Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell is facing significant criticism as she nears the end of her second season on Rocky Top.

Tennessee’s had an uneven season in Caldwell’s second year at the helm. The Lady Vols have suffered some historically bad losses, and Caldwell’s also had to deal with numerous off-the-court distractions.

As a result, Tennessee is currently 16-12 with the SEC Tournament set to begin this week.

The Lady Vols have never missed the NCAA Tournament, but that streak could be in jeopardy if Tennessee goes one-and-done in the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White comments on Kim Caldwell

Vols athletic director Danny White, who hired Caldwell in 2024, joined WNML’s SportsTalk on Wednesday and he made it clear that he still has confidence 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. It’s awesome, I think, not just for women’s basketball, for women’s sports, how many schools are investing at a high level in it now. And the popularity of this sport has grown astronomically over the last 10 years or so, and we expect to get the Lady Vols back to their rightful place in the women’s basketball world.”

“But nobody, including myself, thought that this was ever going to be a quick fix,” added White. “I think it takes time to get it right and to get to where we want to be. But Kim’s doing a great job. I think the recruiting has elevated significantly, and I’m really excited to see these young players continue to grow and next year’s additions as well.”

It sounds like White is committed to Caldwell. If that’s the case, then it’s unlikely a change will be made this offseason. Caldwell, though, will undoubtedly enter next season firmly on the hot seat if she returns to Knoxville for a third year.

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