WOMENS BASKETBALL

Holly Warlick speaks with new Tennessee AD John Currie

Dan Fleser
USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

John Currie spoke with Holly Warlick by telephone Tuesday and shared some of his thoughts and emotions about returning to Tennessee. Currie also apologized to the UT women's basketball coach for not attending their next game.

Tennessee's Chris Lofton, right, laughs as senior associate athletic director John Currie asks questions during the 2008 Men's Basketball Banquet on Friday, May 2, 2008 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

While Warlick and the Lady Vols are opening play at the SEC tournament in Greenville, S.C., on Thursday, Currie will be in Knoxville for his introductory news conference as the university's new athletic director. Currie, who has spent the past eight years as athletic director at Kansas State, was named Tuesday to replace Dave Hart, who announced his retirement Aug. 18.

"He's anxious to get here and is very humbled and honored to come and represent the university," Warlick said Wednesday. "He's been here and has a love for it because he was a student and also worked here."

Warlick was an assistant on coach Pat Summitt's staff when Currie came to UT in 1997 and worked in various capacities within the athletic department, including chief deputy and adviser to then-Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton. Warlick described her working relationship with Currie as "general correspondence."

"Both he and Mike Hamilton were always supportive of our program," Warlick said. "That's all you can ask for, an AD and people within your athletic department that are trying to support you and make you better. I anticipate he's going to do the same thing."

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