Given a chance to stump for her coach Saturday after a first-round NCAA Tournament loss, Tennessee point guard Evina Westbrook passed.

Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick is on the hot seat after Tennessee’s 89-77 loss to UCLA put an end to the program’s worst season of the NCAA Tournament era.

Tennessee finished 19-13 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in 38 appearances.

When asked after the game whether she expected Warlick to be back for an eighth season, Westbrook paused for a few seconds before telling reporters, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Before that, Westbrook was asked whether there are offseason steps that need to be taken.

“I just think off-the-court stuff, steps need to be taken with our staff and just overall off the court with this team,” she said.

Westbrook is the team’s best player. She averaged 14.9 points and 5.3 assists during her sophomore season.

No. 11 seed Tennessee fell behind sixth-seeded UCLA by 17 points during the first quarter on Saturday before rallying to take a fourth-quarter lead. With the score tied at 70, the Bruins went on a 10-0 run to prevail.

Tennessee failed to reach 20 wins for the first time since 1975-76, when only 27 games were played.

This marked the third straight year Tennessee failed to reach the Sweet 16.

Warlick is 172-67 as Tennessee’s head coach.

Warlick’s contract runs through April 30, 2022. She received a new contract in August. Her contract calls for her to receive one-third of the salary remaining on her deal if she is fired without cause, equaling a buyout of about $710,000.

Warlick is entrenched in the program’s history. She was an All-American point guard for Pat Summitt and a longtime Summitt assistant before taking the reins of the program in 2012. Tennessee made the Elite Eight three times in Warlick’s first four seasons before backsliding.

"I was part of this program. I played here," Warlick said after Saturday's loss when asked what she'd like her legacy to be if Tennessee made a coaching change.

"I obviously coached with Pat Summitt and (became) head coach, and just my passion for the program and passion for the game. I think it's a great game. If I had a daughter, I'd send my daughter – whether I'm coaching or not – I'd send her to the University of Tennessee."

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