Green Bay NCAA Tennessee Basketball
On Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina, during the second half of a first-round college basketball game versus Green Bay in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Kellie Harper of Tennessee, left, and assistant coach Josh Harper, right, yell towards the floor. (AP Image by Ben McKeown)Associated PressFurther
After five seasons, Tennessee fired Kellie Harper as the Lady Vols coach on Monday.
After a “thorough review” of the women’s basketball program, athletic director Danny White declared that Harper would not be coming back. Harper was informed that her alma mater was making changes.
“It’s never easy to make decisions like these, especially with someone who has given the Lady Vols so much as a three-time national champion student-athlete,” a statement from White said.
She has an unmatched love and enthusiasm for Tennessee and the Lady Vols. She has genuinely given her all for Tennessee and poured so much love and energy into our program.
Harper has a 108-52 overall coaching record when she leaves the Lady Vols, including a 53-24 mark in SEC play. She had established herself as one of just two coaches to lead four distinct teams to the NCAA Tournament.
However, under the late Pat Summitt, she played for Tennessee, where she helped the team win three consecutive national titles, so that’s not the norm. The Lady Vols are still the only team to have qualified for each NCAA Tournament.
According to White, he spoke with the Lady Vols and intends to conduct a thorough search for the next head coach of a school that has won eight national titles. Since Summitt left in 2008, Tennessee has not won a national championship. Since then, the Lady Vols have not advanced to the Final Four.
Harper led the Lady Vols to two straight Sweet 16 appearances.
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