Tennessee Athletic Director Addresses Kim Caldwell's Job Status Amid Losing Streak

The Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball team has lost six consecutive games and nine of its last 11 contests. Head coach Kim Caldwell has called her team out for quitting, received criticism from ESPN analyst Andraya Carter for doing so, and is under a ton of pressure to turn things around.

She was also in the news on March 3 after fifth-year senior Kaiya Wynn left the team because she was frustrated she didn't get to start on Senior Day game on March 1. It came out afterwards that Wynn was offered a chance to play with less than a minute remaining, but refused to enter the game.

Tennessee basketball coach Kim Caldwell | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Athletic Director Backs Kim Caldwell Amid Lady Vols Struggles

With the way this season has gone, some fans have wondered whether Caldwell's job security is in the air. But Tennessee's athletic director, Danny White (who hired Caldwell in 2024), shut that sentiment down with quotes from a March 4 interview with A to Z Sports.

“I think she’s doing a great job,” White said in the article. “I’m as confident in her as I was the day I hired her. More confident, [after] just getting a chance to work closely with her and see how talented she is as a basketball mind and as a leader.

“This season has not met anyone’s expectations — most importantly, and most of all, hers. She’s incredibly competitive. Not surprised to see the narrative around it, both positive and negative. We have, I think, the most passionate fan base in the country, and a storied women’s basketball program that we are working really hard to get back. And that is not an easy proposition, and we didn’t expect it to be. Women’s basketball is extremely competitive.

"It’s awesome, I think, not just for women’s basketball, for women’s sports, how many schools are investing at a high level in it now. And the popularity of this sport has grown astronomically over the last 10 years or so, and we expect to get the Lady Vols back to their rightful place in the women’s basketball world," White continued.

“But nobody, including myself, thought that this was ever going to be a quick fix. I think it takes time to get it right and to get to where we want to be. But Kim’s doing a great job. I think the recruiting has elevated significantly, and I’m really excited to see these young players continue to grow and next year’s additions as well," he concluded.

Losses aside, Lady Vols fans can expect Caldwell to stick around for the foreseeable future.