Kim Caldwell and Tennessee have agreed to a contract extension after her first year on Rocky Top, keeping Caldwell at Tennessee through the 2030 season. If things continue to improve at the rate they are, she could be wearing Tennessee Orange for a lot longer than that.
"From our first meeting with Kim, it was clear that she is a groundbreaking innovator destined to lead the future of women's basketball," said Tennessee AD Danny White.
"In just one season, we experienced firsthand how her winning formula can revolutionize the game with her dynamic, high-octane offense and relentless defense.
"The promising future of Lady Vols basketball is in great hands under Kim's leadership, setting the stage for a remarkable journey ahead!"
Caldwell's leadership and innovation sent waves throughout the SEC. The Lady Vols went 24-10 on their way to a Sweet 16 run in the women's NCAA Tournament, putting the program ahead of schedule in year one.
Caldwell wasn't sending statements around the SEC and throughout the sport with only 24 wins, but how the Lady Vols did it and how they competed with teams that expected to run them out of the building.
Tennessee had four ranked wins this year on top of at least a dozen other dominant wins. The Lady Vols' ranked wins include wins over Iowa, UConn, Alabama, and Ohio State.
The Lady Vols also lost five of their ten games by one possession. Six of those ten losses were against some of the country's best teams, but the Lady Vols didn't back down and brought the fight to them for 40 minutes.
Tennessee also had the highest points per game average this millennium under Caldwell's up-tempo offense, averaging 86.6 points per game, only two points shy of the 1987-88 team's program-best 88.9 points per game.
This offseason will be Caldwell's full offseason to continue to build and improve the roster through player development and in the transfer portal. Caldwell and the Vols look to build more momentum throughout the offseason.