Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell has a fan in Karen Weekly, who has led the Tennessee softball program for more than two decades.
Both coaches have their hands full, so Weekly has only had a few chances to really talk with Caldwell, who was hired to lead the historic Lady Vols program last April.
But Weekly has watched the young coach from afar as Caldwell led Tennessee to its best start to a season since 2017-18 and upset UConn in her debut in the storied rivalry.
“I think she’s amazing,” Weekly told Knox News. “I love her confidence. I love her brevity. I love that she just says what she thinks, and what I really love is she challenges her players, but she’s never going to call them out publicly. And I just think she handles everything with such class.”
Caldwell appreciates having Weekly in her corner.
“She’s been great. She always reaches out and checks on me,” Caldwell said of Weekly. “The coaches here are phenomenal. The support that they give – they’re great people. They will check in on you. We support each other, and that’s something that you don’t see very many places.”
Weekly understands the legacy and tradition of the Lady Vols. She arrived in Knoxville in 2002 to take over the softball program with her husband, Ralph, who retired in 2021. She was friends with legendary coach Pat Summitt and saw the way Summitt carried herself behind the scenes as she led the Lady Vols to back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008.
Weekly has embraced the opportunity to educate her teams about Summitt and honors the late coach with the team’s Summitt Blue jerseys.
“The little touches to it, like the Summitt legacy patch on it, because Pat Summitt is a big part of our program, a big part of me and Ralph,” Weekly said of the jerseys. “We wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t have the success we’ve had here if it wasn’t for Pat Summitt.”
Weekly was even more impressed by Caldwell this season with the birth of her son in January. Caldwell spent her first season at the helm pregnant, and then she only missed one game after giving birth to her son, Conor Scott Caldwell. She returned to practice four days later and coached Tennessee one week after Conor’s birth.
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“I can’t even imagine what it’s been like to be your first year, coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols, the storied program it is, oh, and you’re pregnant,” Weekly said. “It was funny, because she never looked uncomfortable, which was pretty darn remarkable. I wasn’t surprised at all that she came back as quick as she did. Not at all. Just getting to watch her, getting to know her, seeing the toughness, the commitment to her players and to being the best.
“She’s very impressive, and I’m learning a lot from her, even though she’s about half my age.”
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Karen Weekly is impressed by Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell
