Kim Caldwell is set to return to the sidelines on Monday night as her 17th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols take on the reigning national champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks. This comes just one week after the birth of her first child, a healthy baby boy named Conor Scott.
“It’s great to be back,” Caldwell expressed to reporters on Sunday.
Caldwell welcomed her son while she was contending with the flu, leading her to miss only one game. That game was a closely contested 80-76 loss against No. 7 Texas, where assistant coach Jenna Burdette took over for Caldwell on the road. “It felt quite helpless having to watch the one game,” she remarked, although she acknowledged Burdette did an admirable job in her absence.
She returned to practice on Friday and has been focusing on staying hydrated as several players have also fallen sick with the flu. Due to this virus circulating in the locker room, Caldwell has decided it’s best for her newborn to stay away from the team, even though the Lady Vols are eager to meet their coach’s new addition. “We have a lot of germs in here,” she reminded everyone.
When asked about her son’s measurements, Caldwell mentioned that he was born around the same size as her late father, which she found to be quite a relief. “He can grow on the outside,” she reassured.
The Lady Vols, with a record of 15-4 and 3-4 in the Southeastern Conference, have suffered four narrow losses, with a total of just eight points lost, three of which were against Top 10 ranked teams. On Monday night, they will be looking to turn things around against No. 2 South Carolina (19-1, 6-1) in Knoxville.
The first-year head coach was determined to be present for this matchup, especially as the Lady Vols aim to avoid experiencing their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Caldwell has a robust support system, which includes her husband, who was fortunate enough to win the drawing that decided their baby’s name. Additionally, her mother is in Knoxville to provide further assistance, and her sister is also expected to arrive soon. “It would be a completely different situation if that wasn’t the case,” Caldwell reflected.
She is currently focusing on helping her team reduce the frequency of repeated fouls, even as she and her coaching staff continue to emphasize the necessary adjustments. The Lady Vols boast an impressive offensive performance, ranked first nationally by averaging 93.4 points per game, and leading the nation in three-point shooting with an average of 11.5 treys per game. They have made 10 or more three-pointers in 13 games so far this season, shattering the previous school record of six, including a 9-for-17 shooting performance against Texas.
Caldwell also faces the unique challenge of balancing her responsibilities as both a coach and a new mother. During her pregnancy, she sought advice from Rick Barnes, her husband’s boss and the men’s basketball coach, who has experience juggling coaching with family life. Reflecting on the balance of work and personal life, Barnes suggested, “This is what we do. It can’t define who you are.”
