Nikki Caldwell Hired As Tennessee Assistant Coach
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June 5, 2002
Knoxville, Tenn. – Virginia women’s basketball assistant coach Nikki Caldwell has been hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Tennessee, both schools announced on Wednesday.
For the last three seasons, Caldwell has served as an assistant coach on Debbie Ryan’s staff, where she was responsible for recruiting, scouting, player development, and monitoring academic progress.
“Nikki has been a great asset to our program,” Ryan said. “We will not only miss her coaching expertise, but we will miss Nikki as a person.”
“The University of Virginia has been a great experience for me,” Caldwell said. “The relationships that I have developed over the years will forever be dear to me. Debbie Ryan and her staff, our players, thisinstitution and the community have allowed me the opportunity to be a part of something special here in Charlottesville.”
A standout guard during her time as a Lady Vol player, Caldwell was known for her tough defense and three-point shooting ability. From 1990-94 the Oak Ridge, Tenn., native tortured opposing defenses to the tune of 128 career three-point field goals made, which currently stands third all-time in Tennessee history, despite missing games during her sophomore and junior years with injuries. Caldwell also ranks third in three-pointers made in a single season with 51 and is second in career three-point attempts with 367. As a rookie, Caldwell was named to the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman team.
Caldwell was a freshman on the Tennessee team that defeated Virginia in the 1991 NCAA Championship game. During her college career, she was a two-time recipient of the Gloria Ray Leadership Award.
“We are truly excited to have Nikki Caldwell join our Lady Vol coaching staff,” Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said. “She brings valuable experience in both recruiting and on-the-floor coaching from her time spent at the University of Virginia. As a former player she understands both the system and the expectations of the Tennessee program. That combination should prove to be a valuable asset to our team and coaching staff.”
After graduating from UT with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, she moved behind the microphone as a color analyst for the SEC’s Game of the Week on Fox Sports South from 1995-97, before making a move to host sports segments for the Knoxville-based cable network Shop at Home.
Caldwell returned to the Lady Vols in 1998 as a member of Summitt’s coaching staff to serve as the graduate assistant for administration. During the 1998-99 season, which saw Tennessee post a 31-3 mark and nab the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, Caldwell was responsible for assisting the coaching staff in all aspects of basketball operations.
“I am very excited about re-joining the Tennessee family,” Caldwell added. “The tradition and standard of excellence at UT is what originally drew me there as a player and now as a coach. This is a special time for the sport of women’s basketball, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this program.”
Caldwell will work primarily with national recruiting and on-court instruction for the Lady Vol program and replaces former assistant coach Al Brown, who recently accepted a position at Wisconsin. Her duties at Tennessee are scheduled to begin on June 17.
NIKKI CALDWELL'S PLAYING & COACHING RESUME
SCHOOL YEARS OVERALL RECORDat Tennessee 1990-91 30-5 NCAA Champions(as a player) 1991-92 28-3 NCAA Regional semifinal 1992-93 29-3 NCAA Regional final 1993-94 31-2 NCAA Regional semifinal
at Tennessee 1998-99 31-3 NCAA Regional final(graduate assistant)
at Virginia 1999-00 25-9 NCAA Regional semifinal(assistant) 2000-01 18-14 NCAA First Round 2001-02 17-13 NCAA First Round
TOTALS 8 years 209-52 (.801)
Overall record as an assistant coach: 60-36Overall record as a graduate assistant: 31-3Overall record as a player: 118-13