Kim Caldwell used to be presented because the fourth trainer in Tennessee ladies’s basketball historical past (all through the NCAA technology) on Tuesday. All the way through her press convention, she made it transparent that she is able to face the problem of taking on some of the completed techniques within the recreation.
“You need to be someplace the place the expectancies are excessive,” Caldwell informed journalists. “I have by no means been occupied with a task that did not have excessive expectancies and a faithful fanbase.”
The expectancy in Knoxville is for Caldwell to win championships and raise the Woman Vols again to the heights they reached beneath mythical trainer Pat Summitt, who gained 8 nationwide championships. Athletic director Danny White equipped an incentive in Caldwell’s contract to succeed in that purpose, placing a clause within the settlement that will make her the highest-paid trainer in ladies’s faculty basketball if she wins a countrywide identify.
“I did that as a result of I sought after y’all to look that,” White stated, in step with the Knoxville Information Sentinel‘s Mike Wilson. “I did that ahead of I knew who we have been hiring. I didn’t know if we have been going to spend multi-(tens of millions), seven figures on a brand new trainer or if we have been going to spend what we spent.”
Caldwell’s five-year contract pays her a $750,000 annual wage. That determine ranks her 7th amongst SEC coaches. South Carolina’s Daybreak Staley and LSU’s Kim Mulkey earn greater than $3 million every.
The brand new Woman Vols trainer didn’t cringe when requested if the high-scoring offense with an emphasis on three-point photographs that she’s featured all over her occupation would carry out smartly within the SEC towards larger groups like nationwide champion South Carolina and LSU.
“I would not be right here if I did not assume shall we do it right here,” stated Caldwell.
Kim Caldwell’s reaction when requested if she wishes to modify her taste of play now that she’s within the SEC.
“I would not be right here if I did not assume shall we do it right here.”#LadyVols %.twitter.com/ikmvfu1m21
— WATE Sports activities (@WATESports) April 9, 2024
But the brand new trainer additionally confirmed a humorousness, sharing that she used to be excited to get a textual content message from Peyton Manning. She additionally joked that each one of her textual content messages to recruits at the moment are getting responses.
Caldwell replaces Kellie Harper, who by no means completed upper than 3rd within the SEC nor complicated past the NCAA event Candy 16 all through her 5 seasons.
When Caldwell’s hiring used to be reported on Sunday, some Woman Vols fanatics wondered whether or not a trainer who best has 365 days of Department I revel in used to be as much as the duty of reviving an acclaimed logo. However in her lone season at Marshall, the Thundering Herd gained the Solar Belt regular-season and event titles with a 26–7 document (17–1 in convention).
Caldwell used to be significantly a hit at Department II Glenville State, her alma mater. In seven seasons, she compiled a 191–24 document that features a 35–1 document and nationwide championship in 2022.
Alternatively, Caldwell is aware of that training in Summitt’s shadow is a substantial enterprise. Along with the ones 8 nationwide championships, Summitt had essentially the most wins in ladies’s faculty basketball (1,098) till Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer handed her in 2020.
“I can by no means be Pat Summitt. No one can,” Caldwell stated. “However I can attempt each day to be any individual she can be happy with.”