Official: UT hires Kim Caldwell as the new coach for Lady Vols basketball

[glv98]

HMMM. Who allowed the team to have those deep holes? Have you seen any of her recruits here at TN? Perhaps if you waited until the recruiting and portal cycles were completed you would have a better argument than “I think”.

Listen I hope DW pulls this jumbo sized unicorn out his arse as much as anyone. But I can see the odds. And I just can’t understand why he needed to take this kind of gamble

 

[JohnnyPayne]

Of course. Just what I thought. You know nothing, but want to troll like you do.

I don’t know names. I’ve said early on that we’ve been turned down a lot. If hiring a d2 coach doesn’t confirm my stance, it’s at least pretty obvious.

 

[Exiled]

I don’t know names. I’ve said early on that we’ve been turned down a lot. If hiring a d2 coach doesn’t confirm my stance, it’s at least pretty obvious.

Just because you said we were turned down doesn’t make it true. Just you spouting off with no real knowledge of what transpired. Hiring an up and coming D1 coach (at least try to get your facts straight) is not an indication of anything other than DW and others were impressed with her resume and interview.

 

[Exiled]

Listen I hope DW pulls this jumbo sized unicorn out his arse as much as anyone. But I can see the odds. And I just can’t understand why he needed to take this kind of gamble

Hiring anyone for a position is a risk. Much less a high level Coach. But, to write the coach off and continue with all of the negative drivel without knowing how the process went, who was interviewed, whose plan to get the LV back in the mix for a championship (which they haven’t been for a very long time now) was best or any of the other myriad details that went into the hiring is futile to say the least. Predicting disastrous results without even seeing a practice or who is recruited or who transfers out and in is weak. Weak minded and weak willed.

 

[DaddyChad]

This has been played out. She’s like our 8th choice. Let it go. She may be great.

Second choice.

 

[JohnnyPayne]

Second choice.

If second is a general term for all encompassing…We went down the list pretty far

 

[Alto1]

Hiring anyone for a position is a risk. Much less a high level Coach. But, to write the coach off and continue with all of the negative drivel without knowing how the process went, who was interviewed, whose plan to get the LV back in the mix for a championship (which they haven’t been for a very long time now) was best or any of the other myriad details that went into the hiring is futile to say the least. Predicting disastrous results without even seeing a practice or who is recruited or who transfers out and in is weak. Weak minded and weak willed.

Ignorant covers this as well…..

 

[JohnnyPayne]

Second choice.

Keep saying it and I’m sure it’ll come true…

 

[Alto1]

Sorry, but I disagree with you. KH was 12-37 against ranked opponents. Her wins came from mediocre & bad teams. She only recruited 3 Freshmen in the past two years. You can't sustain a program with JC transfers and portal gains. In the Women's game, the players usually stay in school for 4 years (no one and done). It's important to go out and get Freshmen. Who knows? There might be a Ju-Ju or Hildago in the class.

Great post!

 

[jeebie]

A presser is scheduled for Tuesday announcing CKC as the new head coach per Caleb Calhoun on today's Off The Hook podcast.

We'll see if Kim Caldwell brings in her husband Justin as an assistant coach like you know who did. Justin is an assistant men's basketball coach at Marshall. I don't see them being apart as they've been married less than a year and he has to work somewhere.

 

[madtownvol]

We'll see if Kim Caldwell brings in her husband Justin as an assistant coach like you know who did. Justin is an assistant men's basketball coach at Marshall. I don't see them being apart as they've been married less than a year and he has to work somewhere.

Has Kellie become the one who shall not be named? Should we erase Kellie's five seasons as head coach from the LV history book?

 

[jeebie]

Has Kellie become the one who shall not be named? Should we erase Kellie's five seasons as head coach from the LV history book?

That was not my intention. Who I'm talking about should be obvious.

 

[Proud Army Wife]

I have no words after reading that quote.

This right here blows my mind, yet those praising this hire have bashed my reservations. Has Danny been a great AD for us, yes but let’s not act like he’s beyond reproach.

 

[papatomany]

a Dooley-like hire

Not even close. Dooley was 18-20 or some such at Louisiana Tech.

 

[madtownvol]

I have no words after reading that quote.

Volstylexx is going through some tough times right now. He predicted that Hammon, Staley, Gottlieb, Schaefer, and Moore would be lined up outside of Danny White's door begging for the job because of "the LV brand" and that White would spend whatever $ needed becasue he does not tolerate less than a championship. When none that happened, he has pivoted to the idea that the great Danny White could have had anyone he wanted but was just too cheap to make a great hire.

But let's break this down. Marshall losing to Va tech in the NCAA tournament opening round is more a reflection of the massive talent gap between the 2 schools. Marshall is not a powerhouse, even if they won their conference. As for her saying that she we will have to learn to recruit at the D1, well there is a lot she will have to learn about life as a d1 coach. What is could she say?. Let's hope she is a fast learner.

While I don't think Danny White is infallible, he clearly is not incompetent. I am sure he had significant conversations about recruiting when making this decision. Again, how she actually does remains an open question but no reason to get the pitch forks out yet.

As for a player transferring, that happens and it could have been for a 100 reasons that had nothing to do with the coach.

You have seen the pluses related to overall coaching success. Yes at D2 and Marshall but she has been able to win at every level. Maybe she really has that intangible it factor.

Right now, many people are being very ego-invested in being "right" about the hire (its great! its a catastrophe!!). But it is just generating a lot needless negativity. Caldwell is now the coach and that ain;t changing. So, we might as well hope for the best.

 

[turbovol]

Hiring anyone for a position is a risk. Much less a high level Coach. But, to write the coach off and continue with all of the negative drivel without knowing how the process went, who was interviewed, whose plan to get the LV back in the mix for a championship (which they haven’t been for a very long time now) was best or any of the other myriad details that went into the hiring is futile to say the least. Predicting disastrous results without even seeing a practice or who is recruited or who transfers out and in is weak. Weak minded and weak willed.

The only person who was weak-minded and weak-willed is White. The women's team was a premier college brand in America under Summitt for close to 20 years. The program brought a ton of good publicity to the university--a ton. Then Summitt retired--and we've essentially been an also-ran ever since. Haven't been to the Final Four in 15 years.

Why? Bad hires. Two hires of coaches that were--get this--not proven winners at the major-college level. It was time to hire a proven major winner--that is what serious majors do. When the Southern Cal men's program needed a new coach, they hired away Mussleman from Arkansas. When Arkansas needed a new coach, they tried to hire away Beard from Mississippi, then the coach at Kansas State--major programs. No luck--and now they've hired away Calipari from Kentucky--a huge fish. They didn't go looking for a coach one year removed from Div. II.--somebody unproven and cheap. White has essentially repeated what got the program in the first place--except the new coach has even less experience than the two previous coaches who failed. (Warlick didn't have head experience, but she was an assistant here for more than 15 years).

Of course the new coach might succeed--that can be said of anyone. Of course a major-college hire might not succeed. That's not the point. The point is that the program should be and is bigger than this kind of hire. He's essentially disrespected his own program. It's also a rather lazy hire, as it always is when you reach way down to get somebody. It's not like had to sweat out trying to land a proven coach.

So, yea, it's done, we'll see--it's all we can do. If she turns into a brilliant hire, then great: I'll eat a hat and call White a genius. But it was a rather lame effort--again.

 

[turbovol]

Not even close. Dooley was 18-20 or some such at Louisiana Tech.

It's very Dooly-like--a reach down to a mid-major level school (one year of D1). She might have become a hot property in 3/4 years. Hard to say. Nobody is a hot property after 1 year in Div. 1, no matter how nice the record. No major men's program equivalent to our women's program would hire someone with as thin as background--fact. She might work out; reaches sometimes do; often they don't. It's the lack of ambition that's annoying. I'm positive she was dumbfounded to get the initial call.

 

[papatomany]

Why should female athletes have to be “ladies”? Do you have the same standard for male athletes to be “gentleman”? The sexist comments here sometimes are unbelievable.

Well, I do, but I'm sure I'm in the minority.

 

[BigALWiLson]

Because absent an absolute recruiting miracle from a coach who just told us she doesn’t know how to recruit at this level, our roster has deep holes that a coach with no experience at this level has very minimal realistic chances of covering. Other than that. . .

Marshalls roster had holes also. Check out the previous record before winning the conference in year 1 and making the NCAA

 

[BigALWiLson]

This right here blows my mind, yet those praising this hire have bashed my reservations. Has Danny been a great AD for us, yes but let’s not act like he’s beyond reproach.

I don't believe Danny is above anything. So my thoughts are that he interveiwed several young coaches. I believe he likely made the call to Gotlieb and was told thanks but no. He didn't waste time and I think he wanted a younger coach and based on his interviews she was the nost impressive even if just 1 year at D1. Her record as a HC is undeniable. He was willing to take that chance, we should embrace it as well

 

[Deebowbear]

We'll see if Kim Caldwell brings in her husband Justin as an assistant coach like you know who did. Justin is an assistant men's basketball coach at Marshall. I don't see them being apart as they've been married less than a year and he has to work somewhere.

He find job ut has connections

 

[Majac]

Those who want to win a a major university and play for a coach who will prepare them for a bigger and better future.

Jury still out on that one.

 

[Memvol44]

I hope she is burning the phone lines up!!! Lots to do. Go get them!!

 

[volfan102455]

So we now know that at least 2 other coaches with more experience said no and there may be others. KC was not the first choice. I realize the university is not going to say that and will continue the publicity to try to make this look like the greatest hire ever, but it wasn't. Though it would probably be more acceptable to folks and allow them to move on and rally behind her if they realized she was the best that said yes and that with the coaching search there was at least an attempt to secure a coach with more experience / success at the D1 level.

Just admit those others said no and let the chip be on this coach and the future Lady Vols to make them wish they had said yes.

 

[glv98]

So we now know that at least 2 other coaches with more experience said no and there may be others. KC was not the first choice. I realize the university is not going to say that and will continue the publicity to try to make this look like the greatest hire ever, but it wasn't. Though it would probably be more acceptable to folks and allow them to move on and rally behind her if they realized she was the best that said yes and that with the coaching search there was at least an attempt to secure a coach with more experience / success at the D1 level.

Just admit those others said no and let the chip be on this coach and the future Lady Vols to make them wish they had said yes.

Thanks I’m trying to wrap my head around exactly that. Simply no one wanted it. That’s a stunner for longtime fans. Also makes it surprising DW didn’t just stick w Harper plus NIL funding for another year.

And yes, the desperate cheerleading this hire is painful but what else are you going to do. My PR angle might be everybody loves an underdog and you can’t be much more of an underdog than this coach and this roster right now.