On April 7, 2024, the University of Tennessee officially announced that Kim Caldwell was set to be the Lady Vols’ fourth head coach in program history.
In the 365 days that followed, Caldwell’s team brought life and energy back to the Lady Vols’ fanbase. Tennessee finished eighth in the SEC with a 24-10, 8-8 SEC record that will be built upon as Caldwell’s tenure continues to unfold. The Lady Vols earned a trio of ranked wins during the season including a victory over eventual National Champion UConn, made the NCAA Tournament as a 5-seed, and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 with an upset over 4-seed Ohio State.
To celebrate Caldwelll’s first year on campus, Tennessee posted a three-minute video looking at her timeline in Knoxville from her introductory press conference in April, her return after childbirth in January, and the Lady Vols’ upset tournament win in March.
Check it out below:
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Tennessee Lady Vols in Caldwell’s First Year
April 7, 2024
Kim Caldwell is hired at the University of Tennessee.
April 9, 2024
Tennessee hosts Caldwell’s introductory press conference in Knoxville after being named the fourth head coach in program history.
April 12, 2024
Caldwell tosses out the first pitch at a Tennessee baseball game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
November 5, 2024
Tennessee wins its season-opener over Samford by a score of 101-53. The Lady Vols’ triple-digit showing in Game 1 was a sign of things to come as Tennessee hit 100+ points in seven games this past season.
December 7, 2024
Tennessee picks up its first ranked win under Kim Caldwell with a 78-68 victory over No. 17 Iowa in a neutral site contest from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
The win over the Hawkeyes was a key moment in Tennessee starting the season 13-0.
January 2, 2025
Caldwell picks up her first conference win in Tennessee’s SEC opener, a 91-78 win against Texas A&M in College Station. The Lady Vols also defeated the Aggies in the first round of the SEC Tournament by a score of 77-37.
January 27, 2025
Caldwell returns to the court after just missing one game due to the birth of his first child, Conor Scott Caldwell, the week before. Caldwell’s return drew high and widespread praise around the college basketball world for her commitment to being both a mother and a head coach during a crazy first year in Knoxville. Tennessee fell to National Champion-runner up South Carolina by a score of 70-63 in this game.
February 6, 2025
Kim Caldwell leads Tennessee to the program’s first win over rival UConn since 2007. The Lady Vols defeated the Huskies by a score of 80-76 in a thrilling game at Knoxville’s Food City Center. While UConn and Geno Auriemma did claim this season’s National Championship, the Huskies couldn’t overcome the Lady Volunteers in Knoxville back in February.
March 5, 2025
Tennessee picks up its first SEC Tournament win with a 77-37 beatdown of Texas A&M. The Lady Vols held the Aggies to single-digit scoring in the second, third, and fourth quarters of the game.
March 21, 2025
Kim Caldwell earns her first NCAA Tournament win with Tennessee thanks to a 101-66 blowout of 12-seed South Florida in the first round of the tournament. The Lady Vols set an NCAA Tournament record with 16 made three-pointers in the win.
March 23, 2025
Tennessee and Caldwell pick up an upset win over 4-seed Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to send the Lady Vols to the Sweet 16. Tennessee would eventually lose to 1-seed Texas the next weekend, but making the Sweet 16 in Caldwell’s first year is quite the way to cap off a wild debut season.
