Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell announced her pregnancy on social media, posting, “Faith in God includes faith in His timing. Baby Caldwell is coming in the winter of 2025.”
The post on X, formerly Twitter, includes a photo of a tiny high-top sneaker balancing on a basketball.
It will be the first child for Caldwell and her husband Justin, as they celebrated their first wedding anniversary in May.
Kim Caldwell, 35, was hired in April to replace Kellie Harper. Caldwell previously coached at Marshall and Division II Glenville State, where she and Justin both played and coached.
Caldwell is not the first Tennessee coach to be pregnant during her first season in Knoxville. Volleyball coach Eve Rackham Watt was pregnant during her debut season in 2018.
The volleyball team was immediately successful, making its first NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons, despite Rackham Watt being barred from traveling during the final month of the season. She gave birth to her son, Jude, in November 2018.
Tennessee has long supported coaches who have children, including Pat Summitt, who gave birth to her son, Tyler, in 1990. Most recently, women’s tennis coach Alison Ojeda led the Lady Vols to the national semifinals while 36 weeks pregnant. Ojeda gave birth to her son, Marcus, in July.
Ojeda’s first pregnancy, with her daughter Summitt, ended midseason. Ojeda said she received “incredible” support from athletic director Danny White and the department during both pregnancies.
Caldwell was head coach at Marshall last season, her first time coaching a Division I team. She spent the previous seven seasons at Glenville State, her first head coaching job.
The Lady Vols will play in an exhibition match against Carson-Newman on October 31 before playing their season opener against Samford on November 5.
RECRUITMENT: Why Kim Caldwell and Lady Vols basketball were a “perfect fit” for point guard twins Mia and Mya Pauldo
Cora Hall covers women’s athletics at the University of Tennessee. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @corahalllIf you like Cora’s reporting, consider a digital subscription that gives you access to all of her coverage.
