Although Kim Caldwell's first season with Tennessee women's basketball ended in the Sweet 16, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer was beyond impressed.

After the Longhorns won the SEC regular season title, they've made quick work of teams in the NCAA tournament. The 67-59 loss was difficult for the first-year coach to stomach.

However, as Caldwell came back to Tennessee women's basketball weeks after giving birth, she showed her commitment to the sport. The Lady Vols finished with a 24-10 record.

Schaefer made sure to give Caldwell her flowers following the close win.

“As I told Coach, she's done an unbelievable job with that program in such a short period of time,” Schaefer said via Ryan Sylvia of Rivals.com.

“A lot of people think what she would do or how she is doing it wasn't going to work. I think she has shown them they ain't right. What they do and how they do it is very effective.”

The Lady Vols head coach brought in a new standard and culture. The program hasn't been the same since Pat Summitt retired. Since then, the program hasn't had sustained success.

Luckily though, Caldwell understands the pride of being involved in the program.

Kim Caldwell is leading Tennessee women's basketball to prominence

Accomplishing what Caldwell did in her first season is remarkable. Although Texas and South Carolina both secured the No. 1 seeds, the Lady Vols did more than enough to make the tournament.

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They landed the fifth seed and made some noise in the tournament. Still, they ran into a well-coached Texas team. Before the game, the coaches both spoke to one another and knew it would be a gritty game. Safe to say that came to fruition.

After her team made the Sweet 16, that was the goal. Then, the two schools squared off.

Schaefer explained more of that pregame conversation.

“We're also going to congratulate Tennessee,” Schaefer said. “That is one heck of a basketball team. I told her when I shook her hand before the game started, it was going to be a knockdown, drag-out. I knew it was going to be.

“She has done an unbelievable job with that group. They play so hard. You've got to really execute some things to handle how they play. We were real good at times and sometimes we weren't.”

At the end of the day, Tennessee women's basketball has a bright future. If the Lady Vols went to the Sweet 16 in Caldwell's first season, the sky is the limit for what they can do in Year 2.

With the transfer portal set to officially launch on Tuesday, more players could be interested in being a part of the Tennessee Lady Vols.