Tennessee
Will Kim Caldwell coach Lady Vols basketball today at Texas?
AUSTIN – It is unclear if Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell traveled with the team for its road matchup with Texas.
The first-year Tennessee coach, who said Jan. 14 she was due “any day now” with her first child, did not meet with the media Tuesday. Instead, assistant coach Jenna Burdette met with reporters.
Tennessee athletics declined to provide an update Tuesday when asked if Caldwell would be at Texas.
No. 17 Tennessee (15-3, 3-3 SEC) will face the No. 7 Longhorns (18-2, 4-1) at the Moody Center on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Caldwell declined to share her plan for if she has to miss any games due to the arrival of her baby, including who will be interim head coach. If she is not at Texas, it will be the first game she has missed due to her pregnancy, which she announced in September.
Burdette is the obvious choice to handle head coaching responsibilities if Caldwell is unavailable. Burdette has spent the most time with Caldwell of anyone on her Lady Vols staff, now in her fourth season working with Caldwell.
The team has been supportive of Caldwell’s pregnancy. Her players threw a baby shower for her in preseason and expressed their excitement for the baby’s arrival.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.