An air of familiarity will surround the PMAC when LSU (13-9, 4-5 Southeastern Conference) and Tennessee (17-5, 8-1 SEC) clash Thursday.
Tennessee first-year head coach Holly Warlick, LSU coach Nikki Caldwell and LSU assistant coach Tasha Butts all spent time together at Tennessee. Warlick recruited and coached Caldwell, Caldwell coached Butts and former Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt coached each of them.
Following Pat Summitt’s retirement, Tennessee named Warlick head coach of the Lady Vols after working for 28 years as assistant coach. Warlick said she doesn’t like to think about being the first coach after Summitt, the winningest NCAA basketball coach – men or women’s — or Tennessee’s schedule, which includes eight teams ranked in the current top 16 teams.
“If I look at the big picture, it’s a little scary,” Warlick said. “But I try to stay in the moment. … You gotta take what you do and break it down on a daily basis. That’s what I try to do.”
Switching from assistant to head coach has more responsibilities and a tougher workload, but Warlick said her staff, which includes two first-year members, keeps her from feeling overwhelmed and gives her a great comfort level.
Butts said she wasn’t surprised when Warlick was named head coach, and complimented the work Warlick’s done so far.
“I know Tennessee basketball is something that Pat built,” Butts said. “Right now Holly has the reigns, and she’s done a great job.”
Warlick said she’s excited for the Baton Rouge trip to visit Caldwell and her family, and joked that she’ll use her visit to Caldwell’s home to her advantage.
“I’m anxious to get down and say hey to her,” Warlick said. “I’ll try to find where her playbook is in the house and steal it. I’m gonna try to get an edge on her.”
Warlick said people compete with friends and family in everyday life whether it is a video or card game, so coaching against former co-workers and players is something that coaches become accustomed to.
Both Caldwell and Warlick said the two will hug after the game, but Warlick said win or lose, she’ll be happy.
“You’re going to be happy for yourself or I’m going to be happy for Nikki,” Warlick said. “Usually in the case of when you compete, you’re usually not that way because it’s competition, but when you’re competing against your friend, that’s just how I feel.”
Caldwell said despite her history with Warlick at Tennessee, the game will be battle as always, and afterward the friendship will not be changed.
“When it’s game time, it’s game time,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to shake hands before the game, but we’re going to be battling on the floor. After the game we’re going to hug and shake hands again.”
