Kim Caldwell Deserves To Be National Coach Of The Year

Image: 247sports.com

By Cody McClure

The Naismith Awards announced today its 2025 Women’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.

Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell is included among the candidates, according to a UT release.

Caldwell is one of six SEC coaches in consideration along with Kim Mulkey (LSU), Shea Ralph (Vanderbilt), Kenny Brooks (Kentucky), Vic Schaefer (Texas), and Dawn Staley (South Carolina).

Geno Auriemma, whose UConn team was defeated by the Lady Vols, is also on the list.

Tennessee is 19-6 this season and ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll. The Lady Vols have ranked wins over UConn and Iowa. The six losses have come by a combined total of 20 points.

Five of those came against teams ranked in the top 10.

Even in defeat, these ladies have been close to winning just about every game. They are wildly competitive and capable of beating any team, which says quite a lot about a first-year coach.

Caldwell’s unique system has taken hold and proved to be a winning method. There’s not really been a game in which the Lady Vols didn’t have a chance to win.

To me, when considering Caldwell is just in year one, with that type of schedule, the resume is deserving of National Coach of the Year.

Tennessee is No. 11 in the NCAA NET rankings and is projected as a top four seed in the NCAA tournament.

Good luck finding a first-year coach who’s doing better.