Tennessee women’s basketball has its coach.
The Lady Vols announced Kim Caldwell as their next coach on Sunday, replacing Kellie Harper, who was fired after Tennessee’s season ended after falling in the second round of the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament.
REQUIRED READING: Kim Caldwell agrees to five-year contract worth $3.75 million as Lady Vols basketball coach
Caldwell has coached only one season in Division I, but led Marshall to a program-record 26 wins and its first March Madness berth since 1997. Caldwell also won the Sun Belt Tournament championship in her first season.
The first seven years of Caldwell’s career as head coach came at Division II Glenville State, who went 191-24 in her tenure there, including a national championship in 2021-22. Here’s how social media reacted to Tennessee announcing Caldwell as its next women’s basketball coach:
REQUIRED READING: Who is Kim Caldwell? What to know about Lady Vols basketball coach
Lady Vols basketball hires Kim Caldwell: Social media reacts
Here are the best reactions to Tennessee women’s basketball hiring Marshall’s Kim Caldwell as its next coach:
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
Kim Caldwell is a classic Danny White hire. He wants big winners who are tireless workers, can recruit and are immersed throughout the university family.
Hiring Kim reminds me of one name: Kalen DeBoer. He got here to Fresno State without a single year as a D1 head coach. Four… pic.twitter.com/dc2nEas0R2
— Christopher Gabriel (@CGProgram) April 7, 2024
Kim Caldwell is definitely an outside-the-box hire for @LadyVol_Hoops. No connection to Tennessee and only one year of Div. I experience…but she has won (a lot) everywhere she’s coached. Pair that kind of track record w/UT’s resources, it’s not hard to see a successful marriage.
— Guy Harrison, Ph.D. (@ProfGuyHarrison) April 7, 2024
A lot of takes on Tennessee hiring Kim Caldwell.
It’s simple.
This game is about landing elite talent…
if she can land elite talent, Tennessee probably wins a lot of games vs ranked opponents.
If she can’t, they’ll lose more of those games than the boosters will tolerate. pic.twitter.com/MzNpv4uY1D
— B r a n d o n C l a y (@BrandonClayPSB) April 7, 2024
Wow Kim Caldwell went from Glenville State to Marshall to Tennessee.. I promise people don’t want to see that style of play good luck to the rest of the SEC
— Mike Seney (@CoachMike_Seney) April 7, 2024
Seems like Kim Caldwell is a coach who has high scoring offenses, takes a lot of 3s, and wins a lot of games.
I have no idea how it’ll pan out, but has a lot of the same characteristics as the Heupel hire did. Should be a coach who provides fun teams to watch on the court.
— Total Vols Move (@TotalVolsMove) April 7, 2024
Kim Caldwell might be a great coach.
But I still don’t get why Fulmer and now Danny White have not taken a boatload of cash and hired an established, elite coach.
At some point there has to be a New York Yankees-like conquering to re-establish the Lady Vols dominance.
— Jared Stillman (@JaredStillman) April 7, 2024
Kim Caldwell’s first D1 coaching job, was as an AC at Sac St. The first time I got to see that style of play. They broke/set school records for FGA per game & season.
A hire isn’t able winning the press conference. It’s about making the right hire! https://t.co/ShCxRyvVO6
— David Saw (@LAWomensHoops) April 7, 2024
New @LadyVol_Hoops coach Kim Caldwell (@CoachKim_ ) played basketball for her father in West Virginia at Parkersburg South Scott Stephens
She would add her late father to her Glenville State staff in 2017
Her father sadly passed away in 2020
Basketball is in her blood.
— SmokeyLowdown (@SmokeyLowdown) April 7, 2024
All nate oates did at lower level is win and that’s all Kim Caldwell has done…. Give her an opportunity geez!!
— CJ Vol 🍊🧀 (@braswell_cory) April 7, 2024
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols hire Kim Caldwell as Tennessee women’s basketball coach: Social media reacts
