Full Contract details as Kim Caldwell Takes the Helm as Lady Vols Basketball Coach.
Kim Caldwell has agreed to a five-year contract valued at $3.75 million to assume the role of Lady Vols basketball coach, as detailed in the memorandum of understanding signed on Sunday and obtained by Knox News.
UT athletics director Danny White announced Caldwell’s appointment, marking her as the fourth coach in Lady Vols history.
The key components of Caldwell’s contract include:
– Salary: Under the terms of the contract signed on Sunday, Caldwell will receive an annual salary of $750,000 until March 31, 2029. This places her as the seventh highest-paid coach in the SEC. Notably, LSU’s Kim Mulkey and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley each earn more than $3 million annually.
Moreover, should Caldwell guide Tennessee to a national championship, her contract stipulates a clause that would immediately elevate her to the highest-paid coach in Division I women’s basketball. This provision requires a salary adjustment before May 1 of the championship season to ensure her compensation matches or exceeds the highest salary of any head coach in Division I women’s basketball based on publicly available salary data.
What is Kim Caldwell’s buyout?
In the event of termination without cause before March 31, 2025, Tennessee will be obligated to pay Caldwell the entirety of her remaining base salary. However, if termination occurs on or after April 1, 2025, her buyout reduces to 50% of the base pay.
Caldwell assumes the position as the fourth coach in the history of the Lady Vols.
Her appointment comes following Harper’s tenure, during which the team faced challenges in achieving significant success. Despite leading the team to two Sweet 16 appearances in her five seasons, Harper encountered difficulties in recruiting, leading to a decline in the team’s win totals over three consecutive seasons.
Before joining the Lady Vols, Caldwell achieved success at Marshall, where she guided the team to a record of 26-7, clinching both the Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles in her single season in Huntington, West Virginia. Under her guidance, the Thundering Herd secured their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1997.
