Tennessee has found its next coach to lead its women's basketball program.Kim Caldwell is leaving Marshall for Knoxville. First reported by Talia Goodman.
Caldwell replaces Kelly Harper, who was fired last week after coaching the Lady Vols for five seasons. Caldwell will be formally introduced at a news conference Tuesday, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
In Caldwell's only season at Marshall, the Thundering Herd won the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships, going 26-7 overall and 17-1 in the conference. With this performance, Marshall qualified for the NCAA Tournament as a No. 13 seed, but Hurd lost in the first round to No. 4 seed Virginia Tech.
Prior to his time at Marshall, Caldwell coached Division II Glenville State University for seven seasons and went 191-24 overall. She led the Pioneers to her 35-1 record and the program's first national championship in 2022.
Kim Caldwell has been named head coach of the prestigious Lady Vols basketball program.
welcome to rocky top @CoachKim_!
— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) April 7, 2024
Caldwell's hiring represents a change in Tennessee's philosophy under athletic director Danny White. Previously, the Lady Vols had selected candidates with ties to legendary coach Pat Summitt. Harper played at Summit and won three national championships. Her predecessor, Holly Warlick, also played at Summit and served as an assistant on her staff for 28 seasons.
That led to speculation that Tennessee would pursue Duke coach Carla Lawson, who played for the Lady Vols from 1999 to 2003. but, It is said that she never gave an interview. for the position.
“Kim has a winning formula that she has practiced everywhere she has coached, combining a fast-paced, high-octane offense and a high-pressure defense that lead to remarkable results,” White said in a school statement. ” he said.
“In this new era of college sports, it was critical that we find an innovative head coach with a proven track record of winning titles. We are eager to return the Lady Vols to a championship level. , I'm confident that Kim Caldwell will be a great coach to lead us back to the top. ”
