Kellie Harper is out as the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach, the university announced on Monday. Tennessee Director of Athletics Danny White made the move after Harper spent five seasons leading her alma mater’s program to a 108-52 record.
“After a thorough review of our women’s basketball program, I have informed Kellie we are making a change in leadership,” White said in a statement on Monday. “Decisions like these are never easy to make, especially with someone who has done so much for the Lady Vols as a three-time national champion student-athlete. Her love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols is second to none. She has invested so much heart and soul into our program and truly has given her all for Tennessee. I thank Kellie for her stewardship of our women’s basketball program and wish her and Jon well in the next chapter of their lives.”
Harper led Tennessee to the NCAA Tournament every season there was one during her tenure. The Lady Vols made the Sweet 16 twice but could never get over the hump and return to the program’s former glory under Harper.
Tennessee was lackluster for much of the 2023-24 season before playing its best basketball late In the season. But much like Harper’s tenure as a whole, the Lady Vols never got over the hump in a trio of narrow losses against top-ranked South Carolina or in their Round of 32 season-ending loss against North Carolina State.
Harper, who was extremely well respected on Tennessee’s campus, released a classy statement following her termination.
“It has been an honor to serve at my alma mater and to coach a Lady Vol program I love so dearly,” Harper said. “I am grateful for the opportunity my staff and I have had to lead an amazing group of young women and to mentor them on the court as well as provide them with life skills that will benefit them far beyond the game of basketball.”
White made the statement that Tennessee would be elite at every sport under his leadership and the move away from Harper is an aggressive move to try and make that happen.
Now White and his team look to find Harper’s replacement, someone who can get Tennessee back to the program’s former glory.
“After seeking input from our student-athletes, I will begin an aggressive search process to find the next leader for our iconic women’s basketball program,” White said. “To protect the integrity of this process, you will not hear from me until we are ready to announce our new head coach.”
Tennessee hasn’t made the Elite Eight since Holly Warlick led the Lady Vols there in back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016. The Lady Vols haven’t made the Final Four since 2008 as SEC rivals Mississippi State, South Carolina and LSU have all made the National Championship with the Gamecocks and Tigers winning the title.
Whether, White goes outside the Lady Vols family will be a major storyline in the search with both of Pat Summitt’s predecessors having played for the legendary head coach.
19 Responses
I hope the whole team enters transfer!
I hate to see her leave. Although the decision may be unpopular with some I feel Danny White has the Volnation’s best interest at heart. Best of luck to Coach Harper in her future. Thank you for being a VFL.
I also hope the whole team enters the transfer portal. Whoever White hire’s won’t get the team there before these girls graduate so why not transfer to a team that can. Coach Harper wasn’t there yet, but she was a really good coach whose players love and respected, and she would have gotten there. Shame on White and his impatience. I hope this backfires on him. The only reason Coach Warlick accomplished what she did was because of Pat Summit’s drafting of players before she retired.
I have mixed feelings. Kellie was a great coach and she was a positive influence but the Lady VOLS just weren’t progressing as we’d all hoped they would. My advice if anyone is listening is to hire the very best coach available in Women’s D1 basketball. Period. Full stop.
Dan shame on you. You only gave Kellie 5 Years? How many did Pat get? Kellie and her husband are class acts. Legends are so hard to find these days and you just let two go.
She was good hot great that’s what this team needs
Respect for Danny White. It takes courage to make the tough call. We all love Kellie and know she is a class act who loves UT. Unfortunately, she was not progressing and in fact regressed this year. The Lady Vols deserve a coach who can and will bring this program back to relevance. Frankly, 5 years was long enough and probably 1 more than earned.
Unbelievable! Most schools would love to have her record. She lost by 1 point to the only undefeated team. Kelly had to deal with injuries, the portal and COVID. Coaches no longer can expect a player to stay four years no matter how good they are. Two top female players left good programs and great coaches to pursue a national championship. It will be hard for White to find a replacement and get further than Kelly. I too hope her players enter the portal.
I think a generous amount would persuade
Candace Parker to come back to TENNESSEE.
So sorry to them release Coach Harper. There will never be another Pat Summit. She was one of a kind. Coach Harper had it going in the right direction. Good luck Coach Harper.
Who do you think recruited the players for Pat Summit? Coach Warlick. Holly was a better coach then Kelly. Kelly was good. Holly was better.
Zero loyalty shown by the UT powers that be!
They are gonna end up with the Female BB coach version of Derek Dooley!
I’m so sorry to see Coach Harper exit our program. I have followed her since her days at White County High School and know her work ethics! Wish her and Jon the best.
Danny,
You are NOT going to find another Pat Summit so quit trying. I feel like Kellie was hired thinking she would be or become another Pat. Lots of unnecessary pressure on Kellie and the team. I’m proud of the Lady Vols and I feel like with the returning players and recruits they were getting the pieces together for a championship team.
It will be hard to get the right person for the job knowing what they’re walking into. The pressure, impatience, expectations and stress is too great.
She should have been fired. This was a classy move by White!
THIS YEAR IS WAS GREAT FOR BOTH OUR TEAMS , BUT DANNY WHITE I FEEL YOU SHOULD HIRE HER BACK AN LETS GIVE HER ONE R TWO MORE YEARS .. I THINK THAT YOU HAVE REALLY JUMPED THE GUN … I HOPE AN PRAY THAT THEY DONT HIT THE TRANSFER PORTAL… BUT IF THEY DO ITS YOUR FAULT … LOOK I KNW IF YOU DONT WIN AT……..UT……. U GET FIRED BUT MY LORD LOOK WHERE SHE GOT US TO ……… THERE WILL NEVER EVER BE A ……. PAT SUMMIT …
Coach Harper was certainly a class act. However it’s a results oriented business and it seems to been going in the wrong direction. 5 years is plenty of time to at least trend in the right direction. I am happy we have an AD that is not afraid to make a hard decision in order to chase excellence.
All you negative responders are such class. Do you really want to see the program shut down by hoping all the players leave? Such childish thinking. Kelly, loyal to the university as she was, also knew what was necessary to keep her job. Every coach knows this. This is partly why coaches are paid well to perform. So all you negative responders need to lighten up. You’re not supporting the program nor the University by saying these things.
I simply was disgusted with the Tn girls fowling SC when they had very little chance of hitting from midcourt with seconds left. Then they should have fouled SC with 1.8 sec or less on the clock. Instead they let her shoot and win the game for SC. Harper should have prevented that.