On March 22, at Blacksburg, Virginia, during the second half of the Thundering Herd’s NCAA Tournament loss to Virginia Tech, head coach Kim Caldwell of Marshall looks on. As the Tennessee Lady Vols’ new head coach, Caldwell isn’t holding back when it comes to her goal of returning the team to its heyday.
As only the team’s fourth head coach in the NCAA era, Tennessee athletic director Danny White moved swiftly and outside the storied Lady Vols program to choose Marshall coach Kim Caldwell.
On Sunday, only a few hours before the women’s national championship game, White made the hiring announcement. The Lady Vols haven’t participated in this match since they won Pat Summitt’s eighth and final national championship in 2008.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Caldwell will be presented, bringing an end to the hunt that began on April 1 when White dismissed Kellie Harper following five seasons at her alma mater with a 108-52 record. After going 172-67 in seven seasons, she was sacked, promoted to replace Summitt, and replaced Holly Warlick.
White released a statement, saying, “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 would be a great leader for us.”
Caldwell will receive $750,000 in basic pay annually from Tennessee through March 2029 as part of the memorandum of understanding that was signed this morning. A provision for a compensation increase prior to May 1st of each season in which she wins a national championship is included in the agreement.
Caldwell’s accomplishments at Marshall, where she went 26-7 to secure the program’s second NCAA Tournament berth ever and first since 1997, earned her the 2024 Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year award. In her eight seasons as head coach, she is 217-31.
She led her alma mater Glenville State to the 2022 Division II national title and has earned seven NCAA Tournament berths. Caldwell won the Pat Summitt Trophy for the 2021-22 season as the WBCA’s NCAA Division II coach of the year.
Caldwell said in a statement she was humbled to accept this job at a historic program.
“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,” Caldwell said.
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