On Monday, Tennessee declared that Kellie Harper, its women’s basketball coach, is leaving the position.
Athletic director Danny White announced, “I have informed Kellie we are making a change in leadership after a thorough review of our women’s basketball program.” Making decisions of this nature is never simple, particularly when it involves a student-athlete who has won three national championships and done so much for the Lady Vols.
“She has an unmatched love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols. She has truly given her all for Tennessee and has poured so much love and energy into our program. I wish Kellie and Jon luck as they embark on their next chapter of life and thank her for overseeing our women’s basketball program.”
Harper led the Lady Vols to five seasons of 108-52 results. In the second round of the 2024 NCAA tournament, North Carolina State eliminated them after they had advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023.
The university is still striving to reach the heights reached by Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.
In 2012, longtime helper Holly Warlick took on the selfless responsibility of replacing Summitt. Tennessee started to see declining on-court returns after Warlick led the team to the Elite Eight in three of her first four years, which ultimately resulted in Warlick’s dismissal in 2019.
Harper made a big splash when he got back to Knoxville. She had previously gained experience as a head coach at Western Carolina, NC State, and Missouri State. She was a three-time national champion while playing for the Lady Vols. The Lady Bears finished 25-10 in her final season at Missouri State, making history by going to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001.
Tennessee was selecting candidates with head-coaching experience and from within the family, something that wasn’t the case with Warlick. The fact that White is letting go of a Lady Vols icon with a winning percentage of.675 speaks volumes about his high expectations for the women’s team coach.
White announced that he will talk to the players who are currently on the team and start “an aggressive search process” to find Harper’s replacement.
It will be fascinating to see how the search evolves because Tennessee has a rich history that makes it still one of the most recognizable brands in women’s basketball. But whoever replaces Harper will not only have to work under Summitt’s tutelage but also go up against two of the best coaches in the nation: LSU’s Kim Mulkey and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.
The Lady Vols might also be an example of a team whose perception of itself differs from that of others. In HoopGurlz’s Top 100 ranking for 2023, Harper did not secure a single recruit, and the only player ranked from the 2022 class was Justine Pissott. Following her freshman season, Pissott transferred to Vanderbilt University.
It will be nearly impossible for recruits entering the frame now to recall Candace Parker leading Tennessee to its last two national titles in 2007 and 2008.
Mulkey’s transformation of LSU is a shining example of how a strong sideline leader can reawaken a sleeping giant. Poaching a coach that good from a major program could be a challenge for White given the factors working against Tennessee.
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