Tennessee, Kim Caldwell agree to five-year contract extension, pay raise per report

According to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, Tennessee and head coach Kim Caldwell have agreed to a contract extension. Caldwell will be in Knoxville for an additional five years through the 2029-2030 season. A raise is included for her too but has yet to be revealed.

“Source: Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell has agreed to a five-year extension through 2030 that includes a raise, though terms have not yet been disclosed,” Adelson said via X.

Caldwell just wrapped up her first season with Tennessee, finding a great amount of success. The Vols finished 24-10 overall and despite an 8-8 record in SEC play, they were still a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Two wins ensued, making the Sweet Sixteen once again.

The future certainly seems bright with Caldwell running the show. Tennessee will want to advance even further in the coming years, hoping to break a Final Four drought dating back to 2008. Multiple Elite Eight appearances are there, but no breakthrough in just under three decades. Caldwell appears confident it will come.

“I am grateful for Danny’s continued trust and belief in me after a foundational first season here at Tennessee,” Caldwell said in an official statement once the move was made official. “I am very proud of our players and staff for the effort they put in and for what we accomplished together. I look forward to getting back to work, finding ways we can improve our program and continuing to take the steps necessary to compete for championships.”

More on Kim Caldwell, rise as Tennessee head coach

Tennessee decided to go with an outsider in Caldwell, bringing her in to replace Kellie Harper (now the head coach of Missouri). Expectations are as high on Rocky Top as anywhere in women’s college basketball. While it’s only been one season, the results have been great.

Not too long ago, Caldwell was coaching Division II basketball. Her head coaching career began at Glenville State in the 2016-2017 season. Seven seasons saw a winning percentage of .888 with a national championship and an additional Final Four.

Marshall was the program to bring Caldwell to Division I. The Thundering Hurd won the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship. Caldwell wound up guiding them to their second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance — the only other one occurring in 1997.

Tennessee is now reaping the benefits of having Caldwell as their head coach. And based on Monday’s news, she is not going anywhere anytime soon.