Kim Caldwell (Rookie Coach of the Year-WBCA) is named Head Coach of Iconic Lady Vols WBB

[glv98]

Much of that depends on how much NIL is invested into the program. I mean you cannot expect whom ever is hired for their best players to just jump into the portal and follow them. That’s unrealistic.

I don't think any coach would take the job without an adequate NIL bag in place. Just like Kenny Brooks said about KY. We've heard donors have agreed to provide that bag now that KJH is no longer coach. Apparently, there was just not enough confidence in her.

 

[POLOinDC]

For what we need, it has to be either Wes Moore, Scott Rueck or bust period..

 

[Checker_the_Shire]

So Hammon is the female basketball version of Gruden. Totally unproven at the college level. Got it. It’s precisely why she wouldn’t be a good hire.

The two are very different. Gruden won one Super Bowl and then had a few decent years, but aside from a championship loss, never got far in the playoffs. Hammond, on the other hand, has had success everywhere she’s been and has a proven championship track record.

The whole “Grumor” journey several years back was more of a way for all of us to escape the reality of darkness and despair that our football program had become. No one actually believed he was coming nor thought he would be the ultimate answer—well I say no one, but I guess I should say “no person based in reality”.

 

[knoxvol52]

So the big donors didn't have faith in Kellie?

Assuming by what you individuals posted AD Danny White had to relieve CKH of her duties for them to donate the big NIL money.

Makes sense, I would't invest into something I wasnt sure of.

 

[VolCalls]

Jeff Walz is the right person to take over.

464-135 overall record
2X- National Championship Runner-up
2X- Final Four
4X- Elite Eight
4X- Sweet Sixteen
2X- 2nd Round
1X - 1st Round

Been in NCAA tournament 15 of 17 years and 1 of those seasons was Covid with no post season.

Jeff would be great, but he has no interest.

 

[VolCalls]

No pretending needed when Tennessee tells other school they want to talk with their coach.
ThEy can come here.
Or tell their Present
University administration make it worth wild to stay.
It's a business
Some posters say.
Can not blame someone for looking out for their Best interest.
How old is North Carolina state coacH.?
Wonder if he would come now.

The NC State coach is almost 67 years old. I can’t see him being in play.

 

[creekdipper]

Who promised you immediate impact recruits/players?

The "Fahr Kelly" crowd.

We're on our way, Baby! No. 9 coming up next April!

 

[creekdipper]

Jeff would be great, but he has no interest.

He said that he can be great and turn things around overnight if college sports will go totally professional.

(Pretty much verbatim).

 

[creekdipper]

The NC State coach is almost 67 years old. I can’t see him being in play.

I can see shuffleboard or spades.

 

[VolCalls]

thank his name might have been mentioned
So he's going to get raise
If he can

He just signed a new deal in 2022 and isn’t going anywhere.

 

[Majors]

2016–17	Colorado	17–16	5–13	T–9th	WNIT Third Round
2017–18	Colorado	15–16	5–13	9th
2018–19	Colorado	12–18	2–16	12th
2019–20	Colorado	16–14	5–13	T–9th
2020–21	Colorado	12–11	8–8	6th	WNIT Quarterfinal
2021–22	Colorado	22–9	9–7	5th	NCAA First Round
2022–23	Colorado	25–9	13–5	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2023–24	Colorado	24–10	11–7	T–5th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Colorado:	143–103 (.581)	58–82	47-82
Total:	244–216 (.530)

If CKH had those results after the first five years...... In the last 3 years, 3rd in the PAC12 was the pinnacle two years ago. Two consecutive SS appearances? Where has that story happened before? One should note that the latest run at Colo included 9 current seniors so another rebuild in order? And dont bother looking at her numbers prior to Colo, they aren't even close to these numbers.

Again, she has Colorado on the map. But please, feel free to quote more Wikipedia stats while overlooking the turnaround. Rebuild on the front end, results on the backend.

 

[House|RockyTop]

There is no coaching candidate off limits. Every coach that has been contacted has shown interest in the job. Some big name coaches agent have reached out to the AD. So if someone says any coach has no interest take it with a grain of salt. That includes the coach from Louisville or any other program.

 

[Majors]

I've said I was wrong and I was. She's such a great person and so beloved by her players, I didn't want it to be her. I didn't realize so many had given up on her. Again, I was wrong. Still feel awful for her, and still feel she had epic bad luck, esp w injuries.

I credit you for being person enough to admit you were blinded by the loyalty. Trust what you see and not what you hear is my logic.

 

[Lucy]

One thing I know for sure: When the new coach is announced, fans on message boards/social media need to be either instantly publicly supportive, or instantly publicly silent about it if they're underwhelmed. It will be too late to do anything about it, anyway, so if people were to go nuts putting down the new coach or doubting she/he will do a great job, it will be best for the program to keep that opinion to themselves. At least for a few months while the program is particularly vulnerable and in need of extra support and extra confidence from players.

If you secretly hate the Tennessee Lady Vols, then by all means, poison the well by harshly criticizing White's choice.

i sure hope people have more sense than that.

Where was this recommendation when folks on here have pilloried Kellie and our players for months?
Do those folks hate the Lady Vols?

 

[Vols2015]

I really wish we had a good idea who they are considering lol.

 

[VolCalls]

Becky Hammond would be a solid hire. I just worry about recruiting in the long run. Does she know basketball and how to coach pro athletes? Yes, but in the long run will she be sustainable. I think we need someone who is proven to win and recruit at the final four and elite level year in and out. Not really a Staley fan at all, but I would be all in if she came to the big orange.

I feel exactly the same. Becky has won back to back championships at the pro level, but it’s a small sample size and coaching in college is much different. I’ll be all-in if she’s the one, but I’d feel better if we got a proven college coach.

All that being said, I think it’s Staley or Lawson. Just a gut feeling.

 

[VolBall09]

One thing I know for sure: When the new coach is announced, fans on message boards/social media need to be either instantly publicly supportive, or instantly publicly silent about it if they're underwhelmed. It will be too late to do anything about it, anyway, so if people were to go nuts putting down the new coach or doubting she/he will do a great job, it will be best for the program to keep that opinion to themselves. At least for a few months while the program is particularly vulnerable and in need of extra support and extra confidence from players.

If you secretly hate the Tennessee Lady Vols, then by all means, poison the well by harshly criticizing White's choice.

i sure hope people have more sense than that.

My sweet, kind, lvocd. I love your marshmellow cloud view of how good people CAN be.

We know the reality though

 

[VolBall09]

I really wish we had a good idea who they are considering lol.

I am LOVING not knowing. It’s so nice after years of being disappointed finding out before they even announce.

Heck when they hired Kellie most knew it was her before the team was back in Knoxville. People were already detailing that Fulmer had sat down with her. It was ridiculously unprofessional.

Warlick was let go March 27th and Kellie was officially announced April 8th. But everyone knew by about the 29th it was a done deal.

 

[turbovol]

I don't know we're she falls on pecking order but Fortier sure can coach. If she works hard on recruiting Lady Vols would be back to Top 10 program. She is really good and our future recruits who have opened up recruitment would love her offensive sets. My opinion of course. In CHRIST Alone

Fortier's record/performance at Gonzaga is very impressive. She'd be at/near the top of people I'd want to interview, if she were interested. But she's got the husband as assistant coach thing--which could or could not be a deal-breaker.

If I were conducting this search, my first priority would be to sound out Hammon---with a pledge for considerably more money than she's making now. See if there is any interest there.

Then I would would sound out Vic and West--and if either was interested I'd interview him, of course, and use that as part of my consideration of the age issue. Both would demand a seriously large pay raise to pull them from their current jobs. Vic is surely making top dollar at Texas already--and I don't see him being interested. You'd have to think Moore would probably give us 4/5 years max, and Vic a max of 6. When you figure it would take three years to develop some real momentum, you'd be looking at some fairly short stints. My feeling is that they're too far along in their careers for this job, but I might be persuaded otherwise in an interview.

Then I would see who among the several younger coaches who have proven to be successful is interested. You would hope that a few of them would be, and you lean heavily on the interviews and other vetting of each to find the one with the "it" factor.

We're in this 16-year fix because we didn't conduct a proper search for the last two coaching hires--which was really stupid.

 

[glv98]

All that being said, I think it’s Staley or Lawson. Just a gut feeling

Never going to happen, but if we got Staley the single most fun day in the history of twitter would immediately occur. I tell you some of those "fams" would have to hospitalized.

Also, I wouldn't particularly want either if they didn't bring a bunch of their players. It's players we need.

 

[Rooster1]

Again, she has Colorado on the map. But please, feel free to quote more Wikipedia stats while overlooking the turnaround. Rebuild on the front end, results on the backend.

Are we talking a 5 year rebuild?

 

[Majors]

So the big donors didn't have faith in Kellie?

Assuming by what you individuals posted AD Danny White had to relieve CKH of her duties for them to donate the big NIL money.

Makes sense, I would't invest into something I wasnt sure of.

Again, why invest in something that has shown they can’t do more with less. More money doesn’t fix the coaching deficiencies. Just takes peoples money

 

[glv98]

Fortier's record/performance at Gonzaga is very impressive. She'd be at/near the top of people I'd want to interview, if she were interested. But she's got the husband as assistant coach thing--which could or could not be a deal-breaker.

IMO, if we let that control our search and keep us from otherwise qualified candidates, it's just as stupid and harmful as the former LV player only restriction. It makes us look out of step and old timey.

 

[VolBall09]

Fortier's record/performance at Gonzaga is very impressive. She'd be at/near the top of people I'd want to interview, if she were interested. But she's got the husband as assistant coach thing--which could or could not be a deal-breaker.

If I were conducting this search, my first priority would be to sound out Hammon---with a pledge for considerably more money than she's making now. See if there is any interest there.

Then I would would sound out Vic and West--and if either was interested I'd interview him, of course, and use that as part of my consideration of the age issue. Both would demand a seriously large pay raise to pull them from their current jobs. Vic is surely making top dollar at Texas already--and I don't see him being interested. You'd have to think Moore would probably give us 4/5 years max, and Vic a max of 6. When you figure it would take three years to develop some real momentum, you'd be looking at some fairly short stints. My feeling is that they're too far along in their careers for this job, but I might be persuaded otherwise in an interview.

Then I would see who among the several younger coaches who have proven to be successful is interested. You would hope that a few of them would be, and you lean heavily on the interviews and other vetting of each to find the one with the "it" factor.

We're in this 16-year fix because we didn't conduct a proper search for the last two coaching hires--which was really stupid.

I think the wife/husband combo is a deal breaker for White. Could be wrong but seems like he’s not a fan. Don’t think he finds it appropriate to have assistant coaches reporting to him while the others report to that person’s spouse.

If I were in his position there is just no way.

At Gonzaga, just based on what the Fortier’s have mentioned, it does actually sound like Craig reports directly to Lisa and not the athletics department. At a smaller school you can get away with that. At a place like UT and in the SEC most just aren’t going to go for it.

 

[Majors]

Are we talking a 5 year rebuild?

No. Different game now…those numbers you posted were pre-portal, Covid and NIL. Last three show trajectory