Nikki Caldwell

Nikki Fargas is an American college basketball coach and former player. She was most recently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to that, she served as the head coach at UCLA and Louisiana State University (LSU).

Caldwell began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Tennessee in 2002, where she helped lead the Lady Vols to the NCAA National Championship in 2007 and 2008. She then became the head coach at UCLA, where she led the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. She later took over as the head coach at LSU, where she had four seasons with 20 or more wins.

Caldwell played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, where she was a point guard for the Lady Vols from 1991 to 1994. During her time at Tennessee, Caldwell helped lead the team to three consecutive NCAA National Championships in 1991, 1992, and 1994.

Caldwell is known for her intense coaching style and emphasis on defense. She believes in creating a family-like atmosphere within her teams and focuses on developing strong relationships with her players. Caldwell also emphasizes the importance of discipline, hard work, and mental toughness in achieving success on and off the court.

Some of Caldwell's major accomplishments as a coach include leading UCLA to its first-ever Final Four appearance in 2010 and winning the Pac-10 Coach of the Year award in 2010. At LSU, Caldwell led the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances and had a career coaching record of 190 wins and 96 losses. She also coached multiple players who went on to play in the WNBA.