Welcome To The Bruin Family Nikki Caldwell

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Apr 17, 2008 4:40 PM PDT

Bumped. Welcome to the Bruin Nation Coach Caldwell. This sounds like a pretty exciting hire for our women's hoops program. GO BRUINS. -N

Nikki Caldwell has been hired as the new UCLA's women's basketball coach.

"Nikki embodies everything we were looking for in a head coach," said Petrina Long, senior associate athletic director. "She has worked with some of the best coaches in the history of women's basketball, and we look forward to her establishing her own reputation as a great head coach."

Caldwell, 35, is one of the brightest young assistants in the country who has spent the past six years as an assistant for Pat Summitt at Tennessee.

In her 14 seasons as a player and assistant coach, her teams have posted a 404-76 record.

She is known for her ability to recruit high-profile players and design game plans. In fact, Summitt credited Caldwell for much of the team's success at the recent Final Four.

When the Lady Vols defeated Louisiana State with a last-second basket in Sunday's semifinal, Summitt said it was Caldwell who convinced her to let 6-foot-4 forward Candace Parker dribble the ball up the floor and create the game-winning play. Caldwell also helped design the stifling defense that shut down Stanford's high-scoring offense in the championship game.

It looks like another great hire for the Bruins. No, she doesn't have head coaching experience, but she has worked for the best coach in the game today (men's or women's) and has every other qualification you could ask for.

It looks like we've got a coach who can take the women's basketball program to the lofty heights of every other program in Westwood. Welcome to the Bruin family Nikki.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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WHOOO-HOOOO!!!

Excellent news! Welcome to Westwood Coach Caldwell. We're certainly looking forward to your long and illustrious tenure as a Bruin.

How exciting! Thanks, Rye.

Love My Bruins

by Bruingirl83 on Apr 17, 2008 1:46 PM PDT reply actions

Welcome!

Don't follow the women's team but I was hoping Caldwell would get the job over the Colorado coach. I think this is a very, very good hire and I think she'll get this program to matter on a national level.

by BlueReign on Apr 17, 2008 2:18 PM PDT reply actions

Sounds like a terrific hire

Is this DG's hire? If so, it seems to raise his Batting Average and Slugging Average even more.

by Bruinut on Apr 17, 2008 4:25 PM PDT reply actions

new hire

Ms Caldwell has the background, experience, education, and pedigree and should do an excellent job as she learns SoCal hotbeds. Welcome and good luck

by stuin bruin on Apr 17, 2008 5:20 PM PDT reply actions

This is a smart hire

And I say this for two reasons. First, it puts the program in the hands of someone who clearly has a great deal of potential as a head coach (finding proven head coaches at the women's D1 level is difficult), and automatic authority because of her tenure with Tennessee, and the support of Pat Summitt, who could very well be the best coach in college basketball (men's or women's) at the moment.

Second, if she turns out to be outstanding, the talent pool available in California could raise UCLA to the elite level, making this a long term hire, and making UCLA women's hoops, like men's hoops, a destination, rather than a way-station.

There are some big ifs in there, but in a world without guarantees I think this is a quality move.

Go Bruins!

by BruinSinceBirth on Apr 17, 2008 10:20 PM PDT reply actions