Tennessee Lady Volunteers women’s basketball head coach Kim Caldwell overhauled the program following the 2025–26 season, which ended with 14 losses, a first-round NCAA tournament exit, and every scholarship player entering the transfer portal.
Caldwell dismantled her prior operational structure. She resumed direct control of the tempo-press system and reversed last season’s delegation of half-court offense and defense responsibilities. She hired Georgia assistant Isoken Uzamere and Florida State assistant Bill Ferrara, while retaining Jenna Burdette, Angel Rizor and Lexie Barrier. She also consulted former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy, who advised that staff cohesion must precede player buy-in — prompting Caldwell to bring in a communication specialist to map personality and response styles across the coaching staff and roster.
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The Lady Vols signed 13 transfer players, nine from Power 4 conferences — including five from the SEC. Maryland transfer Kaylene Smikle leads the team in scoring at 19.7 points per game through three contests. Four-star prospect Gabby Minus averages 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Texas transfer Aaliyah Moore scores 12.0 points per game. Forward Fatmata Janneh, who transferred from St. Peter’s and Texas A&M, paces the team in rebounding with 10.7 per game.
Caldwell shifted recruiting strategy toward proven system fit rather than elite pedigree. Her staff conducted background checks on each prospective transfer, contacting former AAU and college coaches and parents to assess resilience, role flexibility and coachability. Players who did not receive a “yes” to “Would you recruit her again?” were removed from consideration.
The roster lacks traditional post depth — no player taller than 6-foot-3 — so Tennessee emphasizes team defense inside. Early results show cultural alignment: Smikle said she thrives in transition and values aggressive play; Moore said Caldwell selected each player with clear purpose, calling the group “a puzzle.”
Athletic director Danny White reaffirmed his support, telling Caldwell, “Be who you are.” He stated the objective is not marginal improvement: “I’m not trying to have Tennessee women’s basketball be a little bit better than where we were for the last decade. We’re trying to get it back to where Coach [Pat] Summitt had it.”
Caldwell acknowledged the rebuilding process remains difficult. She told her staff last spring, “Things will get worse before they get better.” Through three games, the Lady Vols have shown cohesion, pace and shared purpose — traits Caldwell credits to her championship teams at Glenville State and Marshall, and to her first season at Tennessee.
More: NCAAW
