A return trip to the NCAA tournament for the Virginia women's basketball team will have to come without one of the coaches that has graced the Cavalier sidelines for the past three seasons.
Virginia assistant coach Nikki Caldwell announced last Wednesday that she will be leaving the Virginia women's basketball program to take a similar position with her alma mater, the University of Tennessee.
"The University of Virginia has been a great experience for me," Caldwell said in a release. "The relationships that I have developed over the years will forever be dear to me."
"Debbie Ryan and her staff, our players, this institution and the community have allowed me the opportunity to be a part of something special here in Charlottesville," Caldwell said.
Caldwell will fill a position vacated by the departure of former Tennessee assistant coach Al Brown who accepted a position with the University of Wisconsin. Caldwell will begin working with the Tennessee program June 17.
With Caldwell patrolling the Cavalier sidelines alongside head coach Debbie Ryan, the Cavaliers posted a 60-36 record, making the NCAA tournament all three seasons. Caldwell's primary duties with the Cavaliers included scouting, recruiting and player development as well as monitoring academic progress.
"Nikki has been a great asset to our program," Ryan said in a release. "We will not only miss her coaching expertise, but we will miss Nikki as a person."
Caldwell leaves Charlottesville to head for familiar ground. The Oak Ridge, Tenn. native was a standout guard as a Lady Vol from 1990 through 1994. She was a freshman on the Lady Vols squad that defeated Virginia in the 1991 NCAA Championship game. Caldwell also is a two-time recipient of the Gloria Ray Leadership Award.
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"We are truly excited to have Nikki Caldwell join our Lady Vol coaching staff," Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said in a release. "As a former player she understands both the system and the expectations of the Tennessee program. That combination should prove to be a valuable asset to our team and coaching staff."
Caldwell is no stranger to the working on the sidelines in the Tennessee program. After spending a few years in front of the camera as an analyst for the SEC's Game of the Week on FOX Sports South and hosting sports segments for a Knoxville based cable network, Caldwell returned to Summit's program as a graduate assistant in 1998.
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