The 2025-26 season, to this point, has been one of the worst in Lady Vols history.
Tennessee is likely going to keep its streak of never missing an NCAA Women’s Tournament alive, but just barely.
The Lady Vols are 16-13 and they suffered a couple of the worst losses in program history this season.
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Additionally, Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell has dealt with a significant amount of drama, including a player quitting the team after the final home game of the season.
Despite the nightmarish season — which, to be fair, could still end on a positive note with a strong NCAA Tournament run — Tennessee athletic director Danny White publicly voiced his support for Caldwell.
“I think she’s doing a great job,” said White last week on WNML’s SportsTalk. “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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“This season has not met anyone’s expectations — most importantly, and most of all, hers. She’s incredibly competitive. Not surprised to see the narrative around it, both positive and negative. We have, I think, the most passionate fan base in the country, and a storied women’s basketball program that we are working really hard to get back. And that is not an easy proposition, and we didn’t expect it to be. Women’s basketball is extremely competitive. It’s awesome, I think, not just for women’s basketball, for women’s sports, how many schools are investing at a high level in it now.”
Vols insider says people around the program are urging Danny White to move on from Kim Caldwell
Longtime Vols insider Tony Basilio said on his show Tuesday that multiple people around the program are urging White to move on from Caldwell this offseason.
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“Multiple people have gone to the AD, including, I believe, kids around the program and have encouraged him to make a change,” said Basilio. “I don’t think he (White) wants to admit that he made a mistake. But here’s the truth: There are no secrets in sports. Everybody knows this thing is totally volatile. The people they bring in next year, player wise, are going to be brought in for monetary reasons only, and you’re right back where you were. A bunch of people are going to transfer out.”
“He’s hearing from people that, ‘Hey, you’ve got to pull the plug,'” added Basilio. “You have to admit you made a mistake. We all do. Nobody bats 1.000. And you’ve got to admit that you made a mistake.”
Hiring Caldwell two years ago was certainly a risk by White. After all, Caldwell had never coached or played at a Power-4 school before landing at Tennessee. And most of her head coaching experience — seven years at Glenville State — came at the Division II level (Caldwell spent one season at Marshall before getting the Lady Vols job).
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It’s a tough spot for everyone. Maybe Caldwell turns things around in year three and the program takes off. That’s certainly a possibility in the transfer portal era where rosters can be rebuilt overnight.
But can White afford to take that risk? What if things get even worse next season?
I don’t envy White or the seat he’s sitting in — these are tough decisions that have to be made. But the lack of progress that we’ve seen from the Lady Vols in the Caldwell era — specifically the regression in year two — definitely isn’t sitting well with a lot of folks on Rocky Top.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
