Why Kim Caldwell is offended by Tennessee 'rebuilding' talk
Tennessee isn’t rebuilding, and don’t you dare say they are.
When new head coach Kim Caldwell arrived to coach the Lady Volunteers, she was already an unconventional hire. Despite her years of experience, none was in Division I basketball—a departure from Tennessee’s track record. Then, Caldwell introduced a style of play to her team that was unlike what most teams do, making other teams hate to play Tennessee. But she doesn’t seemingly subscribe to what others do or think, including that her team is rebuilding.
“I get a little bit offended with, “‘You have time to rebuild. You have time to rebuild. These seniors aren’t your players,'” Caldwell recently said. “That offends me. They are my players. They chose to stay, and I chose to coach them. And so, I don’t want to wait. I don’t want people to say, ‘When you get your players in here.’ These are my players. I want to win for them. I want to win right now.” (See the clip below and 9:47 mark of the YouTube video.)
"I get a little bit offended with 'you have time to rebuild, these seniors aren't your players'…They are my players."
Kim Caldwell says the #LadyVols two losses are especially frustrating for her seniors in their final season.
She takes winning for them very seriously. pic.twitter.com/dqgvMUGd7h
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) January 10, 2025