The present and the past intertwined Thursday when the new coach of the Lady Vols and a player from the late Pat Summitt era both chatted with local media.

Cierra Burdick was in town for a promotional appearance of three U.S. Olympians, and coach Kim Caldwell provided an update on the offseason as the fall semester has gotten underway.

Burdick won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics – that story is HERE – and stopped by campus to field questions, watch practice and talk to the team before returning Friday to her home in North Carolina. Her experiences as a Lady Vol have guided her professional steps since graduating from Tennessee in 2015. Burdick was a freshman on the 2011-12 team, which ended up being Summitt’s final season.

“You build a lot of mental toughness here,” Burdick said. “I learned how to lead here, and I definitely have carried that into my professional career. My role on this Olympic team was to be the veteran leader, to be the voice, to try to put my teammates in the best situation to be successful. Obviously, preached defense and rebounding. That was a Pat staple, and I’ll continue to carry that with me for the rest of my career.”

Caldwell, who took the reins last April, has welcomed the presence of former players on campus.

“I think it’s incredibly important because the alumni and Pat Summitt and her legacy are the reason that we have what we have today,” Caldwell said. “It’s a reason the program means what it means. It’s a reason a lot of people in the gym right now chose to be here. Having them come and watch practice and get to know them in a real authentic way is huge for us.”

Former Lady Vol basketball player Cierra Burdick chats with the media before watching practice.
(Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics)

Burdick, another UT alum, Erika Connolly, and Evy Leibfarth met with fans at Dick’s House of Sport at West Town Mall on Thursday evening. Then known as Erika Brown, the two-time SEC Female Swimmer of the Year, led the Lady Vols to their first-ever SEC Championship title in 2020. Brown earned a silver medal in the 4×100 relay in Paris. Leibfarth, a bronze medalist in canoe slalom, doesn’t have ties to Tennessee but is from relatively close Bryson City, North Carolina, and a student at Davidson College.

Burdick met Caldwell in person for the first time after exchanging text messages.

“I’m excited to see her system at play in the SEC,” Burdick said. “I’m excited to see her system with our personnel. Change can be scary, but it can also be an incredible opportunity for growth, and so I’m looking forward to seeing her lead our troops.”

Burdick was coached by Summitt for one season before the icon retired due to a diagnosis of early onset dementia. Holly Warlick, who had been an assistant for Summitt since the 1985-86 season, took over in Burdick’s sophomore year.

“I also went through a coaching transition, so I can empathize with the players that are here,” Burdick said. “Anytime you go through change, it can be difficult, but I think they’ll determine how far they go, getting behind Coach Kim, getting behind her system and, ultimately, it’s the players on the floor. They have to buy in, and they have to believe that they can accomplish great things, and they have to choose to do it together.”

Samara Spencer pushes the pace in practice. (Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics)

Caldwell brings a fast-paced system that relies on pressure defense, and the summer has been spent getting players primed to go in a style of play that will require adjustments. The speed at which Tennessee will play is a major change.

“We’re close,” Caldwell said. “You have limited hours (until official practice starts), there is only so much you can do. I wish we could have done a little more skill, but you have to sacrifice. Are you going to do more skill or are you really going to put your stuff in? We chose to put our stuff in. Once we get into our 20 hours (a week) we will pick up the skill again.

“They are learning a lot. They are learning how to play completely differently.”

Click HERE to view the full interview with Burdick.

Click HERE to view the full interview with Caldwell.

Click HERE to view a practice clip without sound.

Maria M. Cornelius, a senior writer/editor at MoxCar Marketing + Communications since 2013, started her journalism career at the Knoxville News Sentinel and began writing about the Lady Vols in 1998. In 2016, she published her first book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” through The University of Tennessee Press.