Kim Caldwell does not expect to make major changes to her style of play.
“I wouldn’t be here,” Caldwell said, “if I didn’t think we could do it here.”
Caldwell comes from Marshall, where her team went 17-1 in Sun Belt play. Moving into the SEC, Caldwell feels like she can be successful with her high-tempo offense and defense.
While Caldwell’s unique way of approaching the game was a consideration, athletic director Danny White appreciated her success before all else.
“We talked to other candidates that also play this style of play,” White said. “So, it was a combination of who Kim is as a leader and a coach and also the style of play.”
Here are three takeaways from Caldwell’s introduction as head coach of the Lady Vols.
Caldwell brings aggressive style to Tennessee
Caldwell’s teams play a fast, aggressive style of basketball, looking to shoot 3-pointers and create chaos defensively. Her Marshall team last year did so effectively, forcing the second most turnovers per game in Division I.
With the Lady Vols, she expects to do the same. She wants to create lots of possessions, giving her team the best chance of finding success.
“It looks like a lot of pressure, a lot of shots being taken,” Caldwell said. “Playing a lot of players, trusting your players, giving them freedom, putting them in situations where they can make good choices. Having a lot of athletes on the floor, but just making sure that we’re going to cross half court a lot but press nonstop.”
The Thundering Herd had success as a team, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. In the Sun Belt championship game, Caldwell’s Marshall team forced James Madison to turn the ball over 39 times in an overtime win.
Jewel Spear, who decided to return for a fifth season, is confident in Caldwell’s style of play.
“I like to shoot,” Spear said. “I like to defend. I can be a better defender. I think she can help me do that. … From what I’ve seen, it looks like there’s a lot of space on the court to get downhill and make plays offensively.”
First year comes with high expectations
Caldwell joins the Lady Vols after Tennessee lost in the second round. Kellie Harper, who coached Tennessee for the last five seasons, made the Sweet 16 twice.
Because of the lofty goals that come with coaching for Tennessee, Caldwell wants to establish her system early.
“We want to be the hardest playing team in the country,” Caldwell said. “We want to establish our culture. We want to score a lot of points and be an exciting brand of basketball in the SEC. We want to make people proud.”
Tennessee has a long history of greatness in women’s basketball, winning eight national championships. Although Holly Warlick’s and Harper’s tenures would be considered successes for most programs, both were fired by Tennessee.
Caldwell wants expectations to be high. She wants to be held to a high standard, and at Tennessee, that standard is Pat Summitt.
“Pat Summitt changed the game of basketball, and wouldn’t she love to see where the game is now?” Caldwell said. “I will never be Pat Summitt. Nobody can, but I will strive every day to be somebody that she would be proud of.”
Hire moves away from Lady Vols connections
Tennessee’s previous two hires, Warlick and Harper, both played for Tennessee. Although some of Tennessee’s candidates did play for the Lady Vols, others, such as Caldwell, did not.
“That would be one of the things we would consider,” White said. “Did we have a candidate pool restricted to only former players? No. But we also weren’t averse to hiring a player. It’s just one of a whole bunch of characteristics.”
Caldwell only has one season of Division I basketball experience. It was very successful, as were her seven seasons at Glenville State, a Division II program. Caldwell has won at every program, and she has an overall winning percentage of .875.
Although more experience would have made White more confident in his decision, he realized he needed to act when he did.
“I needed to see that it could happen at the Division I level,” White said. “Obviously, you’d rather have a little more of a sample size, but if you didn’t hire her this time, somebody else is going to. I think she’s going to be one of the best basketball coaches in the country.”
Throughout his career, White has made hires that don’t have major experience. When he came to Tennessee, he brought Josh Heupel with him from UCF. At Buffalo, he hired Nate Oats, who recently brought Alabama men’s basketball to a Final Four appearance.
As athletic director, White tries to move past what others think about a coach, instead trying to find something special.
“I think it’s my job to evaluate deeper than that,” White said. “Coaches become brands of themselves, and sometimes it’s because they’re a high-level player somewhere. Sometimes it’s because they’ve had success at a high-level program, and we can’t fall in love with just that brand. It’s my job to see a little more deeper into that with the substance.”