. She'd heard and read the same criticisms and, in some circles, outright over-the-top ridicule, of even the mere idea that she (or any other highly inexperienced coach) might be considered for the job.

Knowing all that, while Duke has a storied past of its own, it was NOT a job anyone considered then or now to be one of the most, if not THE most, respected positions in all of women's college basketball -- but the Tennessee job WAS that. It makes perfect sense to me that Kara would jump on that opportunity because she would be able to hit the floor running without first having to spend her first year battling media naysayers who thought it had been a huge mistake to hire a brand new head coach into that position. Duke was in a better position to take a chance on a first-time head coach, and I doubt they'll ever regret that decision.
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I remember it the same way as you and glv98. There were a lot of rumors but when push came to shove, Kara did not want the job and said she was happy with her broadcasting path.

From other history, particularly her dad wanting her go to a more prestigious school than UT, I think the Duke cachet was an added enticement for her to switch. I expect her to be incredibly successful though it may take a few years for her to learn the ropes and build the program.
 
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#10,108
#10,108
madtownvol said:
I remember it the same way as you and glv98. There were a lot of rumors but when push came to shove, Kara did not want the job and said she was happy with her broadcasting path.

From other history, particularly her dad wanting her go to a more prestigious school than UT, I think the Duke cachet was an added enticement for her to switch. I expect her to be incredibly successful though it may take a few years for her to learn the ropes and build the program.
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There is one issue I'm curious to find out about Kara's tenure, and that is how well (or not) the players are receiving her viral-video-worthy lectures. While old farts like me find them brilliant and inspiring, I have often wondered if 18- to 22-year-olds are as impressed and inspired by them as older people are. Sometimes it seems to me that younger people tune out anyone above 25, and they may be rolling their eyes at Kara, the Yoda of women's college basketball. My hope, of course, is that they are receiving the information and philosophy with the understanding that if they listen and take it to heart they'll be better women and players. But you never know. They could be just standing there running through a Beyoncé song in their minds while Kara is pouring out her wisdom. lol Time will tell!
 
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#10,110
#10,110
madtownvol said:
Kellie took over a final four team? No, I really think if the LVs had been a final four team, Holly Warlick would have still been coaching. Hey, but why stop with such a small exaggeration. Let's go all in on the alternative fact history:

I am unimpressed because Kellie took over a team that had just won 15 consecutive national championships and had a roster of 15 All-americans and then she lost every game!!!!!!!!

No, no, no, no, better yet, I am disappointed in Kellie because she had a roster of Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Scarlett Witch, and Lady Shazam and she could not win blah, blah.

I also agree that when Supergirl transferred, only getting Black Widow in the transfer portal was a mistake. She Hulk was available and would have provided a better post presence. Terrible super hero coaching.
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Would have been a great retort had he been talking about Kellie.
 
#10,120
#10,120
Volfan2012 said:
April fools day is gone what the heck is this? They just got in a lot of transfers and people returning. Were getting into weird territory today.
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Well, going by the breathless discussions elsewhere, the recruits come to play for the recruiters and not the head coach.
 
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