The genesis of Kim Caldwell’s national title contract clause as the Lady Vols basketball coach was explained by Danny White, the Tennessee athletics director. White revealed that he inserted the clause into the contract before selecting the coach to whom it would apply.
This contractual provision, conceived by White, presents the opportunity for the coach to become the highest-paid in the nation by clinching a national championship. Kim Caldwell, the newly appointed coach for the prestigious Lady Vols program, signed the contract that included this clause after being hired on Sunday.
“I did that because I wanted y’all to see that,” White explained. “I did that before I knew who we were hiring. I didn’t know if we were going to spend multi-(millions), seven figures on a new coach or if we were going to spend what we spent.”
Caldwell’s introduction as the Lady Vols basketball coach occurred on Tuesday, as announced by White. The five-year contract she agreed to is valued at $3.75 million, with an annual salary of $750,000 until March 31, 2029.
The memorandum of understanding encompassed the clause that White had envisioned even before selecting Caldwell, who previously coached at Marshall.
This clause specifies that if Caldwell leads Tennessee to a national title, she would receive a salary raise before May 1 of that season, ensuring her compensation matches or surpasses the highest salary of any head coach of a women’s basketball team in Division I, based on publicly available salary data at the time of such achievement.
“We want to make it very clear in investment how serious we are about getting our women’s basketball program back to the top is no question at all,” White emphasized. “She has our full support and will continue to have it.”
Tennessee boasts eight national titles in its program history, all attained under the legendary coach Pat Summitt. However, the university hasn’t secured a national title since 2008.
“We want to make sure we get back on top,” Caldwell expressed.
Caldwell achieved notable success at Marshall, leading the team to a 26-7 record, clinching Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles in her sole season in Huntington, West Virginia. She also guided the Thundering Herd to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1997.
