How Danny White approached Pat Summitt connections in Lady Vols basketball coaching search

Danny White considered ties to Lady Vols basketball and its late coach Pat Summitt as part of the weeklong search for a new coach.

The Tennessee athletics director did not consider such ties imperative, though, as he sought a new leader for the program.

“I was obviously aware of that history," White said Tuesday. "That is something we thought about. That is a characteristic when you talk about fit."

White broke away from the Summitt coaching tree and plucked Kim Caldwell from Marshall to be the next Lady Vols coach. Caldwell, who was hired Sunday and introduced Tuesday, is the first coach hired without a link to Summitt since the legendary coach retired in 2012.

How Danny White approached Pat Summitt ties, former Lady Vols in coaching search

The Summitt coaching tree dated back to her hiring in 1974. Holly Warlick, a former Summitt player and longtime assistant coach, took over full-time in 2012. She was fired in 2019. Kellie Harper, another former Summitt player, was hired in 2019 and fired on April 1 following five seasons.

Caldwell was hired six days later after a week White described as crazy. He said the search included talking to a "whole bunch of people" and narrowing it down until he picked Caldwell.

"Did we have a candidate pool restricted only to former players? No," White said. "We also weren’t averse to hiring a former player. That was just one of a whole bunch of characteristics.”

The most notable former player in the coaching profession is Duke coach Kara Lawson. Lawson has a 68–33 record in four seasons at Duke, including back-to-back seasons with at least 20 wins and a Sweet 16 trip this season. Memphis coach Alex Simmons finished her first season with the Tigers and Bridgette Gordon was a first-year coach at Florida A&M. All are former Lady Vols who played for Summitt.

"We understand the enormous responsibility that being a caretaker and a steward of this program has because of all that (Summitt) accomplished here," White said before he introduced Caldwell.

CLAUSE:How Kim Caldwell's national title contract clause came to be as Lady Vols basketball coach

What Kim Caldwell said about Pat Summitt

Caldwell has rose quickly to the highest levels of the profession. She was a Division II coach a year ago before she was hired at Marshall. She led the Thundering Herd to a 26-7 record and the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Marshall reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997.

Caldwell earned her reputation for her winning ways at Glenville State, a Division II school in West Virginia and her alma mater. Caldwell went 191-24 with a national championship in the 2021-22 season and two Final Four appearances.

Caldwell was awarded the Pat Summitt Trophy as the 2022 WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year.

“I will never be Pat Summitt," Caldwell said. "Nobody can. But I will strive every day to be somebody she would be proud of.”

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.