ESPN college hoops sideline reporter Holly Rowe tweeted and then deleted a scathing criticism of the Tennessee athletic department on Monday night.
Tennessee women’s basketball program is going through a bit of a crisis. Vols coach Kim Caldwell has lost every player on her roster to graduation or the transfer portal. That’s right, there isn’t a single active player on Tennessee’s women’s basketball roster at the moment.
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Monday night, Rowe, a longtime women’s basketball sideline reporter, called out Tennessee athletic director Danny White.
“What Danny White is allowing to happen to Tennessee women’s basketball is making me so sad,” Rowe posted on X. “Gut wrenching to watch him let one of the greatest programs in women’s sports history disintegrate. I am devastated.”
But she ultimately deleted her tweet.
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 10: ESPN reporter Holly Rowe on the field before the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Texas Longhorns College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic on January 10, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
(Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
Awful Announcing had some speculation on what could have led to the deleted tweet.
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“The call to delete the post may have come from ESPN, which has a lucrative broadcast partnership with the network, or she may have simply sought to avoid any potential loss of access in Knoxville,” they wrote.
White, meanwhile, has stood by his head coach
White remains confident in his head coach.
“I think she’s doing a great job,” White said on WNML Sportstalk in early March. “I’m as confident in her as I was the day I hired her. More confident, [after] just getting a chance to work closely with her and see how talented she is as a basketball mind and as a leader…
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“I think it takes time to get it right and to get to where we want to be. But Kim’s doing a great job. I think the recruiting has elevated significantly, and I’m really excited to see these young players continue to grow and next year’s additions as well.”
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports Media section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
