Kim Caldwell, a private individual hailing from a small town, has managed to keep her personal life under wraps, especially regarding her first pregnancy. For several months, she skillfully avoided inquiries on the subject. However, following her announcement via social media on September 3 about the upcoming arrival of “Baby Caldwell,” she recognized the unique position she holds as the new head coach for the historically renowned Tennessee Lady Vols women’s basketball team. This role allows her to set an example for other working mothers navigating similar challenges amidst their hectic lives.
“I have an opportunity here to help the next person that is going to get pregnant during basketball season or anyone that’s going to get pregnant during a time of their life that’s stressful,” Caldwell stated, reflecting on her responsibilities as a mentor. “And for most women, that’s all the time.” Caldwell is currently managing her own high-stress situation as she prepares to give birth any day now while leading the 15th-ranked Lady Vols (14-2), who are deep into their Southeastern Conference schedule, a time when tensions run high.
Caldwell’s worries are compounded by the fact that the Lady Vols suffered two narrow defeats this season, losing by a mere three points to top-10 ranked teams. “Those three points haunt me every day,” Caldwell confessed. “They haunt me in practice. They hopefully haunt our players of just how can we get those back? How can we improve? So we’ve tried to tighten things up on them a little bit and learn from these losses.”
When Caldwell was hired in April as the third head coach since the retirement of Pat Summitt—who built the program’s foundation and propelled women’s basketball into the spotlight—there were high expectations. Under Caldwell’s predecessors, Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper, the team struggled to return to the Final Four since Summitt’s departure. Caldwell’s impressive track record includes leading Marshall to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1997, arriving at Tennessee with a remarkable career record of 217-31 and multiple tournament bids.
Despite never envisioning herself as a coach at Tennessee, Caldwell is committed to achieving success akin to her previous roles to meet the expectations set by Lady Vols fans. Her coaching style, which is heavily rooted in the high-tempo, aggressive approach that was successful at Glenville State and Marshall, presents difficulties for opponents when trying to predict her team’s strategies. From the moment she joined, she ensured her players were in peak physical condition, capable of maintaining this frenetic pace for an entire game, and sometimes even longer.
That relentless spirit was demonstrated when Tennessee made an impressive comeback from a 19-point deficit against the then-No. 9 Oklahoma on January 5, ultimately losing 87-86. In another dramatic match against then-No. 6 LSU, Caldwell’s team battled back from an 18-point lag, only to narrowly fall 89-87 due to a last-second layup by the Tigers.
Before their game, LSU’s coach Kim Mulkey honored Caldwell with a gift bag containing baby essentials, a thoughtful gesture rooted in a long-standing tradition from her Baylor days. Mulkey fondly recounted the influence of Summitt as a mentor during her own coaching journey, recalling how Summitt reassured her that motherhood and coaching could coexist successfully.
As Caldwell prepares for her dual roles as both a mother and a coach, she is set to lead the Lady Vols against Mississippi State (15-3) for the 13th annual “We Back Pat” fundraiser event, which supports the Pat Summitt Foundation and the SEC. This game carries a personal significance for Caldwell, whose grandmother battled Alzheimer’s disease.
While the details of whether Caldwell will soon welcome a son or daughter remain private, she continues to wear oversized shirts alongside her coaching staff to keep the focus on her team. Caldwell has developed a plan for how the Lady Vols will manage during her absence following childbirth.
“Only God knows when I will give birth or how quickly I will be able to rejoin the Lady Vols,” she shared. As the SEC Tournament approaches on March 5, followed by the NCAA Tournament starting on March 21 and 22—where Tennessee could potentially host the opening weekend—Caldwell has expressed hope for a swift return. “God willing … I definitely have plans to return sooner than later,” she added. “But you just never know what is going to happen. And everyone has a different birth story. So, again, you’re kind of all prepared for everything.”
