Lady Vols basketball will have a new face coaching the players on the sideline this next season.
On Monday, the university announced that former assistant coach Gabe Lazo submitted his resignation papers on Friday, leaving the staff after spending his last two seasons under Kim Caldwell.
With Lazo out, Caldwell hired former Florida State associate head coach Bill Ferrara to her staff as an assistant coach.
“I am pleased to welcome (Ferrara) to our staff,” Caldwell said in a statement. “He has played an instrumental role in Florida State’s high-scoring offense and three-point shooting over the past four seasons. We look forward to adding his technical knowledge, experience and recruiting abilities to our program.”
Ferrara, a Brooklyn native, has coached in women’s college basketball since 2008, where he began his career as an offensive assistant for Central Michigan. Most recently, he was hired in 2022 to serve as associate head coach for Florida State. His most notable season was the 2024-25 year with the Seminoles, where the team’s offense saw a jump to No. 1 in the nation in average points per game.
“I am thrilled to join (Caldwell’s) staff at Tennessee and excited to be part of a program with such a rich history,” Ferrara said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing my energy and experience to the Lady Vols. (Caldwell’s) incredibly successful 10-year track record as a head coach speaks for itself, and I’m ready to get to work in recruiting and can’t wait to get on the floor with the most storied program in women’s basketball.”
During a successful 2024-25 season, the Seminoles broke the 100-point mark seven times. Additionally, they had the nation’s leading scorer in Ta’Niya Latson, who averaged 25.9 points per game.
While the Seminoles saw a drop in production last year, his previous three seasons saw his team hit 23 or more wins in each season. Not only did the Seminoles see growth in point average during that stretch, but in 3-point categories as well.
With the addition of Ferrara comes the loss of Lazo, a recruiting guru who reformed the Lady Vols’ high school recruiting in little time. It included last season’s high school class, which ranked No. 1 in the nation according to 247Sports.
The 2025 class included both Mia and Mya Pauldo, Deniya Prawl, Lauren Hurst and Jaida Civil.
Next year’s upcoming freshman class was also headlined by a Lazo find, five-star Oliviyah Edwards, who is ranked No. 5 in the nation according to 247Sports.
Before joining the Lady Vols, Lazo spent time at schools such as Florida International University, Stony Brook and George Washington, before finding a spot in the SEC as an associate head coach for Mississippi State. The stop with Mississippi State was Lazo’s last before the Lady Vols, but now he moves on from Caldwell’s staff.
Ferrara eyes to help oversee a turnaround after what was a brutal finish for the Lady Vols last season, as the team lost 11 of its final 13 games and went without a win in postseason play.
