Tenn. has hired....
- Thread starter Blakeon18
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bballnut90
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I think this could be a great hire or an awful one. Her track record, though limited, is quite successful at D2 and her 1 season at Marshall. Based on this, the positive is that I assume she knows how to coach basketball and coach college aged women.
The downside is she has no experience for the other logistics required to run a storied P5 program with a huge fan base and high expectations. She'll need to learn quickly how to recruit high level athletes and manage them in the new world of NIL. She's also joining a conference that is insanely loaded with top tier coaches, which means you're recruiting against them, game planning against them and have to make in game changes against them. For starters, next year the SEC will have Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey, Vic Schafer, Kenny Brooks as proven goliaths, plus a slew of "up and coming" coaches, all of whom have proven track records at smaller schools or ample experience in major programs. Caldwell is going to be the lone outlier in the conference.
Do I think Tennessee could've found a much better candidate? 100% yes. This seems like a hire you'd take a chance on if you're a bottom feeder P5 program that fired a coach who couldn't turn around a program.
That said, if she's a great basketball coach and can quickly learn the other aspects like recruiting and handling the pressure, it could work out well. Have low expectations but will support her and root for her success.
The downside is she has no experience for the other logistics required to run a storied P5 program with a huge fan base and high expectations. She'll need to learn quickly how to recruit high level athletes and manage them in the new world of NIL. She's also joining a conference that is insanely loaded with top tier coaches, which means you're recruiting against them, game planning against them and have to make in game changes against them. For starters, next year the SEC will have Dawn Staley, Kim Mulkey, Vic Schafer, Kenny Brooks as proven goliaths, plus a slew of "up and coming" coaches, all of whom have proven track records at smaller schools or ample experience in major programs. Caldwell is going to be the lone outlier in the conference.
Do I think Tennessee could've found a much better candidate? 100% yes. This seems like a hire you'd take a chance on if you're a bottom feeder P5 program that fired a coach who couldn't turn around a program.
That said, if she's a great basketball coach and can quickly learn the other aspects like recruiting and handling the pressure, it could work out well. Have low expectations but will support her and root for her success.
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They are on seven pages so far. Mixed reactions. Some still felt Dawn was coming.
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I feel this all around. While I know none of the “big” names were coming to save the LVs, I can’t believe this is the best they could do.
That being said it could turn out well. I just don’t think this is someone you fired Harper to bring in. It makes me wonder just what went down between DW and KJH.
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I don’t think this is a great hire for them but I guess we’ll see. Only 1 year of experience in Div I is the biggest issue I see. Coaching and recruiting at TN, who plays in the SEC, is a lot different from doing it at even the best Div II level, let alone at a low level Div I school. She better surround herself with some good assistant coaches.
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This is definitely thinking outside of the box. That's the SUM of all my thoughts. Good luck and patience.
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Most of their fans wanted an established coach who could bring some players with her. It doesn't appear that Caldwell is that coach. There really isn't much talent on their roster. Unless their new coach can bring in a boatload of transfers, Tennessee will not be making the NCAAT next year.
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I think VN had high expectations for a new coach. They hoped the AD would open the wallet and they could attract Dawn Staley, Becky Hammond, Niele Ivey and more. Why would Dawn leave South Carolina? She built the program. (Congrats to Dawn and SC on their national championship)
Hopefully they will support the new coach.
Hopefully they will support the new coach.
cockhrnleghrn
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I can't believe they fired Kelly to hire someone with one year of D1 experience.
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It definitely signals RESET loud and clear.
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I look at it as a low risk, high reward situation.
huskeynut
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Congrats to the AD for going outside the Summitt coaching tree. This had to happen.
Let's see if the portal has any LV's in it in the next few days. If the new coach likes up tempo, high powered offense and a pressing defense, she has a lot of recruiting to do.
Let's see if the portal has any LV's in it in the next few days. If the new coach likes up tempo, high powered offense and a pressing defense, she has a lot of recruiting to do.
Blueballer
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This certainly is unexpected but maybe not a bad idea. Look for somebody who is an up and comer not just with ties to the program.
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Losing to SC by 2 is not a bad result, wonder why they need to fire her. The new coach will not bring in new recruits more effectively. Even if she does, it will take more years to reestablish the program than the time they have to Kelly, and to get win over dawn/sc and Mulkey/LSU will be tall tale for the new coach. Also the coaching psychology for elite players really need complete skill sets at different level.
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Friend of mine is a major Marshall booster. He could care less coach left calling her a high school or juco coach at best.
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Please say this louder for those in the back!!!!!!!
Good for her for capitalizing on the NCAA berth (no small feat for her previous school), but BAYBEE--she's going to receive baptism by FIRE!
Hope she can snag a young hot-shot recruiter who can sell sand to camels.
SCGamecock
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I definitely appreciate the risk taking by the Tennessee AD. This will either be a great hire or an absolute dumpster fire.
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I agree with those saying that this hire came with tremendous risk. However, UConn once hired a coach with zero head coaching experience and we know how that turned out. My concern is that the Vols won’t have the patience to see this through. She might need a couple of years and the fans want perfection now.