KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee hired Marshall's Kim Caldwell as the Lady Vol's new women's basketball head coach. This is the first time UT has gone outside Lady Vol connections since Pat Summitt.
On Sunday afternoon, Athletic Director Danny White said, "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."
Caldwell is just the fourth Lady Vol head coach in NCAA basketball history. She replaces former head coach Kellie Harper, who was fired less than a week ago.
She comes to Tennessee with eight years of college coaching experience but just one year at the Division I level. For seven seasons, Caldwell head coached at her alma mater, Glenville State. There, she led the team to a 2022 Division II national championship.
In her first year coaching DI, Caldwell led Marshall to a 26-7 overall record and went 17-1 in Sun Belt conference play. Caldwell completely turned the program around, and the team became regular season and conference champions.
"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," White said. "We are eager to return the Lady Vols to a championship level, and we're confident that Kim Caldwell is the coach who can lead us back to the top."
This season, Caldwell also gave Marshall their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1997.
For her success at Marshall, Caldwell was awarded D1 Rookie Coach of the Year. She's excited to head coach a legendary women's basketball program and continue her history of winning.
"I am honored and humbled to accept the role as head coach of this historic program at the University of Tennessee," Caldwell said. "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. I am so excited to get to work and can't wait to see what we all can accomplish together."