'She has shown them they ain't right' – Texas head coach Vic Schaefer makes big statement about Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols
Kim Caldwell's first season as the head coach of the Lady Vols came to an end this past weekend after a hard-fought loss against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16. Caldwell went 24-10 in her first season at Tennessee — a season that included the Lady Vols' first win against UConn since 2007. On […]
Kim Caldwell's first season as the head coach of the Lady Vols came to an end this past weekend after a hard-fought loss against the Texas Longhorns in the Sweet 16.
Caldwell went 24-10 in her first season at Tennessee — a season that included the Lady Vols' first win against UConn since 2007.
On Saturday, after eliminating Tennessee from the NCAA Tournament, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer praised Caldwell for the job that she did in her first season on Rocky Top.
"We're also going to congratulate Tennessee," said Schaefer. "That is one heck of a basketball team. I told her when I shook her hand before the game started, it's going to be a knockdown, drag-out [game]. I knew it was going to be. She has done an unbelievable job with that group. They play so hard. You've got to really execute some things to handle how they play."
"As I told Coach (Caldwell), she's done an unbelievable job with that program in such a short period of time," continued Schaefer. "A lot of people didn't think what she'd do or how she is doing it was going to work. I think she's shown them they ain't right, that what they do and how they do it is very effective. And again, getting kids to buy into a system, you know, she's done it so fast. A lot of credit has to go to her and how they play and the problems that they can create (for opponents)."
The future is certainly bright for the Lady Vols under Caldwell. The program is playing an exciting brand of basketball. And as Caldwell noted after the loss to Texas, now that some of Tennessee's players have a year of experience in her system under their belt, the program should be able to reach a new level next season.
"It's so much easier for the players that have done it once to do it again," said Caldwell after the loss to the Longhorns in the Sweet 16. "Everyone's second year is usually their better year and people always ask, how long does it take to figure it out? Sometimes it takes a year.
"So all of our returners should be better and then we will have more coaches on the floor. We won't be having to teach 15 players a completely new brand of basketball."
There will be as much excitement surrounding the Lady Vols entering next season as we've seen in a long time in Knoxville.
Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell shares the emotional message she sent her team after loss to Texas in Sweet 16
What a season for the Lady Vols
