Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell is preparing for her third season at Tennessee. Last season, Caldwell’s team participated in the NCAA Tournament, but their campaign ended with a first-round loss to NC State.
This offseason, Coach Caldwell is implementing a personnel change that took Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel five years to make.
During Heupel’s initial seasons at Tennessee, it was frequently observed that he had not dismissed any assistant coaches.
Heupel eventually made a difficult decision this past winter, terminating defensive coordinator Tim Banks and appointing Jim Knowles as his successor. This move occurred after Tennessee’s defense declined significantly, dropping from the seventh-best scoring defense nationally in 2024 to 92nd in 2025.
Kim Caldwell Reportedly Dismisses Lady Vols Assistant Coach
According to a report from Brent Hubbs of VolQuest, Caldwell terminated assistant coach Roman Tubner’s employment on Thursday.
Tubner, who previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama, had been a member of Caldwell’s coaching staff for the past two seasons.
In a statement, Caldwell expressed, “I want to thank Coach Tubner for his contributions to our program over the past two seasons. We extend our best wishes to him for his future endeavors.”
This marks the second coaching staff alteration Caldwell has made this offseason.
Earlier this week, Lady Vols assistant coach Gabe Lazo resigned (Lazo subsequently joined LSU’s coaching staff). Caldwell promptly filled the vacancy by recruiting Bill Ferrara from Florida State.
This is a crucial offseason for Caldwell. She is under significant scrutiny following a disappointing season in which the team’s performance severely deteriorated.
Caldwell hopes that a reconfigured player roster and a restructured coaching staff will help guide the Lady Vols back to success in the upcoming season.
