BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA – MARCH 22: Head coach Kim Caldwell of the Marshall Thundering Herd comforts Tamia Lawhorne during an NCAA tournament game. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Tennessee has found the next coach to lead its women's basketball program. Kim Caldwell will be leaving Marshall for Knoxville, Talia Goodman first reported.
Caldwell takes over for Kellie Harper, who was fired last week after five seasons as coach of the Lady Vols. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Caldwell will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday.
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. That performance earned Marshall an NCAA Tournament berth as a No. 13 seed, but the Herd lost in the first round to No. 4 seed Virginia Tech.
Prior to her tenure at Marshall, Caldwell coached at Division II Glenville State for seven seasons, compiling an overall record of 191-24. She led the Pioneers to a 35-1 record and the program's first national championship in 2022.
Kim Caldwell has been named head coach of the storied Lady Vols basketball program.
Welcome to Rocky Top @CoachKim_!
— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) April 7, 2024
Caldwell's hiring represents a shift in Tennessee's philosophy under athletic director Danny White. Previously, the Lady Vols had chosen candidates with ties to legendary coach Pat Summitt. Harper played for Summitt and won three national championships. Her predecessor, Holly Warlick, also played for Summitt and was an assistant on her staff for 28 seasons.
This led to speculation that Tennessee would hire Duke coach Kara Lawson, who played for the Lady Vols from 1999 to 2003. However, she reportedly never interviewed for the position.
“Kim has a winning formula that she has successfully implemented wherever she has coached, with a fast-paced, dynamic attack and a high-pressure defense that has produced remarkable results,” White said in the school’s official announcement.
“In this new era of collegiate sports, it was critical that we find an innovative head coach with a strong track record of winning titles. We are committed to getting the Lady Vols back to a championship level and we are confident that Kim Caldwell can do that. The coach who can lead us back to the top.
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