Kim Caldwell Is Running Out Of Hard Truths To Deliver

Asked what advice she’d give Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell after the Lady Vols’ 93-50 loss to South Carolina on Sunday, a diplomatic Dawn Staley demurred: “I probably wouldn’t say it publicly.” That makes one! Caldwell, at her postgame press conference, had a lot to say publicly in the wake of the worst loss in program history.

“We just had a lot of quit in us tonight, and that’s been something that’s been consistent with our team,” Caldwell said. “When we’re not comfortable and things don’t go our way, I have a team that’ll just quit on you. And you can’t do that in big games—you can't do that any time in the SEC, but you certainly can't do that at a program like this.” 

It was only a year ago that things were looking up for Tennessee and a just-hired Caldwell. Last February, the Lady Vols beat UConn to end an 18-year drought in their rivalry series. The win seemed to validate athletic director Danny White’s decision to hire someone with no prior connection to the program. Since Pat Summitt’s death, Tennessee had only considered and hired former players and assistants of hers. Caldwell, previously the coach at Marshall, was hired for her distinctive system, which focuses on creating as many offensive possessions as possible by forcing turnovers with a press, and shooting early in the clock. To keep the team in shape for this brand of play, Caldwell uses hockey-style line substitutions.