$1 million club: New contract puts this women’s college basketball coach among the nation’s highest paid

Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell was rewarded with a reworked contract earlier this year, raising her annual base pay to $1 million.

After a mightily impressive first season on the job in Knoxville, Kim Caldwell was rewarded with a reworked contract and one-year extension by Tennessee.

Details of the contract weren’t available back in March, but documents obtained by SB Nation this week show that Caldwell is now one of the highest paid coaches in the SEC and the nation.

In addition to her contract being extended by one year through 2030, Caldwell’s annual base pay was raised by 33 percent to $1 million.

When compared to coaching salaries across the SEC that are public, Caldwell now ranks fifth amongst the league’s coaches in base pay, and eighth in total annual compensation. South Carolina’s Dawn Staley ($4.2 million), LSU’s Kim Mulkey ($3.3 million) and Texas’ Vic Schaefer ($2.3 million) remain the league’s highest-paid coaches.

Across the country, the pay bump makes Caldwell one of the 25 highest-paid coaches in the nation.

“From our first meeting with Kim, it was clear that she is a groundbreaking innovator destined to lead the future of women’s basketball,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said in a statement in March. “In just one season, we experienced firsthand how her winning formula can revolutionize the game with her dynamic, high-octane offense and relentless defense. The promising future of Lady Vols basketball is in great hands under Kim’s leadership, setting the stage for a remarkable journey ahead.”

Under the direction of the 36-year-old Caldwell, Tennessee went 24-10 overall and 8-8 in SEC play. The Lady Vols went on to upset Ohio State on the Buckeyes’ home floor in Columbus to make the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Tennessee started the year off on a 13-game winning streak, immediately showing proof-of-concept that Caldwell’s fast-paced and pressing style could be successful at the Power 4 level. Previously, the native of Parkersburg, West Virginia, had spent one year at Marshall where the Herd won 26 games and the Sun Belt title, and she won a national championship at Division II Glenville State.

Other highlights from Caldwell’s first season at the helm of the Lady Vols included an AP Top 25 ranking as high as 11th and their first win over rival UConn since 2007, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Huskies. The Lady Vols also ranked fifth nationally in home attendance, drawing north of 10,000 fans per game. Even more extraordinary, Caldwell coached most the season while pregnant.

Caldwell’s up-tempo and high-intensity helped Tennessee set SEC and program records for 3-pointers made in a single season with 343. The Lady Vols ranked third nationally in scoring and in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive rating.

“They did exactly what we said we were going to do, which was get Tennessee back into the Top 25. They bought in, they played hard, they’ve been a joy to coach,” Caldwell said of her team after falling to Texas in the Sweet 16 in Birmingham. “Any success that we have at Tennessee from here on out is because of this team.”

Her new contract also stipulates that Tennessee will provide travel for Caldwell’s spouse and immediate family members at no additional cost to road games and postseason competitions. Additionally, Tennessee will provide Caldwell with the use of a non-commercial (private or charter) aircraft for her “personal, non-business travel, and/or that of Coach’s guests and/or family for up to either 10 legs or 15 hours of flight time.”

Caldwell aims to keep building at Tennessee and is raising the bar for expectations, as she’s bringing in a 2025 recruiting class heralded by many as among the best in the nation. It features five players that rank in the top 60 of ESPN’s ratings, headlined by five-star point guard Mia Pauldo. Through the transfer portal, the Lady Vols also added Nya Robertson from SMU, Janiah Barker from UCLA and Jersey Wolfenbarger from LSU.

On paper, Tennessee seemingly has one of the more talented rosters in the country.