To say that it’s a relief for Kim Caldwell to not be eight and nine months pregnant during SEC play this season is an understatement.
The second-year Lady Vols basketball coach recounted how difficult it was to be at the end of her pregnancy during her first SEC season a year ago at the Big Orange Tipoff on Jan. 5.
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“It was brutal. There were times I’d get to the hotel and had to put recovery boots on so my feet would fit in my shoes,” Caldwell said. “We were traveling with a team doctor in case I went into labor when we were on the road. And so it definitely is more comfortable not to have to worry about that.”
With her husband, Justin, working as the player development coordinator for Tennessee men’s basketball, Caldwell said basketball season will always feel like “two ships passing in the night” for their family.
The Lady Vols know they share Caldwell with her son, Conor, who was born Jan. 20, 2025. Caldwell only missed one game due to Conor’s birth and returned to practice four days later. She was back on the sidelines to coach Tennessee against South Carolina exactly one week after giving birth.
“They love him,” Caldwell said. “They ask about him, and he comes to practice sometimes.”
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The Lady Vols have picked up on the habits of Pat Summitt’s former players after going to the live reunion show celebrating Summitt’s legacy on Dec. 11.
Former Lady Vols star and assistant coach Nikki Fargas was a freshman when Summitt gave birth to her son Tyler in 1990. During the show, Fargas recalled how the players got excited when they saw Tyler arrive at practice because they knew it would be over soon after.
“Our team really picked up on that, and they say, when’s Conor coming? When’s Conor coming?” Caldwell said. “So we’ve been hiding him in the office at the end of practice now. He has to stay upstairs, because they will start to check now a little bit when they know he’s coming in.”
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Kim Caldwell hides her son when he comes to Lady Vols practice
