What Kim Caldwell’s Path to Tennessee Looked Like

While Kim Caldwell’s path to Tennessee hasn’t been the longest road traveled, the newest head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program has had a fascinating and impressive journey nonetheless.

Caldwell’s basketball roots are intertwined with her family. As a high school player at Parkersburg South High School in Parkersville, West Virginia, Caldwell played under her father, Scott Stephens. Caldwell would eventually go to Glenville State, a Division II program in Glenville, West Virginia, to continue her playing career. Caldwell was named a captain for the Lady Pioneers during the 2010-2011 season.

After finishing her collegiate career in 2011, Caldwell became an assistant coach with Ohio Valley from 2011 to 2013 before joining the Sacramento State staff as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2016. After five years as an assistant, Caldwell was primed and ready for the next step of her coaching career.

Caldwell was hired by her alma mater Glenville State as the head coach of the program before the 2016 season. Caldwell’s Glenville State resume is more than enough to turn heads, despite the DII status – All she did was win.

Caldwell’s Lady Pioneers finished 1st place in the Mountain East Conference every year of her seven-year tenure except for one, a second-place finish in 2020-2021. The Lady Pioneers competed in the NCAA Division II Tournament every year of Caldwell’s tenure, claiming an NCAA Division II championship in 2021-2022 and an NCAA Division II Final Four appearance in 2022-2023.

Caldwell was named the recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy (NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year) following the 2021-2022 season and was named the Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year in four of her seven years in Glenville.

“I am honored and humbled to accept the role as head coach of this historic program at the University of Tennessee,” Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said in a statement. “I can’t help but reflect on accepting the Pat Summitt Trophy three seasons ago and be moved by the great responsibility and opportunity of now leading and building upon the incredible Lady Vol tradition she built. I am so excited to get to work and can’t wait to see what we all can accomplish together.”

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Overall, the Glenville State program went 191-24 during her seven-year run, finishing the 2021-2022 season with just one loss. The most losses Caldwell acquired during a season at Glenville State was six in her first year with the program.

Caldwell won four Mountain East tournaments and six Mountain East regular season championships with Glenville State and won both the Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles during her one year with Marshall.

“Kim has a winning formula that she has successfully implemented everywhere she has coached, with a fast-paced, high-octane offense and pressure defense that has led to remarkable results,” UT Director of Athletics Danny White said in a statement.

With considerable success under her belt at the Division II level, Marshall hired Caldwell for the 2023-2024 season. Caldwell went 26-7 during her one year with the program, finishing the season with a 17-1 conference record. While Marshall lost in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament, Caldwell proved that her success wasn’t limited to just Glenville State.

Now two years removed from her position with the Lady Pioneers, Caldwell is set to take over Tennessee’s program. The Lady Vols parted ways with former head coach and Lady Vol Kellie Harper after Tennessee’s second-round tournament loss this season, looking to bring new blood into the program.

Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more on the hiring of Kim Caldwell to the Lady Vols’ program.

A winning resume: pic.twitter.com/0mTpVzfbkk

— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) April 7, 2024