Coach Kellie Harper fired

[AthensVol2007]

The statement was sarcastically made because we (the board) are saying that’s the standard as well as final fours.

I totally disagree. I think we should be competitive. And should be striving for improvement within the SEC and nationally. Sports eb and flow and South Carolina is the standard right now. I just don’t feel like the LVs should be penalized that we used to be the standard in the 90s and now we’re not.

We’re going to be revisiting this in 3-6 years if we maintain the fan standard that KJH has been judged by.

It wasn’t just the 90’s, this program won 32 and 34 games in b2b seasons a decade ago. Now we’re measuring success by 20 win seasons. Hell, ESPN’s article on the firing mentions how she was fired despite winning 20 games all 5 years. 20 wins in 34 games is not an accomplishment to puff out your chest. 20-14 is not elite, it’s average at best and mediocre at a program like ours.

 

[Tnphil]

4th of 14 was her worst season. I may be slow, but what is the cutoff between great, good, average (mediocre), below average, and poor.

You win conference championships...you play in Final Fours for the right to play for a National Championship....you recruit to the level to obtain those goals. You win your share of games against the elite which Kellie didn't do in 5 years. 12-37 is awful....UT isn't Ole Miss...Auburn....Miss State...Mizzou...etc. At Tennessee you measure yourself with the elite....we are not even in the conversation with the elites. Danny White proved today he expects the LVs be in the Elite conversation.

 

[VolBall09]

The Harper cronies are really giving X a fit. They are upset.

 

[VolFuture]

You win conference championships...you play in Final Fours for the right to play for a National Championship....you recruit to the level to obtain those goals. You win your share of games against the elite which Kellie didn't do in 5 years. 12-37 is awful....UT isn't Ole Miss...Auburn....Miss State...Mizzou...etc. At Tennessee you measure yourself with the elite....we are even in the conversation with the elites. Danny White proved today he expects the LVs be in the Elite conversation.

Name the next coach.

 

[AthensVol2007]

What about LA Tech who is 5th NATIONALLY in national championships finishing below .500. Again, I’m not arguing for them or any other school. I’m just saying, let’s be reasonable and realistic and figure out how to get there. Firing out our coach who has finished 4 seasons of 3rd and one season 4th…. seems as if we live in fantasy land (aka 1990s). This is going to be an easy revisit in 2026.

La Tech hasn’t been relevant in nearly 40 years, we won b2b titles 16-17 years ago. They haven’t even been to the tournament in 13 years. Thats immensely different. And your point is actually one of relevance; we don’t want to become La Tech, hence making a change.

 

[JohnnyPayne]

It wasn’t just the 90’s, this program won 32 and 34 games in b2b seasons a decade ago. Now we’re measuring success by 20 win seasons. Hell, ESPN’s article on the firing mentions how she was fired despite winning 20 games all 5 years. 20 wins in 34 games is not an accomplishment to puff out your chest. 20-14 is not elite, it’s average at best and mediocre at a program like ours.

You understand how average works right? 4th of 14 nor 20-14 (with the strongest schedule in the nation) is not average.

There are TWO….. programs who have won 30 games this year.

We have not been mediocre.

 

[plumbervol]

IMO Kelly 's scheduling was her downfall. She over scheduled, picked up losses and the team never learned how to win. To much wear and tear on her starters and other problems. KJH recruiting was not up to the standards and the losses from the schedule exposed her.

 

[Volstylexx]

The Harper cronies are really giving X a fit. They are upset.

There was a clip on Finebaum today where he said "He's hearing from a lot of angry Lady Vol fans upset about the decision." This is why you don't hire from the Summit tree anymore - when it ends (as it has both times) it's bad. People have an inability to separate out their feelings towards Kellie the LVFL player, and Kellie the coach. If she didn't have that LVFL moniker attached to her name, every national media outlet would be saying this was a great decision .... as would most Lady Vol fans.

 

[Tnphil]

Name the next coach.

Is that all you got.....I will play the game, you name the next coach. 12-37 against ranked teams. Let's see you excuse that.

Danny White will make the next hire....you can like it or not. And in 5 years if that coach isn't getting it done they'll be gone too. And the lovers of the coach and not the program will be upset all over again.

 

[ttharp]

The Harper cronies are really giving X a fit. They are upset.

Today has shown me that a significant portion of the fan base is (still) stuck in the past and hell bent on having a former Lady Vol lead the program.

I’m ready to win some games.

 

[BigALWiLson]

You are actually incorrect. You are not generally on the LVs threads as far as I could see and the site today was overrun with flybys who don’t give a damn about the LVs just wanted to see a train wreck. I would not take today’s posters as indicative of the LV fan base.
If I were Kellie and got invited back while DW was still AD I would tell him to go pound sand. Very pretty words on your part though.

Just because I don't come to this thread other than to read doesn't mean I am not a fan. I am a fan of all Vol sports including the Lady Vol Basketball and Softball even Soccer. I want to see all programs as leaders amongst the country. If you get paid to win games as the face of any program you have to produce. Same for Heupel, Vitello, Weekly, Barnes and every other coach in the country. Same will be the standard for the next Coach. See Kellie recruited the players that do not win to the standard of what Lady Vol Basketball should be which are E8's and FF. Signing 1 HS kid for a recruiting class was a failure. Just take a look at UConn and USC currently it's entertaining and competitive.

 

[VolFuture]

Is that all you got.....I will play the game, you name the next coach. 12-37 against ranked team. Let's see you excuse that.

Danny White will make the next hire....you can like it or not. And in 5 years if that coach isn't getting it done they'll be gone too. And the lovers of the coach and not the program will be upset all over again.

no I’m genuinely curious who u think. There are wrong hires DW could make

 

[Rooster1]

Name the next coach.

I’d guess the guy at Oregon State, but that’s just my gut. Maybe the Iowa State coach, or coach Yo…..

 

[JohnnyPayne]

La Tech hasn’t been relevant in nearly 40 years, we won b2b titles 16-17 years ago. They haven’t even been to the tournament in 13 years. Thats immensely different. And your point is actually one of relevance; we don’t want to become La Tech, hence making a change.

Yeah national championship games (1998 against us) are not relevant…… idiot.

However, my point isn’t for LA Tech. It’s that TIMES CHANGE. Tennessee will never be as dominant as they were. ASK GENO why he’s not trying to win national championships I guess. We’re not LA Tech, we are Tennessee and have been competitive in the SEC. Very different.

 

[Volstylexx]

IMO Kelly 's scheduling was her downfall. She over scheduled, picked up losses and the team never learned how to win. To much wear and tear on her starters and other problems. KJH recruiting was not up to the standards and the losses from the schedule exposed her.

She sure didn't help herself did she. Imagine if she had scheduled 5 more cupcakes this year instead of ranked opponents. She'd be 25-8 and few would have been calling for job. Same with last year - schedule four additional winnable games and you're 27-7 and a Sweet 16. I imagine those 25 losses over the last two years was one of the more damning stats in Danny White's decision.

 

[Probably_in_Class]

If that's where the BEST is then by all means. But, why limit it. Just get the best , period. Making any sort of marketing to the fans hire is not the right decision compared to getting the absolute best available.

I assure you, the best options are outside the Summitt coaching tree.

 

[VolFuture]

I’d guess the guy at Oregon State, but that’s just my gut. Maybe the Iowa State coach, or coach Yo…..

HELL NO to Fennelly. Yo isn’t better than Kellie sns.

I like Reuik but there’s better out there

 

[Rooster1]

The list AD White is working with and his requirements:

1) top 25ish this season minimum
2) recruiting chops
3) SS/EE run this season
4) do the math

 

[VolBall09]

Today has shown me that a significant portion of the fan base is (still) stuck in the past and hell bent on having a former Lady Vol lead the program.

I’m ready to win some games.

One thing I’m noticing is everyone who was “blindsided” by this seem to be those closest to the program. Which means they were all living in a vacuum.

Most people with common sense knew the writing was on the wall watching most of this season. Hard to believe how stunned they all seem.

I think they really just expected White to be OK with the mediocrity because Kellie was a LVFL, friendly and kind. Like she wasn’t being paid 7 figures to win basketball games or something.

 

[orangealways]

Tyler Summitt.....

 

[Tnphil]

She sure didn't help herself did she. Imagine if she had scheduled 5 more cupcakes this year instead of ranked opponents. She'd be 25-8 and few would have been calling for job. Same with last year - schedule four additional winnable games and you're 27-7 and a Sweet 16. I imagine those 25 losses over the last two years was one of the more damning stats in Danny White's decision.

Easy answer...You win your share of those games against the elite. Something they haven't done in a long time. You think Pat Summitt scheduled those games to lose them? 12-37 and weak recruiting did Kellie in.

 

[ttharp]

I’d guess the guy at Oregon State, but that’s just my gut. Maybe the Iowa State coach, or coach Yo…..

I’ve been campaigning for Scott Rueck all day. Really think he’d be great. The only downside (for me) is he’s not a big media personality. (You can be a media personality without the drama.)

When it’s time to step in between the lines though, that clipboard of his is fire! I want to see a new brand of basketball especially on the offensive end.

 

[Tnphil]

One thing I’m noticing is everyone who was “blindsided” by this seem to be those closest to the program. Which means they were all living in a vacuum.

Most people with common sense knew the writing was on the wall watching most of this season. Hard to believe how stunned they all seem.

I think they really just expected White to be OK with the mediocrity because Kellie was a LVFL, friendly and kind. Like she wasn’t being paid 7 figures to win basketball games or something.

Mic drop.

 

[BigALWiLson]

Pat was put out in the first round in 09 by Ball State, lol

PAT won 8 titles..... she built the program. Believe she deserved a one off season. In other words she had much more equity

 

[Probably_in_Class]

Some good points but generally it was a bunch of football posters who have problems with…I’ll just leave that there. I hope people who truly are LV fans and have donated over the years to the LVs will be placing calls tomorrow to the AD. I know I will.

Then you aren't really Lady Vol fan. DW is one of the better additions to this athletic department in decades. He wants to win championships in every sport, not watch Kellie sink one of our most prestigious programs. She should have been fired after the SEC tourney debacle, but waiting until today made better business sense. She is an amazing person and a great ambassador for our school. She is also not capable of delivering the performance this program expects.