After one of the worst seasons in program history, Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell is on the hot seat at Tennessee.

For now, the feeling is that Caldwell is safe for another season, despite a year that finished with eight straight losses and included plenty of off-the-court drama.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White said on WNML in early March that he’s as confident as ever in Caldwell.

“I think she’s doing a great job,” said White. “I’m as confident in her as I was the day I hired her. More confident, [after] just getting a chance to work closely with her and see how talented she is as a basketball mind and as a leader.

“This season has not met anyone’s expectations — most importantly, and most of all, hers. She’s incredibly competitive. Not surprised to see the narrative around it, both positive and negative. We have, I think, the most passionate fan base in the country, and a storied women’s basketball program that we are working really hard to get back. And that is not an easy proposition, and we didn’t expect it to be. Women’s basketball is extremely competitive.”

Vols insider Tony Basilio, however, said recently that “multiple people” have gone to White and encouraged him to make a change.

If a change is made with the Lady Vols, it likely won’t happen for another week

While it seems unlikely that White will move on from Caldwell, it should be an option that’s at least on the table.

Caldwell’s program regressed badly in 2025-26, to the point where the wheels completely fell off.

White is banking on Caldwell revamping the roster this offseason and quickly righting the ship next season.

Maybe it works out, but it’s far from a guarantee. The Lady Vols aren’t exactly an attractive destination right now. White has served as Tennessee’s athletic director since 2021, and the Lady Vols’ reputation as a program hasn’t improved under his watch. In fact, it’s trending even further in the wrong direction.

The players that Tennessee is recruiting didn’t grow up watching Pat Summitt dominate the sport. Many young players don’t understand what makes the Lady Vols special. As a result, the program will likely need to throw significant NIL money at player acquisition (which can lead to bad chemistry — something the Lady Vols dealt with this season).

White can either stay with Caldwell and hope for better results, or he can move on from Caldwell and try to make a big-time hire (which is what he should’ve done in 2024, instead of hiring a little-known coach with no Power-4 experience).

If White moves on from Caldwell, it almost certainly won’t happen until April 1. That’s because Caldwell’s buyout drops from $4 million to around $2 million on April 1.

$2 million is $2 million. If Tennessee is going to make a change, it makes sense to wait a week to save $2 million.

I still don’t expect White to make a change, but if the noise gets loud enough from donors and boosters, he may be left with no other choice.