September 26, 2025
Why Tennessee decided to reinstate Ruby Whitehorn
Kim Caldwell: 'Not an ideal situation'
Editor’s Note: This story contains detailed accounts of domestic violence. If you, or someone you know, is affected by a domestic violence situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit their website at www.thehotline.org.
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The Tennessee Lady Vols have reinstated fourth-year guard Ruby Whitehorn, Coach Kim Caldwell told reporters in Knoxville Wednesday, Sept. 25. The news comes nearly two months after Whitehorn was arrested on Aug. 8 and charged with felony domestic assault and aggravated burglary.
Caldwell initially suspended Whitehorn, who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of aggravated trespassing and aggravated burglary in exchange for judicial diversion on Sept. 5. The plea deal means Whitehorn’s record can be expunged if she attends anger management courses and is not a repeat offender.
The news was met with mixed emotions by Caldwell herself, who explained the decision was not made lightly and does not meet the ideals the school’s women’s basketball program has operated on for years. “She is back with the team,” Caldwell said.
She continued: “She joined the team early September. I think September 8, that week, after a lengthy suspension. It’s not an ideal situation, it’s not a situation that reflects our program the way we want it to. There’s a strong legacy here, and it did not withhold the name of the brand.”
Caldwell added that the situation further damaged the team’s recruiting efforts. “It’s not something that helped us at all in recruiting,” she said. “It’s something that we have addressed. We addressed it seriously, and we’re hoping that we can now move on and put our next foot forward.”
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In August, Whitehorn was accused of kicking in both the front and bedroom doors of another woman. At the time, Whitehorn told authorities she was attempting to get her phone and passport from the unidentified woman, and that she had been locked out of the house.
Per the Knoxville News Sentinel, the victim told authorities she and Whitehorn engaged in a “physical altercation” and that she ran into her home with what she believed was her phone. Whitehorn reportedly kicked in the front door and smashed a mirror in the bedroom, and the victim said she was “in complete fear that Ruby was going to harm her while she was inside the house.”
The victim also provided authorities with video footage from the altercation, which was used to determine Whitehorn was the aggressor.
While discussing the decision to reinstate Whitehorn, Caldwell cited the program’s own history of emphasizing personal responsibility and integrity on and off the court. That history dates back to 1974, when Pat Summitt was hired by Tennessee as the women’s basketball head coach.
Summitt built a program rooted in doing the right thing whenever possible. As Donna A. Lopiano put it in June 2016 for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Summitt “passionately believed in and was dedicated to delivering specific gifts to each of her players: personal integrity and responsibility, a college education, giving 100-percent effort in any task, a commitment to helping and respecting others and gratefully acknowledging the support of others.”
Caldwell is utilizing a different tenet of Summitt: the idea that student athletes will make mistakes — but that they won’t repeat those mistakes again.
As Summitt once put it, “Accountability is essential to personal growth, as well as team growth. How can you improve if you’re never wrong? If you don’t admit a mistake and take responsibility for it, you’re bound to make the same one again.”
Whitehorn, who transferred to the program from Clemson ahead of last season, started 28 of 34 games for the Lady Vols and was ranked fourth in scoring with 11.6 points per game in 2024. She also averaged four rebounds and 1.7 assists per game on 46.3% shooting from the field and was a major reason the team went 24-10 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen during Caldwell’s first year coaching the program. Her impact on the team’s performance during the 2024-25 season was measurable and important, and The Vols expect she will continue to be a key player for the team as they attempt to surpass last season’s success.
