Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell is off to a strong start building her staff.
Caldwell, who was hired by Tennessee April 7, is hiring two associate head coaches in the SEC – Alabama’s Roman Tubner and Mississippi State’s Gabe Lazo, according to a report from The Ball Out.
Tubner was also the recruiting coordinator at Alabama. He spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide and helped Alabama land the No. 12 recruiting class with its 2023 class, which was highlighted by five-star post Essence Cody.
Tubner helped Alabama to a 64-35 record the last three seasons, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Crimson Tide made a run to the WNIT quarterfinals in Tubner’s first season on staff. Tubner previously coached at Ball State, UNC Wilmington, Indiana State, Austin Peay, Arkansas Tech and University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Lazo was promoted to associate head coach three days ago. He joined Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell’s staff in March 2022 when Purcell was hired. He helped lead MSU to a second-round appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament before reaching the quarterfinals of the WBIT this season.
Lazo played a significant role in recruiting Lauren Park-Lane prior to last season and helped MSU sign the No. 16 ranked recruiting class in 2023. Park-Lane transferred to Mississippi State from Seton Hall and broke MSU’s single-season assists record during the 2023-24 season. Lazo’s focus was guard development and was Purcell’s defensive coordinator and was “tasked with opponent scouting, defensive strategies and in-game play calling and adjustments,” according to a school release.
Lazo previously coached at George Washington, Stony Brook and Florida International.
Caldwell replaced Kellie Harper, who was fired April 1 after five seasons. Harper’s record at UT was 108-52 and 53-24 in conference play. She led the Lady Vols to two Sweet 16 berths, but fell in the NCAA second round this season.
It appears Caldwell is not retaining any assistants from Harper’s staff. It was reported Sunday that recruiting coordinator Samantha Williams was not retained and Joy McCorvey landed her first head coaching job at Stony Brook on Monday. Harper’s other two assistants were her husband, Jon, and Liza Fruendt, who was in her first season as an assistant coach in 2023-24.
JACKSON IN THE WNBA: Why Lady Vols star Rickea Jackson is poised to make an impact after WNBA Draft
Due to the NCAA rule change last summer, Caldwell can hire up to five assistant coaches. The NCAA Division I Council voted to eliminate the volunteer coaching position across Division I, making that position part of the limit for countable coaches. For men’s and women’s basketball, the NCAA approved an increase of two coaches. The new positions can engage in coaching activities but may not recruit off campus.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball coach Kim Caldwell hiring Roman Tubner, Gabe Lazo
