AUSTIN, Texas — Kim Caldwell, the head coach of the 17th-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers, was absent during their 80-76 defeat against No. 7 Texas on Thursday evening, as she recently welcomed the birth of her son earlier in the week.

Conor Scott Caldwell is the couple’s first child, and both mother and child are reported to be in good health, according to a spokesperson from Tennessee. Currently, there is no specific timeline for her return to coaching duties.

In Caldwell’s absence, Assistant Coach Jenna Burdette is stepping in as the acting head coach. Caldwell, 36 years old, joined Tennessee after a successful tenure at Marshall, where she led the team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 in her sole season there. With a distinguished career record of 217 wins against 31 losses, Caldwell has previously secured the NCAA Division II championship while coaching at Glenville State in 2022.

Following the loss to Texas, the Lady Vols now hold a 15-4 record, with their defeats coming by a narrow combined margin of just eight points. Notably, three of these losses were to teams currently ranked.

The Tennessee team is known for its prolific scoring and is the top team in the nation regarding 3-point attempts and conversions, boasting an impressive 94.3 points per game average heading into Thursday night’s game.

Caldwell has expressed that her role as a first-year head coach of such a prestigious program allows her to be a source of support for other working mothers who may feel overwhelmed or isolated. Recently, she shared, “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. And for most women, that’s all the time.”