Tennessee 2025, part 2

[ucmiami2]

I think Caldwell's system works well at most levels of play - but not at the highest level. Once I saw her system in action at Tennessee I knew it was destined to fail. The powers that be in Tennessee should have done their due diligence and would have recognized that. Bringing in a first rate recruiter to assist Harper would have been a better use of funds imo

It is generally what coaches do when they are trying to hide the fact they have holes in a half court team - usually based on not having top end talent in relation to their conference mates. If you can create chaos and hit some threes, you can win more than you lose. That was what happened with Mitchell coaching at KY, he had a few good players and a lot of meh, so he created his '40 minutes of hell' defense - won a lot of games, but got wiped out when he played really good will coached teams, and by the second year even the just good teams had begun to figure it out.

TN had some talent, but the more subbing she did, the less she got from her talent, and when the opponents got better it began to really fall apart.

 

[packwrap]

I’m genuinely curious what a realistic outlook on next season would even be? Is Tennessee going to have to throw crazy money at players only interested in money? Will they end up with a collection of players who otherwise would have never had the talent to land at such a program? How do you even sell “join our team” when there isn’t a “team.”

I feel like the Month Python character who has his arms and legs chopped off, "just a flesh wound". 😜

If they do indeed go forward with Caldwell and 'the system', the argument will be that the players and assistants were not ideal fits, and this gives a chance for her to start over fresh.

Of course the problem is that with transfers, you never really get ideal fits either...it's more take what's available. It will be a challenge simply to build a roster of 10 SEC caliber players.

Any new coach at this point would face the same challenge, and by keeping Caldwell they save money.

Where I ultimately lost my support of Kim, was she has to take responsibility for assistants she hired, and players she recruited. In current situation year 3 is a washout, and year 4 will be her first year with 'her' recruits, of course 'only freshmen'.

We'll see how fast she can cobble a team of transfers together, as she would still have a nice recruiting budget.

 

[meyers7]

Seeing TN self destruct takes away some of the angst of losing in the Semi this year.

 

[Puppy Love]

I feel like the Month Python character who has his arms and legs chopped off, "just a flesh wound". 😜

If they do indeed go forward with Caldwell and 'the system', the argument will be that the players and assistants were not ideal fits, and this gives a chance for her to start over fresh.

Of course the problem is that with transfers, you never really get ideal fits either...it's more take what's available. It will be a challenge simply to build a roster of 10 SEC caliber players.

Any new coach at this point would face the same challenge, and by keeping Caldwell they save money.

Where I ultimately lost my support of Kim, was she has to take responsibility for assistants she hired, and players she recruited. In current situation year 3 is a washout, and year 4 will be her first year with 'her' recruits, of course 'only freshmen'.

We'll see how fast she can cobble a team of transfers together, as she would still have a nice recruiting budget.

I can’t see the Tennessee fans being willing to wait for two more years to even see if they are going to have a viable coach. I also can’t see top-tier recruits signing on to this situation. If she’s fired at the end of next year, which seems like the most likely scenario to me, they will have saved only $500,000 from her termination agreement. They are still going to owe her $1.5 million. Personally, I thought the better solution was to fire her now, and name the top assistant as an interim coach for one year. Recruit transferring juniors and graduate transfers from the portal. That gives the AD an entire year to conduct a proper coaching search and the incoming coach a chance to select their own team next year. If the AD was smart or cared, he would have seen that this was going to be blow up and would have named a permanent coach at the end of the season. It seems too late for that now.

 

[HuskyNan]

No offense to our LV friends; I just thought this was funny

 

[AnonChoice]

Not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this… the program that for many years was THE standard bearer in the SEC, a national powerhouse… burned to the ground.

Can't believe they're keeping this coach. Why.

 

[JeannoCT]

Ego of the AD. He hired her.

 

[CGK]

I can’t see the Tennessee fans being willing to wait for two more years to even see if they are going to have a viable coach. I also can’t see top-tier recruits signing on to this situation. If she’s fired at the end of next year, which seems like the most likely scenario to me, they will have saved only $500,000 from her termination agreement. They are still going to owe her $1.5 million. Personally, I thought the better solution was to fire her now, and name the top assistant as an interim coach for one year. Recruit transferring juniors and graduate transfers from the portal. That gives the AD an entire year to conduct a proper coaching search and the incoming coach a chance to select their own team next year. If the AD was smart or cared, he would have seen that this was going to be blow up and would have named a permanent coach at the end of the season. It seems too late for that now.

Speculation of course... but the homerun hire (IMHO) is to lure Kara Lawson from Duke. She's ex-Volunteer, an awesome person, recruiter and proven winner as a coach. Buy out her contract. We want TN back in the top 5 every year!

 

[Geew1992]

Speculation of course... but the homerun hire (IMHO) is to lure Kara Lawson from Duke. She's ex-Volunteer, an awesome person, recruiter and proven winner as a coach. Buy out her contract. We want TN back in the top 5 every year!

My understanding is that bridge has burned. She had a falling out with the board. I think it would take a lot to get her there.

 

[Geew1992]

I can’t see the Tennessee fans being willing to wait for two more years to even see if they are going to have a viable coach. I also can’t see top-tier recruits signing on to this situation. If she’s fired at the end of next year, which seems like the most likely scenario to me, they will have saved only $500,000 from her termination agreement. They are still going to owe her $1.5 million. Personally, I thought the better solution was to fire her now, and name the top assistant as an interim coach for one year. Recruit transferring juniors and graduate transfers from the portal. That gives the AD an entire year to conduct a proper coaching search and the incoming coach a chance to select their own team next year. If the AD was smart or cared, he would have seen that this was going to be blow up and would have named a permanent coach at the end of the season. It seems too late for that now.

Pretty sure that coach came with her from her previous school. Don't think that's the answer either

 

[BRS24]

Speculation of course... but the homerun hire (IMHO) is to lure Kara Lawson from Duke. She's ex-Volunteer, an awesome person, recruiter and proven winner as a coach. Buy out her contract. We want TN back in the top 5 every year!

In quickly looking at Duke's roster, there are at least 8 players returning, and the #11, 16, 25, and 43 rated recruits in the 2026 class. Lost in the elite 8. Not sure I'd give that up to go to, um, nothing?

TN, on the other hand, has some serious challenges afoot. No one on the roster for 2026-27, so it will be all portal players who don't know each other, and don't know the system KC uses. The AD's hands are tied, as if they were to fire KC now, there wouldn't be anyone (other than an acting HC) to pull a team together. Then, they have to re-recruit anyone in 2027 and beyond, with the knowledge of not knowing who the head coach will be going forward.

The other scenario is that they stick with KC for another season and then look to hire, but then again, all the players coming in for 26-27 are now at a crossroads.

The totally wild, out of the park thought is that if there are enough highly ranked players in the portal that all decide to do a "Diamond Deshields" and commit together (let's do it and be heroes!), however with all the NIL moving parts and $$, I don't see that happening.

 

[TheFarmFan]

My understanding is that bridge has burned. She had a falling out with the board. I think it would take a lot to get her there.

Correct. Kara also had a long statement about how Duke is the place she's meant to be at. Given that it's apparently also one of the schools dishing out the most $$ on WBB, I can't see any good reason why she'd voluntarily leave for the clusterf*** that is Rocky Top.

 

[ucmiami2]

In quickly looking at Duke's roster, there are at least 8 players returning, and the #11, 16, 25, and 43 rated recruits in the 2026 class. Lost in the elite 8. Not sure I'd give that up to go to, um, nothing?

TN, on the other hand, has some serious challenges afoot. No one on the roster for 2026-27, so it will be all portal players who don't know each other, and don't know the system KC uses. The AD's hands are tied, as if they were to fire KC now, there wouldn't be anyone (other than an acting HC) to pull a team together. Then, they have to re-recruit anyone in 2027 and beyond, with the knowledge of not knowing who the head coach will be going forward.

The other scenario is that they stick with KC for another season and then look to hire, but then again, all the players coming in for 26-27 are now at a crossroads.

The totally wild, out of the park thought is that if there are enough highly ranked players in the portal that all decide to do a "Diamond Deshields" and commit together (let's do it and be heroes!), however with all the NIL moving parts and $$, I don't see that happening.

IF the TN AD fired and hired a new coach quickly that had a decent rep, that coach could possible turn the tide on those TN players already in the portal and get say 4 of them back. That might also change Edward's decision. And a new coach might bring some previously recruited players with her/him. But time is short, and there is a lot of money burned with that move. And with KC hiring new assistants she isn't going anywhere. The problem was obviously her assistant coaches and her players, she was not the problem!

The alternative is you have a lame duck spending money to sign 10-12 portal players for a makeshift roster of a mix of mercenaries and lesser talents looking for more than the limited minutes they had, and believe they deserve. And lets face it, really good players are going to get similar money to play on teams with much better prospects and with a coach with a much better rep. Then trying to teach her self described 'hard to learn' system to her cobbled together team in her limited practice time before running it out live in Nov. And all why their is a figurative Sword of Damocles hanging over her head - another negative for her transfer to consider before they sign.

And you likely end up with the same issue for the program next year after another disappointing season.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Ego of the AD. He hired her.

His father hired Kara, so we see which one's vision panned out.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[JellyBean]

Love this hire and coach Caldwell as her staff back at full strength. Let's see what coach and coaching staff put together. I am excited for the Lady Vol program.

 

[YoDore]

Food for thought. I will say this much, I never saw Caldwell act that way toward any other coach.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Phil]

 

[Rooster C.]

I honestly don't know why either would go there unless it's just money although I can't believe Reynolds can't get an equal or better offer elsewhere. I say this because I was a fan of a coach who one year had enough depth of good players to bring in an entire 2nd unit around the halfway point of each quarter. It was exciting and innovative. It also didn't work. As happens often at the professional level, the starting squad manages to get a double-digit lead, takes a seat, and the 2nd squad comes in and quickly gives up the lead and then some, and the coach has to begin bringing the starters back in far sooner than they would have liked.
Caldwell's system is dependent on their being that many good players on the team and it's just unrealistic at this level of play. I can see Reynolds and Co. (or some other very good players) going through that same scenario - bust your butt to give your team a good lead - then sit down for 2 or 3 minutes and watch it all evaporate. Also, how does this system prepare you for the WNBA ? How can they evaluate a player who only plays about half a game ? It just doesn't work well at this level.

I will add that the coach I spoke of also tried to play Twin Towers back when that was unheard of in collegiate WBB. She had an experienced/good 6'5" center and a highly recruited young 6 '6" freshmen center. That experiment didn't work either unfortunately.

 

[Rocket009]

Last year - after beating TN in their second encounter - Shea Ralph made a comment about the press that she'd seen it once and they now knew how to deal with it. (couldn't find the quote or the link) They haven't lost to TN since.