When you talk about iconic women’s college basketball programs, two names always come up first: UConn and Tennessee. UConn is still very much the powerhouse it has always been, but Tennessee, once the gold standard under the legendary Pat Summitt, has slowly drifted into oblivion.

Wanting to change that, the program took a bold step of hiring a coach with almost zero NCAA tournament experience: Kim Caldwell. But so far, that gamble hasn’t delivered.

The Lady Vols have dropped both of their ranked matchups under Kim Caldwell this season, and it’s starting to feel like they’re headed toward another rough conference run, just like her first year in charge. But if you ask the 37-year-old, this was all part of the plan.

In the postgame press conference after the 99–77 loss to UCLA, Caldwell said, “Our goal this year was to be better in the SEC, and we did not play anybody last year to help us do that. We didn’t learn these lessons until we got into SEC play.”

Tennessee has already shown this season that turnovers are a real problem, even against weaker teams, thanks to their new fast-paced, high-pressure style under Coach Caldwell. And UCLA exposed that issue again and again. The Bruins turned 20 forced turnovers into 29 points, while the Lady Vols managed just 13 points off 12 turnovers.

But as Caldwell explained, this is exactly why they stacked their non-conference schedule with so many ranked opponents (most of them, mind you, are away from home). They want to learn these hard lessons now so they don’t repeat the same mistakes once SEC play begins.

Everyone remembers how much Tennessee struggled once SEC play began last season. They finished eighth in the conference with an 8-8 record, bowed out in the second round of the SEC Tournament, and their Big Dance run ended early, too, with a Sweet 16 exit.

With the way this season has started, a 5–2 record and both ranked matchups slipping away, the doubts around whether this job might be a little too big for Caldwell are beginning to resurface. And that’s natural, because Tennessee made a bold move: they hired outside the Lady Vols family for the first time since the late Pat Summitt stepped down in 2012.

You’re talking about a 35-year-old coach with just one season of Division I head-coaching experience and no time on staff at a Power 4 program. Yes, Caldwell walked in with an impressive resume. She won the Sun Belt title, set a school record with 26 wins, and took Marshall to its first NCAA Tournament since 1997.

Before that, she spent seven years at her alma mater, Division II Glenville State, winning the 2022 Division II national championship. She even earned the Pat Summitt Trophy that same year as the WBCA Division II National Coach of the Year.

But you don’t usually associate those accomplishments with someone stepping into a job as big as Tennessee’s. So moving forward, there will always be a question mark around her future if she can’t deliver this season.

But even with the shaky start, the expectations haven’t gone anywhere. Fans and media still believe the Lady Vols should have a strong season.

Kim Caldwell’s side is tipped to reach the Final Four

The Lady Vols entered the season ranked No. 8 in the country after finishing 24-10 in Caldwell’s first year, and a lot of the excitement came from their loaded transfer class. ESPN’s Charlie Creme even ranked it the No. 1 group in the nation, and for good reason.

Tennessee brought in three major additions from the transfer portal, UCLA forward Janiah Barker, SMU guard Nya Robertson, and LSU forward Jersey Wolfenbarger, as Caldwell looks to push the Lady Vols toward a deeper NCAA Tournament run. On top of that, most of the core is back, led by Talaysia Cooper, who looks ready to take another big leap and have the best season of her career.

There’s a lot to like about Tennessee this season. So far, they have lost both their ranked matchups and perhaps will lose the other non-conference ranked matches as well. But if that helps them gain the experience Caldwell is searching for, who knows—maybe they might even end up as the SEC regular-season champions as well. But Dawn Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks won’t be easy to dethrone.

What are your expectations for Tennessee this season? Let us know in the comments down below!