Kim Caldwell is ready to roll up her sleeves and get back to what made Tennessee women's basketball great: a blue-collar mentality. After a whirlwind first season as Lady Vols head coach, Caldwell is taking a hard look at the offseason and making some big changes.

"I think that resilience is something I was proud of," Caldwell said at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Kingsport. "Being able to keep your head up high through all of it."

And there was plenty to keep her head up through. April was a month of total roster turnover, with Caldwell losing her entire team and then having to rebuild from scratch. That's on top of a season that fell short of expectations, both on and off the court.

But instead of dwelling on the struggles, Caldwell is using them as fuel. She's changing her approach to the transfer portal, focusing on finding players who fit the gritty, hard-working culture she wants to establish in Knoxville.

"Trying to continue to learn about the things, mistakes on the floor, off the floor, all-around, will be a summer-long evaluation for me," she added.

For Lady Vols fans, this shift signals a return to the program's roots—a focus on effort, toughness, and building a team that's as relentless as the orange they wear. And as the roster takes shape, one thing is clear: Caldwell is determined to get it right.