Following a season that tied the program record for most losses, the fallout for the Tennessee Lady Vols is now claiming the coaching staff.
Just a few days after Gabe Lazo resigned from the program to join LSU, the latest shakeup comes with the firing of assistant coach Roman Tubner.
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Tubner joined Caldwell’s staff in 2024 after three seasons at Alabama under Kristy Curry. But besides that, he also coached at Ball State, UNC Wilmington, Indiana State, Austin Peay, and Division II Arkansas-Monticello. His thirteen years of experience as an assistant coach, which has been marked by versatility and success, make his dismissal all the more surprising.
But after a season where the Lady Vols went 2-11 in their last 13 games, the head coach is clearly aiming to rebuild the program from the ground up.
“I want to thank Coach Tubner for his contributions to our program during the past two seasons,” Kim Caldwell said in a statement. “We wish him the very best moving forward.”
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On the other hand, coach Lazo also brought deep SEC ties to Tennessee, with experience across multiple programs that gave him strong recruiting and coaching networks throughout the conference.
But now Tennessee is left with two crucial vacancies to fill in the span of a week.
Although Caldwell has already moved to address one of the openings by hiring Bill Ferarra from Florida State to bolster her coaching staff. This rapid turnover is reflective of the broader turbulence surrounding Tennessee’s program.
The Lady Vols ended their season with 14 overall losses, tying the program’s record for most losses in a single season.
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The empire of the Lady Vols seems to be crumbling from the inside. With staff shakeups, a season record they’ll want to forget, and morale shaken, this year has been brutal for Tennessee. But just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse, players are starting to jump ship.
Under Kim Caldwell, Tennessee Faces a Mass Exodus
Back in February, before the Lady Vols went on their freefall, coach Caldwell publicly lashed out at her team after a 93-50 loss to South Carolina (the largest margin of defeat in program history).
“We just had a lot of quit in us tonight,” she said in the post-game interview. “And that’s been something that’s been consistent with our team — we’re not comfortable, and things don’t go our way, and I have a team that’ll just quit on you. And you can’t do that in big games, can’t do that anytime in the SEC, but you certainly can’t do that at a program like this.”
NCAA, College League, USA Women s Basketball 2025: Tennessee vs LSU FEB 09 February 9, 2025: Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell talks to her team during a time out during NCAA Women s Basketball game action between the Tennessee Volunteers and the LSU Tigers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Jonathan Mailhes/CSM Credit Image: Jonathan Mailhes/Cal Media Baton Rouge La USA EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20250209_zma_c04_153.jpg JonathanxMailhesx csmphotothree353481
That moment seemed to mark the beginning of the end for many players.
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The Lady Vols spiraled through the rest of the season, and now Kim Caldwell is left facing a near-total rebuild.
With four seniors – Kaiya Wynn, Jaelyn Jones, Kayla Davis, and Malaya Bridges- all set to graduate, seven players have reportedly entered the transfer portal. This includes lead scorer Talaysia Cooper, Deniya Prawl, Alyssa Latham, Kaniya Boyd, Lauren Hurst, and freshman twins Mia and Mya Pauldo. So now, with only freshman guard Jaida Civil and one other player remaining, Tennessee is essentially starting over.
Still with the 2026 recruiting class, which brings top prospects like Oliviyah Edwards and Gabby Minus to the program, she has a chance to assemble a roster that aligns with her vision.
But fans are frustrated, and many are already calling for a change in leadership.
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So how she navigates the transfer portal and integrates her incoming recruits will define the next chapter of the Lady Vols, which will also determine whether the program can recover from one of its toughest seasons in history.
