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

[Volfan2012]

For those of you who continue to try to spin this into the greatest hire ever (which it isn't), what is your expectation for next year?

If she makes the NCAA, she probably has at least one more year. But what if she doesn't or Tennessee ends up very near the bottom in the conference. You still on board and singing the praises of the AD?

This hire was a very risky gamble, and she will not get the benefit of being a former Lady Vol. The team tanks next year and we go through this again next March. I hope she is successful, but it is not a given. The SEC is not the Sun Belt or D2. She doesn't have the players to run the offense she wants and beat the best of the best.

I think the first sign will be who she selects from the portal. If by chance those 4 former Marshall players end up her, that shows she doesn't recognize the difference between the Sun Belt and the SEC. If she works the portal and brings in the best of those available - then she does understand - this isn't Marshall, this isn't Glenville State - this is Tennessee, and the expectation is to be the best in the best conference in D1.

And she may have to alter her style to adhere to the players she has if she wants to win.

Next season is going to be crazy and none on here, not me, not the sunshine pumpers, not the naysayers, know how this will play out. She doesn't have the experience - it could be a good thing or it could be a very bad thing very quickly.

Can't make an expectation prediction until I know who all the players are on the team. When that is finalized I will have an expectation for next season.

 

[brittannica]

For those of you who continue to try to spin this into the greatest hire ever (which it isn't), what is your expectation for next year?

If she makes the NCAA, she probably has at least one more year. But what if she doesn't or Tennessee ends up very near the bottom in the conference. You still on board and singing the praises of the AD?

This hire was a very risky gamble, and she will not get the benefit of being a former Lady Vol. The team tanks next year and we go through this again next March. I hope she is successful, but it is not a given. The SEC is not the Sun Belt or D2. She doesn't have the players to run the offense she wants and beat the best of the best.

I think the first sign will be who she selects from the portal. If by chance those 4 former Marshall players end up her, that shows she doesn't recognize the difference between the Sun Belt and the SEC. If she works the portal and brings in the best of those available - then she does understand - this isn't Marshall, this isn't Glenville State - this is Tennessee, and the expectation is to be the best in the best conference in D1.

And she may have to alter her style to adhere to the players she has if she wants to win.

Next season is going to be crazy and none on here, not me, not the sunshine pumpers, not the naysayers, know how this will play out. She doesn't have the experience - it could be a good thing or it could be a very bad thing very quickly.

It’s nice to see all the grace being given to Marshall’s NCAA tourney performance! I’m certain our Lady Vols will be shown the same if they struggle this year

 

[VolBall09]

For those of you who continue to try to spin this into the greatest hire ever (which it isn't), what is your expectation for next year?

If she makes the NCAA, she probably has at least one more year. But what if she doesn't or Tennessee ends up very near the bottom in the conference. You still on board and singing the praises of the AD?

This hire was a very risky gamble, and she will not get the benefit of being a former Lady Vol. The team tanks next year and we go through this again next March. I hope she is successful, but it is not a given. The SEC is not the Sun Belt or D2. She doesn't have the players to run the offense she wants and beat the best of the best.

I think the first sign will be who she selects from the portal. If by chance those 4 former Marshall players end up her, that shows she doesn't recognize the difference between the Sun Belt and the SEC. If she works the portal and brings in the best of those available - then she does understand - this isn't Marshall, this isn't Glenville State - this is Tennessee, and the expectation is to be the best in the best conference in D1.

And she may have to alter her style to adhere to the players she has if she wants to win.

Next season is going to be crazy and none on here, not me, not the sunshine pumpers, not the naysayers, know how this will play out. She doesn't have the experience - it could be a good thing or it could be a very bad thing very quickly.

Do you get tired from your own negativity or does it energize you?

 

[glv98]

Do you get tired from your own negativity or does it energize you?

Oh the irony!!

 

[VolBall09]

Oh the irony!!

There was plenty to be negative about with the Harpers.

We had 5 seasons of evidence it wasn’t happening.

The incessant negativity from yall around the new hire is laughable. She hasn’t coached a game yet at Tenneseee and yall can’t wait to see her fail. It’s pretty sad.

Hard to understand how someone can consider their self a Lady Vol basketball fan and actively route for them to be unsuccessful.

Kellie and Jon aren’t coming back (thank GOD) and some of yall need to process and move on.

Maybe if they land at Marquette you can all head on over to their message board and pump ya girl up for another 12-15 loss season.

 

[the_great_pumpkin]

We need to come together and vote on a name nickname or abbreviation

I’m for KC or KCS

Cant be Kim for obvious reasons and Caldwell is long

I vote for KC. Missouri or Kansas

 

[Dadof2Vols]

This coach has everything to do w this roster. It’s her team. And she must improve on it immediately. Which is why a coach who could bring SEC level talent and was a proven recruiter was so vital.

As far as giving chances, message board posters have no role in that. Season ticket holders and donors do. Of course I wish the LVs the best. But with the level the SEC is at, this is a monumental hill to climb

Interesting I have read so many that said CKJH roster wasn’t her fault it was the fault of all of us and the big donors who wouldn’t open their pockets for NIL….

 

[Dadof2Vols]

I do really think conversations were had after the OSU and MTSU losses.

Wonder if that questioning/conversation with DW was also met with the we will watch the tape and figure it out kind of comment or if it was met with a concrete plan.

From what I have heard DW during interviews is big on a prospective coaches detailed plan. If CKJH did not have a convincing plan other than injury healing and grow the team, DW may have lost confidence after OSU and MTSU or at some other point along the way.

He has been here for 3 years, I would assume he is constantly asking coaches for their updated strategic and tactile plans…

 

[VolBall09]

Wonder if that questioning/conversation with DW was also met with the we will watch the tape and figure it out kind of comment or if it was met with a concrete plan.

From what I have heard DW during interviews is big on a prospective coaches detailed plan. If CKJH did not have a convincing plan other than injury healing and grow the team, DW may have lost confidence after OSU and MTSU or at some other point along the way.

He has been here for 3 years, I would assume he is constantly asking coaches for their updated strategic and tactile plans…

Yeah it just all adds up over time. It was impossible for the Harpers to give him and end of season plan as well because they never knew what their roster was going to look like.

Said it a few times already but that’s really tough for the AD to buy what you’re selling on a bunch of hypotheticals.

I’m a business owner/doctor now, but when I was an employed doc it would have been very similar to me telling a superior all the amazing things I was going to do for the clinic, but not having any patients on my schedule. Lol

 

[Amb3096]

For those of you who continue to try to spin this into the greatest hire ever (which it isn't), what is your expectation for next year?

If she makes the NCAA, she probably has at least one more year. But what if she doesn't or Tennessee ends up very near the bottom in the conference. You still on board and singing the praises of the AD?

This hire was a very risky gamble, and she will not get the benefit of being a former Lady Vol. The team tanks next year and we go through this again next March. I hope she is successful, but it is not a given. The SEC is not the Sun Belt or D2. She doesn't have the players to run the offense she wants and beat the best of the best.

I think the first sign will be who she selects from the portal. If by chance those 4 former Marshall players end up her, that shows she doesn't recognize the difference between the Sun Belt and the SEC. If she works the portal and brings in the best of those available - then she does understand - this isn't Marshall, this isn't Glenville State - this is Tennessee, and the expectation is to be the best in the best conference in D1.

And she may have to alter her style to adhere to the players she has if she wants to win.

Next season is going to be crazy and none on here, not me, not the sunshine pumpers, not the naysayers, know how this will play out. She doesn't have the experience - it could be a good thing or it could be a very bad thing very quickly.

It's not a given that Tennessee would have made the NCAAT next year either. Let's say players don't transfer, and they don't make the tournament. That's with Kellie's players, so not really Kim's fault; just shows the state in which she inherited the program. By year 2 is when she should start getting her own recruits, and we'll see where things go from there.

 

[37620VOL]

It's not a given that Tennessee would have made the NCAAT next year either. Let's say players don't transfer, and they don't make the tournament. That's with Kellie's players, so not really Kim's fault; just shows the state in which she inherited the program. By year 2 is when she should start getting her own recruits, and we'll see where things go from there.

She needs to have 4 of her own recruits by the end of April

 

[brittannica]

It's not a given that Tennessee would have made the NCAAT next year either. Let's say players don't transfer, and they don't make the tournament. That's with Kellie's players, so not really Kim's fault; just shows the state in which she inherited the program. By year 2 is when she should start getting her own recruits, and we'll see where things go from there.

I think that’s fair, but I don’t know that she will get that level of grace from fans and national media. High risk, high reward scenarios draw a lot of eyes, and it would not surprise me to see her draw a lot of attention given how unexpected the hire was. Any extraordinary accomplishments or failings will likely be overblown as well. I joked with my partner she should welcome this experience as “hi, pressure” because even tho we’ve fallen off in the last decade expectations, fairly or not, remain high.

 

[Amb3096]

I think that’s fair, but I don’t know that she will get that level of grace from fans and national media. High risk, high reward scenarios draw a lot of eyes, and it would not surprise me to see her draw a lot of attention given how unexpected the hire was. Any extraordinary accomplishments or failings will likely be overblown as well. I joked with my partner she should welcome this experience as “hi, pressure” because even tho we’ve fallen off in the last decade expectations, fairly or not, remain high.

The biggest challenge will be the Kellie stans who will be quick to say "I TOLD you so!!!!" if she doesn't have immediate success. I'm hoping that DW is envisioning more of a 3-year plan rather than expecting her to turn things around immediately. Also hoping to your point that KC has thick skin...

 

[overseasorange2]

At least she’s hot

I can't find her age, even on Wikipedia

 

[Dadof2Vols]

This happens to me on the women’s basketball subreddit all the time. Suddenly I realize I’m arguing with someone who only has knowledge of this century, and I feel old and foolish of which I am neither.

It is a balancing act, I have so much learned (the hard way) knowledge and experience to impart to my UT Junior Son and UT Grad Assistant daughter but they also have so much knowledge to teach me on how things have changed.

The key for all of us including the new Coach Kim is how to remember and learn from history while embracing new innovative ways that we might not easily accept.

I really think that is key for Coach Kim. She must not be so stuck on her system that she can’t adapt to the players she has until she has learned to recruit her players at this level.

I have read this maybe the first year that CJH can run his full system in football as it has taken him this long to get his players and them fully learn how he wants them to play.

That is not to say I don’t expect Kim to run her system but she may not be able to press 40 minutes right away and she will have to have half court sets to be successful.

 

[spojo13]

The biggest challenge will be the Kellie stans who will be quick to say "I TOLD you so!!!!" if she doesn't have immediate success. I'm hoping that DW is envisioning more of a 3-year plan rather than expecting her to turn things around immediately. Also hoping to your point that KC has thick skin...

I think the other problem working against her is that it is going to be hard to show immediate improvement. Heupel had nowhere to go but up in his first year after Cornbread. He did succeed that and built positive momentum immediately. Vitello was the same way after his predecessor. Barnes followed Tyndall. For Caldwell to show improvement would mean winning more than 20, finishing higher than 4th in the SEC, making it to Sweet Sixteen. It’s going to be really hard to show improvement in results that way. She may do all that her first year. I think the most likely places where she can show improvement early would be recruiting success, game planning and maybe player development.

 

[tim]

I think the other problem working against her is that it is going to be hard to show immediate improvement. Heupel had nowhere to go but up in his first year after Cornbread. He did succeed that and built positive momentum immediately. Vitello was the same way after his predecessor. Barnes followed Tyndall. For Caldwell to show improvement would mean winning more than 20, finishing higher than 4th in the SEC, making it to Sweet Sixteen. It’s going to be really hard to show improvement in results that way. She may do all that her first year. I think the most likely places where she can show improvement early would be recruiting success, game planning and maybe player development.

If we accomplish fewer than 470 turnovers it’s a win for me.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but some folks need to take the orange glasses off and see this program for what it is. The Lady Vol's "brand" just simply isn't what it used to be. The longer Pat Summitt is gone, the farther this program slips into mediocrity. Pat Summitt was the face of women's college basketball for a very long time. She was a once in a lifetime talent. However, women's college basketball, and all of college sports for that matter, is a different animal today than it was in the 90's and early 2000's. The game evolved, but the Lady Vol's program unfortunately, and in my opinion, foolishly needed to keep the memory of the Summitt legacy ongoing with its previous 2 coaching hires. With the introduction of NIL and a generation of young individuals who are more worried about what to post on Tik Tok or how many followers they have on Instagram, I think even coach Summitt would look at the game, and the individuals playing it today, and say, "No thanks, I'll pass."

I think it's good that DW went out of the Lady Vol's family tree to find a coach. While the last two coaches were close to this program, they had a mountainous shadow cast over them and the ghost of season's past visited them often. This fanbase desperately clung to the hope that a Summitt connected coach could keep the Lady Vol's legacy on track only to be met with growing disappointment year after year. A young, talented, eager coach with no ties to Tennessee, but has a record of winning, may be the best thing DW could have done. Yeah, yeah, yeah, she was a DII coach, she coached at Marshall, it wasn't in the SEC...I know. But why would any successful and well established coach come to Tennessee only to get constantly compared to the Legend that has her own statue on campus and the floor you play on night after night bears her name? The answer is, they wouldn't. Summitt's shoes are impossible to fill. Not only that, they were a limited edition one-off pair. Tennessee just got new shoes. Give Caldwell a chance. Who knows, maybe she'll create her own legacy here.

Almost sounds like the KY MBB story except MBB coaches will leave a school in a minute to chase $$s….

 

[gule]

recruiting and signing a real live walking and talking hs player would be an improvement over ckjh

 

[Dadof2Vols]

I, too, have concerns about recruiting with Coach Caldwell. That said, I hope her first interview is with Coach Sam and she retains her on the staff. If that happens, we have someone who,at least, has contact and familiarity, if not a full blown relationship, with the recruits she will likely need.
I think people are putting too much into a comment from a year ago. Once Coach Caldwell gets in the door, I will bet she knows how to close!

Jim

I agree with Coach Sam. At least retain her for two years until Coach Kim gets her SEC feet under her. After two, reevaluate and go from there.

 

[Volfan2012]

He certainly gave her the incentive to give it all she has in the job.

 

[volforlife10]

recruiting and signing a real live walking and talking hs player would be an improvement over ckjh

well harper did sign and bring boyd here who is gonna suprise people, but nonetheless i get your point

 

[butchna]

Not to mention none of those players were hers.

She brought two.

 

[37620VOL]

View attachment 633162He certainly gave her the incentive to give it all she has in the job.

But all the realistic incentives are kind of - meh

 

[Dadof2Vols]

How did we do the year before Heupel took over? And, were there any other headwinds at the time? Help me remember.

Wonder why they showed all three years and not just last two?