Caldwell takes head coaching job at LSU
Nikki Caldwell has accepted the head coaching position at LSU and will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Monday, the school announced Saturday night.
Caldwell, who has turned UCLA into a national contender in just three seasons, led the team to a 28-5 record last season and into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Gonzaga in Spokane.
The hugely popular coach finishes her tenure with a record of 72-26, including a 25-9 record and second-round NCAA Tournament appearance last season, when she was named Pac-10 coach of the year.
"Nikki is one of the best and brightest coaches in the country and LSU fans will be proud of the way she will represent this program," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said in a statement from the school. "She comes from a great pedigree having coached under two of the best in the game in Pat Summitt at Tennessee and Debbie Ryan at Virginia. She has been successful on every level -- as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach -- and she has all the qualities to bring our program to national prominence. This is a great day for LSU and our women's basketball program."
Caldwell starred for Summitt at Tennesee and joined her coaching staff from 2003-08, before she was hired by the Bruins, and she previously coached at Virginia.
Oh, no, what a disappointment! This sure came out of the blue. Nikki Caldwell has turned around a moribund program and had the Bruins competing on a national level. In a sense, I could see the attraction of going to LSU, a women's basketball program with a much bigger tradition than UCLA, and where the fan support will always be greater. But it seemed like Coach Caldwell had adapted well to the LA glitz and glamour.
Good luck to you, Nikki Caldwell, and thanks for your hard work.
Now, I hope Dan Guerrero can find another great hire for the women's program, and keep up the momentum that Coach Caldwell started.
I don't normally get upset at our administration, but this time I have to ask, what the...is Guerrero doing? Nikki Caldwell revived and developed our program into a national contender and any sane AD would want to keep her happy so she stays long term. This news, coming after the mess that Morgan Center created about student seating, makes me really question Guerrero's ability to lead our athletic department. Sure we have great non-revenue sports in gymnastic, baseball, softball water polo, etc, but I believe that's more due to Coach Kondos-Fields and Coach Savage's brilliance than Guerrero's management.
That being said, good luck to Nikki Caldwell. She will be sorely missed.
Well that is just great.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WTF?? I thought she was happy here. Man, I can't believe it. Why did Dan let her go??!! This is very bad news for the women's basketball program and for the school in general. A great coach, a beautiful lady, a WINNER...gone. I can't believe it.
LSU is tripling Nikki's salary, we just dont have that kind of funding to spend on WBB.
well, well, I guess this is life... good coach leaves for greener grass and bad coach fires everyone below him...
Dohn called this about 3 years ago, not surprised at all.
Traitor.
What'd you guys expect? She grew up, played, won, and coached in the south. So it makes sense she was going to return at some point, for gobs or more money or not, especially to the SEC, where she can wait for the plum job at her alma mater to open up.
We should all wish her luck. Look at all she's done for UCLA, returned the program to greatness and, um, attracted a bunch of guys to UCLA women's basketball again.
We're so sad to see her go, but thank her for her three years in Westwood, and wish her nothing but the best at LSU and beyond.
I'm saddened by this news. I wish she would have stayed but it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that she was to return to her roots for considerably more cash. I will truly miss Coach Caldwell and thank her for her incredible contribution to the WBB program.
Let us rejoice that CBH considers UCLA his dream job and will not (we think) run away if he gets a better offer. Loyalty to a program can be a most significant factor as proved by Nikki's departure.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, she bit the hand that fed her when she took ALL of her staff with her. The next WBB coaches contract should include some type of buyout clause and other restrictions. This woman KILLED UCLA WBB!