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BREAKING: Tennessee is parting ways with Holly Warlick

By Blake DuDonis

GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 08: Holly Warlick head coach of Tennessee during the SEC Women's basketball tournament between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 8, 2019, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 08: Holly Warlick head coach of Tennessee during the SEC Women's basketball tournament between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on March 8, 2019, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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After over 40 years total at the school, Tennessee moves on from Holly Warlick.

It what always seemed as a case of “when” not “if”, Tennessee has decided to part ways with head coach Holly Warlick, a source tells High Post Hoops. Jeff Goodman of The Stadium was first to report.

Warlick just completed her seventh season at the helm of the famed Lady Vols program. She finishes with a record of 172-67 and three Elite Eights but has failed to get out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament for three straight years.

This season, the Lady Vols went 19-13 (7-9) finishing tied for 8th in the SEC, the worst finish in program history. The team then snuck into the NCAA tournament as an 11-seed, only to be bounced in the first round by UCLA.

Adding flames to the fire, starting point guard Evina Westbrook raised questions about the coaching staff after the loss.

Warlick, when asked after the game about her job status, said she wanted to continue coaching but if there needed to be a change, it wasn’t up to her.

In a job that was always going to be a difficult one, Warlick took over the Lady Vols program after serving as Summitt’s assistant for 27 seasons. Initially, the team continued to find great success as Warlick led Tennessee to three Elite Eights and one Sweet Sixteen in her first four seasons in charge.

After failing to get out of the first weekend for two consecutive seasons, calls for Warlick’s jobs grew louder. Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer went the other way, however, giving her an extension that took her contract through the 2021-22 season.

Now that the decision has been made, the speculation for Warlick’s replacement can now resume. There have already been reports this week that Louisville is preparing to lose Jeff Walz to Tennesee.

This morning, Walz called the report “a slap in the face” of Warlick since she was still the head coach, but that has now changed, obviously.

More on this story to come.

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