Lady Vol coach Kim Caldwell opens up about year one while becoming a mom

Looking back on it, Tennessee Lady Vol coach Kim Caldwell isn’t sure how she made it work and can’t fathom the thought that she tried to do more as she coached her first season guiding the nation’s most iconic program while pregnant and giving birth in season. 

Caldwell, who is very private in her life, opened up on Vol Club Confidential about what the journey into motherhood while trying to lead the Lady Vols back to prominence was really like. 

“It took me some time,” Caldwell said of the reality of finding out she was pregnant. “I was excited about it. It’s something I have always wanted, but you really had to wrap your head around it. It’s two-fold. You are excited for your family because this is something you have always wanted, but part of me felt like I let a lot of people down. I was hired to do a job and now I’m not going to be able to do it the way I was supposed to do it. That was really hard.”

“Our administration was phenomenal. I mean, I was terrified to tell (women’s athletic administrator) Angie (Boyd-Keck). Hey I’m fresh on the job, but guess what I’m having a baby. They were so supportive. The other coaches, (tennis) Alison (Ojeda) and (volleyball) Eve (Rackman Watt) had also gone through it. They (administration) made my life easier by the support they gave me.” 

Rumors of Caldwell’s pregnancy swirled for several weeks before Caldwell made the announcement on September 3rd. In hindsight knowing what she knows now Caldwell might have let the rumors swirl longer. 

“Your first baby you don’t know anything,” Caldwell admitted. “I didn’t really realize you don’t show for a really long time. I told the team well before I announced or the rumors were out there. I was aware that the rumors were out and I was like I dare someone to ask me. You do not ask a women if she is pregnant if she is not showing. So I was like I’m going to see if anyone has the gumption to ask me. No one ever did and I know people knew. But I told the team well before and they were great about it.” 

While the support was great, the physical toll of coaching and carrying a child was more taxing than she ever imagined it would be. 

“I think in hindsight the hardest part was just not being able to be around as much. It was trying especially towards the back half of my pregnancy. The flights were terrible just how my legs would swell. You have your athletic trainer there and you have these recovery boots on the plane just so you could get your shoes on. We were traveling with a team doctor just in case I went into labor. So many people sacrificed so much just for me to be able to continue to work,” Caldwell explained

“It was a lot. At the time, I thought I was doing well. Looking back now that I’m out of it a little bit and I feel like I’m a human being again I don’t have a lot of memory really of the Vanderbilt  game (day before the birth of Conor) and it was not a good game. It was just a lot there towards the end when I was about to pop and still trying to do both.” 

Caldwell’s plan was to not missed a game

Still regardless of the difficulty, Caldwell had a plan. A plan she really shared with very few. It was simple. The plan was to not miss a game. A plan she didn’t really punt on until mid-day Thursday of the Texas game three days after giving birth.

“The goal was and this is how obsessive and crazy I am. The goal was to have the baby and then go to Texas or wherever we were going to be and coach the game,” Caldwell admitted. “Once we found out (delivery date), I was really going to try and go to Texas and maybe not stand. I knew I wasn’t going to really be great, but just to be there be on the bench, be around the team. And not even really announce the birth. Just continue to go and see how long it took for people to figure out that I had the baby. I had the flu. Still with the flu, I had thoughts of asking if I could go and meet the team there, but you don’t want to get your team sick. And am I really this important? No, I’m not so important where I need to go and just sit on the bench, be in pain and get people sick and not really help. They did great without me.”

Tennessee fell to seventh ranked Texas 80-76 on January 23rd. For Caldwell, being removed from her team and from input with the game was let’s say — educational. 

“It was not fun,” Caldwell stated. “I do think it helped. I got to sit with my mom and husband and watch it from a spectator point of view which is always very different than when you are watching film clipped up or watching it after the game. Watching it live you are yelling at the TV like a fan would. I’m arguing with my husband, we teach them this and he’s yelling. Seeing things from a fans point of view I do think made us better.” 

Tennessee would win 9 of their last 15 from that point to make the Sweet 16 and end Caldwell’s whirlwind and unexpected first year 24-10.