Why Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell knows ability to connect with fans is crucial
Kim Caldwell knew exactly what she signed up for when she accepted the job to become the next coach of Lady Vols basketball.
And for the next week Caldwell will, for the first time since being named coach April 7, meet face to face with a fan base eager for her to return the Lady Vols to the game's elite in college basketball.
"It's one of a kind. It's the best of the best," Caldwell told fans Tuesday during the first stop on the Big Orange Caravan tour at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. "I'm thankful to be here and I'll say it over and over and over. There's not a better women's basketball job in the country. I could go my entire life and maybe never have this kind of opportunity again."
Caldwell's comments drew applause as UT director of broadcasting Bob Kesling talked with Caldwell, football coach Josh Heupel and men's basketball coach Rick Barnes.
It has been a busy month for Caldwell, who has put together her coaching staff and is building a roster, beginning with the news that senior guard Jewel Spear will return to use her COVID-19 year of eligibility. Caldwell also secured a pair of transfers in former Miami forward Lazaria Spearman and Syracuse forward Alyssa Latham.
But connecting with the Lady Vols fans around the state will be a crucial step in developing recruiting inroads within Tennessee's borders. Of the 10 players currently on the roster, half are from Tennessee.
"We're doing visits day in and day out, but it's important to step away because without the fans, there really is no Tennessee and they are a big part of our sell, the fan base and the brand and playing in front of a packed arena is something we tell every player we talk to, so without (the fans) there is no us," she said.
The caravan is her first extensive time away from Knoxville after bringing in assistants Jenna Burdette and Angel Rizor from her staff at Marshall, as well as SEC coaching veterans Roman Tubner (Alabama) and Gabe Lazo (Mississippi State). She was in Chattanooga Wednesday, will be in Memphis on Thursday and will wrap up in Tri-Cities on May 8.
The line of fans waiting for Caldwell snaked around the tables and rows of chairs set up at Marathon Music Works. She signed autographs, talked with fans and took a picture with almost every one in her line. It was the kind of day athletic director Danny White has grown accustomed to as part of caravan stops over the years.
"I told her she was going to see that we have the best fan base in the sport," White said. "Their passion always comes through during these events."
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Caldwell talked briefly about the Lady Vols legacy. After Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper, Caldwell represents a departure from the Pat Summitt lineage.
The task isn't NCAA tournament berths, it's winning NCAA championships. In Harper's five seasons, the Lady Vols reached the tournament four times. Her best postseason runs were Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023. Caldwell, who has been to the NCAA tournament in all eight of her head coaching seasons, including seven at the Division II level, is aware of the expectations in Knoxville and of coaching in the SEC.
"The SEC is an unreal platform for us," she said. "It's something I don't have a lot of experience with but I do know how to coach 18- to 22-year-olds. So that I can do. They're just a lot taller at this level."
Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lady Vols basketball: Kim Caldwell meets fans on Big Orange Caravan
