It has been a whirlwind of a week for Tennessee women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell.
Less than week after welcoming the birth of her first child, the Lady Vols’ first-year coach is back on the sidelines for No. 17 Tennessee’s game Monday vs. No. 2 South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The official announcement from the Caldwell family came by way of the Lady Vols’ official X account (formerly Twitter) on Thursday in the leadup to their game at No. 7 Texas. It also came at the start of a challenging five-game stretch in Caldwell’s first season in Knoxville, where she has returned a sense of excitement and national discourse to one of women’s college basketball’s premier programs.
Despite being 15-4 overall and 3-4 in SEC play on the season, the Lady Vols have come up short by a combined eight points in those four losses, including an 80-76 defeat at No. 7 Texas, a game for which Caldwell did not travel.
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Serving as the Lady Vols’ interim coach was assistant coach Jenna Burdette, who worked with Caldwell in each of her previous two stops at Glenville State and Marshall before arriving at Rocky Top this past offseason.
Here’s what you need to know about Caldwell following the birth of her child:
Did Kim Caldwell have a baby?
Yes, the Lady Vols coach gave birth to a baby boy. It is her and husband Justin Caldwell’s first child.
Kim Caldwell said during media availability on Sunday that she gave birth on Monday, Jan. 20 and returned to practice on Friday, a day after the Lady Vols lost to Texas.
“Head coach Kim Caldwell did not accompany the Tennessee women’s basketball team to Austin for tonight’s game at Texas. She and husband Justin are the proud parents of new son, Conor Scott Caldwell. Mom, dad and baby are doing well,” the Lady Vols announced in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
When did Kim Caldwell have a baby?
Tennessee announced before No. 17 Tennessee’s game at No. 7 Texas on Thursday that Kim Caldwell gave birth to a baby boy. The post on X was dated for 7 p.m. ET, one hour before tipoff between the Lady Vols and Longhorns.
During media availability on Sunday, the Lady Vols coach clarified that she gave birth on Monday.
Kim Caldwell says she plans to coach tomorrow for the No. 17 Lady Vols vs No. 2 South Carolina.
Caldwell gave birth to her son, Conor, last week on Monday. She only missed one game, Tennessee at Texas, due to the delivery and was back in practice on Friday
— Cora Hall (@corahalll) January 26, 2025
What is Kim Caldwell’s baby’s name?
Kim Caldwell and husband Justin named their baby boy Conor Scott Caldwell. As noted by Cora Hall of Knox News, he is the first child for the Caldwells, who were married in May 2023.
How many games has Kim Caldwell missed?
Heading into Monday night’s game between Tennessee and South Carolina, Caldwell has only missed one game during her pregnancy: the Lady Vols’ game at Texas on Thursday.
At that media availability on Sunday, Kim Caldwell told assembled media members in Knoxville that she plans to coach against South Carolina on Monday. Additionally, her announced that she returned to practice on Friday.
“It was good,” Caldwell said Sunday on returning to practice. “It’s hard to leave your little one, but then you missed your team, and you kind of feel like you were just not there for them. And so to be back and to be around them and to just be back in your routine was good.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did Kim Caldwell have a baby? What to know of Lady Vols coach
