Danny White's first hire should give Tennessee Vols fans reason to believe in his newest one
Danny White has found his replacement for Kellie Harper to lead the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. And it might not be a name that excites a large group of the fan base. White tabbed Marshall head coach Kim Caldwell as the program's new coach. Caldwell's Thundering Herd finished 26-7 last year, earning their second […]
Danny White has found his replacement for Kellie Harper to lead the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. And it might not be a name that excites a large group of the fan base.
White tabbed Marshall head coach Kim Caldwell as the program's new coach.
Caldwell's Thundering Herd finished 26-7 last year, earning their second NCAA tournament bid ever and their first since 1997. They featured a high scoring offense (85.3 points per game last season, fourth in the country) and an opportunistic defense (24.2 turnovers per game forced, second in the country). She has a 217-31 career record in eight seasons. Ironically, she received the Pat Summitt Trophy in 2021-22 at Glenville State that is awarded by the WBCA to the top division II head coach, which she earned by winning the national championship that year.
No, she's likely not Dawn Staley. No one is right now, quite frankly. That was likely a long shot anyways, given what she's built at South Carolina. Without question, that should have been White's first phone call he made.
But it's not always about what's behind door number one, or what fans believe should be behind that door. Sometimes it's about the options that could be available behind doors number two, three, etc. And it's often the person that the fans don't want that turns out to be the correct hire.
Take for example, White's first ever hire as the director of athletics at the University of Tennessee. White had barely settled into becoming the school's AD when he tabbed University of Central Florida head coach Josh Heupel to succeed Jeremy Pruitt as the new Tennessee football head coach.
That was met with plenty of opposition by those who didn't think Heupel was a big enough hire. Tennessee needed to hire someone splashy. Someone established. It was time to stop considering coaches you hope will grow into the goals Tennessee has as a program, rather than having already accomplished them.
Needless to say, Heupel has been a terrific hire. His offense has proven to be electric and innovative. He's recruited well. He appears to have a true love and appreciation for the University of Tennessee and its great tradition in football. He delivered the school's first major bowl victory since the 1999 Fiesta Bowl and the school's first 11-win season in over 20 years with a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
So why shouldn't things be the same with Caldwell and the Lady Vols' storied tradition? Tennessee has high expectations, and those shouldn't change. But Caldwell has managed to succeed at each stop she's been at, and she's managed to do it with her teams ranking high in some key areas that give a reason to be encouraged.
So, for those unhappy with the hire and looking to complain, bury those pitchforks and torches. Delete those ugly tweets. Because sometimes, the moves you don't like now are the ones you love later.
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