A Fresh Start: Kim Caldwell Brings Her Winning Touch to Tennessee’s Historic Women’s Basketball Program
The University of Tennessee announced on Sunday that Kim Caldwell will take over as the next women’s basketball coach.
For the previous year, Marshall’s head coach was Caldwell. In Caldwell’s first season, the Thundering Herd improved significantly from their 2022–23 9–9 conference record and 17–14 overall record to a 17–1 conference record and 26-7 overall record. Caldwell was named the 2024 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year due to her early success.
After leading the Thundering Herd to its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth and first since 1997, they defeated James Madison 95-92 in overtime to win the league title. She was also named the Sun Belt league Coach of the Year.
“From the beginning, our goal has been to find a dynamic head coach who can restore our women’s basketball program to national prominence. Kim Caldwell is the ideal person to lead us,” athletic director Danny White said in a statement. “Kim has a winning formula that she has successfully implemented everywhere she has coached, with a fast-paced, high-octane offense and pressure defense that has led to remarkable results.”
Caldwell takes over for Kellie Harper, who was sacked this summer, as the most successful women’s basketball program attempts to make a run at the top of the league. Tennessee went 108-52 in Harper’s five seasons as head coach of the Lady Vols, although the team never finished higher than third in the SEC. Despite four postseason trips, they were never able to advance past the Sweet 16.
“I am honored and humbled to accept the role as head coach of this historic program at the University of Tennessee,” Caldwell said in a statement. “I can’t help but reflect on accepting the Pat Summitt Trophy three seasons ago and be moved by the great responsibility and opportunity of now leading and building upon the incredible Lady Vol tradition she built.”
After leading Glenville State to its first-ever Division II national championship in the 2021–2022 season, Caldwell was awarded the Pat Summitt Trophy, which is given annually to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in each of the five membership divisions (Divisions I, II, and III, NAIA, and two-year college).
During his seven years as Glenville State’s coach, Caldwell amassed a 191-24 overall record.
There will be a press conference on campus on Tuesday where Caldwell will be announced as the Tennessee coach.
(Photo: Ryan Hunt / Getty Images)