Coach Kellie Harper fired

[ttharp]

Honestly where I am with the program I don’t care if she’s the second coming of Pat herself. I do NOT want another LVFL. Especially one with minimal experience.

She probably will be a great coach, Tennessee doesn’t need to experiment and find out.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Three times???? No more Lady Vols.

AGREED!

A week ago some of the “insiders” on here said Kara would never come here because she burned bridges. For once, I hope they’re right.

 

[CoryDallasLV]

Rooster, I am not sure why you think the size of the fan base corresponds to NIL $. A very small % fans make donations to the programs they follow (just like very few buy season tickets). As Earlvol notes, it is the deep pocket fans that are really at issue. NIL is not a GoFundMe enterprise.

So how are so many other schools doing it through local (or larger) businesses and not donors/deep pocket fans? I see this especially with women's basketball and softball outside of Tennessee. My thought is a lot of that could have to do with the fan base, attendance, marketing, etc., right? Does Tennessee not have the same option? I truly don't know, so that is why I'm asking.

 

[VolBall09]

I understand your feelings, but to me, at this stage, Lawson is pretty far removed from an experiment. It doesn’t take a lot of mental exercise to see her trajectory. Just my opinion.

That’s interesting, for me I don't really feel like you know what you’ve got with a coach until about year 10.

Really see DW going for the experienced hire on this one.

 

[Rooster1]

That’s interesting, for me I don't really feel like you know what you’ve got with a coach until about year 10.

Really see DW going for the experienced hire on this one.

You are likely right here 09. But I would be surprised if Lawson is not amongst the top coaches in WBB within 3-4 years, maybe I am wrong on her. But I see a budding super star. Just me perhaps.

 

[Rooster1]

So how are so many other schools doing it through local (or larger) businesses and not donors/deep pocket fans? I see this especially with women's basketball and softball outside of Tennessee. My thought is a lot of that could have to do with the fan base, attendance, marketing, etc., right? Does Tennessee not have the same option? I truly don't know, so that is why I'm asking.

And how does a school like UT that is excelling in NIL in almost every sport not keep pace with the most storied program at their University? I’ve never understood this.

 

[901 Orange]

Regarding Pat another one of her wonderful traits was loyalty to her players. If you think she would have supported firing Kellie at this juncture you actually don’t know squat about Pat.

This is very true, but Coach Summit also loved Tennessee and hated to lose. Over a decade with no final 4 appearance is a hard pill to swallow at Tennessee. 20 wins a year don't mean much when it comes to LVB. Coach set a ridiculously high standard. No reasonable person would expect anyone to exceed her, but u do still have to compete with the other top programs. We're not doing that.

 

[Rooster1]

You are likely right here 09. But I would be surprised if Lawson is not amongst the top coaches in WBB within 3-4 years, maybe I am wrong on her. But I see a budding super star. Just me perhaps.

If Staley decided to retire I would be very pleased if SC hired Lawson as her replacement, I think her growth as a coach is going to continue, she is already an excellent recruiter and she is motivational as hell. I think she knows she needs help on the offensive end of the game and will hire/adjust to do so. She just seems driven to be a winner. I would pick her as Coach Staleys replacement right now if Dawn retired tomorrow. I have that much faith in her.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

I am not anti-Kara and I agree that she seems to have a bigger upside than Kellie. But, the prevailing idea is that Danny is going to make a game changing hire whereas Kara looks more or less like a lateral move with a bet on future potential. But I don't give credibility to these reports that she is a serious candidate (which implies mutual interest). I think she really likes being at a prestige school (which is where her Dad wanted her to go) and she is gaining momentum at Duke.

I think there is a key phrase in your comment ”game changing hire”….I believe you learn a lot from history and it might be really important here.

Don‘t be surprised if 50% of the little people (smaller pocket) fans like us are under whelmed with the hire. DW may go get the Aged whale everyone knows about but don’t be surprised if doesn’t go get a young adult whale shark that is an up and comer to take down the whales.

Go look at the up and coming hires DW has made in his full AD career. He has had some real surprising and successful hires. Go look at the boards melt down when CJH was hired and the whale Saban went down. Heck Saban was begging on a 9 game schedule to get UT off his schedule….

 

[VolArmy74]

Care to share how you know all this insider information about all these recruits and their parents and how you know, when so few others do, that UT had plenty of NIL for WBB and Kellie decided to ruin her career rather than talk about it.

Conversations with parents of some recruits who expressed exactly what I've said here. Quite literally had one say they asked about NIL and they were instead given a speech about Pat and what it means to play at Tennessee. More than one had the opinion. So there was some kind of disconnect there and it was harmful to recruiting.

As for why she did it, no idea. I've heard she's "old school" and didn't like that aspect of things, or some of the more social aspects of the job. Jay Wright retired rather than deal with it. Some people don't like it.

 

[VolBall09]

You are likely right here 09. But I would be surprised if Lawson is not amongst the top coaches in WBB within 3-4 years, maybe I am wrong on her. But I see a budding super star. Just me perhaps.

It’s possible but we will see.

Remember, Dawn was at Temple 8 years. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I think Duke was brave to hire someone with 0 experience. Might work out, might not. Kara has been gifted a lot of nice things and I hope she knows and appreciates that.

I actually really respect that Dawn worked her way up.

 

[Lucy]

Conversations with parents of some recruits who expressed exactly what I've said here. Quite literally had one say they asked about NIL and they were instead given a speech about Pat and what it means to play at Tennessee. More than one had the opinion. So there was some kind of disconnect there and it was harmful to recruiting.

As for why she did it, no idea. I've heard she's "old school" and didn't like that aspect of things, or some of the more social aspects of the job. Jay Wright retired rather than deal with it. Some people don't like it.

Or, she didn’t have the money. Do you really think Kellie would die on the “old school” hill with $$ available?

 

[Rooster1]

Conversations with parents of some recruits who expressed exactly what I've said here. Quite literally had one say they asked about NIL and they were instead given a speech about Pat and what it means to play at Tennessee. More than one had the opinion. So there was some kind of disconnect there and it was harmful to recruiting.

As for why she did it, no idea. I've heard she's "old school" and didn't like that aspect of things, or some of the more social aspects of the job. Jay Wright retired rather than deal with it. Some people don't like it.

I don‘t understand or believe any of this, sorry.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Not to mention volleyball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s track and field, softball and others. I cannot remember a time where sports across the board were competing this well at UT. Women’s basketball was falling behind the pack.

White is a fantastic AD.

I don’t understand the credit White gets for different sports programs doing well, when the Coaches were already here before he was. He brought along UCF’s football Coach, and we like him. He lost a winning soccer Coach. Did he hire any other Coaches?

 

[Majors]

I don‘t understand or believe any of this, sorry.

Did you believe it years ago when it was tossed around? This isn’t the first time it’s been said here. That the sell was tradition when players were asking about NIL.

 

[Rooster1]

I’m signing off for awhile, last thoughts here….your AD is obviously really good at what he does. He is going to hire a very good coach for the LV program, there is nothing in his history to indicate otherwise. It might even be what some here would label a home run hire, he has that kind of reputation and it is well deserved. Whomever he hires, I suspect some will like and some will not, but I feel certain the hire will raise the LV’s from their current status in short order. Y’all have one of the two most storied programs in WBB ever, and arguably the greatest because you did it first.

When I get back from an extended trip deep into the Canadian Arctic regions in search of huge Brook trout and y’all have hired your new coach, I feel certain your AD will have done a fine job finding your next leader.

 

[VolFuture]

Caleb Calhoun is the master of takes…

I don’t think he understands y Kellie was fired. Wants coaches Kellie has a winning record against bc “theyre better”

This is what happens when men who don’t watch women’s basketball or have a feel for the greater game speak out their a$$

(Like many here including anyone who has mentioned Molly Miller$

Go watch their off the hook embarrassing

Writing this knowing he stalks this page

 

[Volfaninfl2]

I can understand wanting to give Harper another year but to say she got screwed is ludicrous.

Tennessee was a preseason top ten team the past 2 years and failed to finish in the top 25 both years. Tennessee was 20-13 this year.

This part of the schedule in 2023 and 2022 was what got Harper fired. It set Tennessee up for struggles throughout the rest of the year as we played catchup. You don't lose to Indiana, MTSU, FSU, Ohio State, etc. if you are Tennessee. At least not on a consistent basis when you are ranked in the preseason top 10. That gets coaches fired anywhere.

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But they were ranked that highly before we had injuries to Tamari, which took her out for the rest of the year, then Rickea, who was out for 8 games.

 

[Lucy]

This is very true, but Coach Summit also loved Tennessee and hated to lose. Over a decade with no final 4 appearance is a hard pill to swallow at Tennessee. 20 wins a year don't mean much when it comes to LVB. Coach set a ridiculously high standard. No reasonable person would expect anyone to exceed her, but u do still have to compete with the other top programs. We're not doing that.

We have so many threads going on I’m not sure if this is the right place for this or not but..,
I have wondered how this would all have worked out if, instead of fading away and then passing, Pat had had coached a few more years and then retired. I benefited mightily from a mentor and wonder if Holly, Kellie et al wouldn’t have benefited by being able to call Pat or have Pat look at some film etc.. I felt like Kellie would have particularly benefited from Pat’s guidance.
Sadly we’ll never know.
Also there is the high likelihood that Pat would still be coaching so Geno wouldn’t break her records!!! First one coaching until eighty wins!!!

 

[TimR]

And how does a school like UT that is excelling in NIL in almost every sport not keep pace with the most storied program at their University? I’ve never understood this.

I wonder how much is priority of a given sport. UT no doubt is all in on football NIL money. At this point men's BB is certainly second, leaving WBB 3rd at best. Compare that to, say, UConn. WBB is likely at worst 2nd behind the men's team, with football who knows where in the pecking order.

And I know it's different donors, different pools of money, etc., but some of that has to be in play here, just as a percentage of available money going to different teams.

 

[Lucy]

I’m signing off for awhile, last thoughts here….your AD is obviously really good at what he does. He is going to hire a very good coach for the LV program, there is nothing in his history to indicate otherwise. It might even be what some here would label a home run hire, he has that kind of reputation and it is well deserved. Whomever he hires, I suspect some will like and some will not, but I feel certain the hire will raise the LV’s from their current status in short order. Y’all have one of the two most storied programs in WBB ever, and arguably the greatest because you did it first.

Don’t go away mad Rooster!!!

 

[Rooster1]

Don’t go away mad Rooster!!!

Not mad Lucy , have some big trout way way up North to locate…peace and love.

 

[Lucy]

Not mad Lucy , have some big trout way way up North to locate…peace and love.

Excellent! You go get’em!!

 

[Rooster1]

Excellent! You go get’em!!

Will do, starting over ice, but need to be there at ice out when it gets really exciting. Thx Lucy! Hoping White lands Hammon for the LV fans btw…she would be a huge hire.

 

[madtownvol]

I think there is a key phrase in your comment ”game changing hire”….I believe you learn a lot from history and it might be really important here.

Don‘t be surprised if 50% of the little people (smaller pocket) fans like us are under whelmed with the hire. DW may go get the Aged whale everyone knows about but don’t be surprised if doesn’t go get a young adult whale shark that is an up and comer to take down the whales.

Go look at the up and coming hires DW has made in his full AD career. He has had some real surprising and successful hires. Go look at the boards melt down when CJH was hired and the whale Saban went down. Heck Saban was begging on a 9 game schedule to get UT off his schedule….

The situation you describe is what I expect. I think the people predicting Staley, etc. are living in Fantasy land. Time will tell but an upcoming hire will get a lot of media pushback since Kellie’ s team was not in disarray. If the new coach gets off to a promising start, that negativity goes away but a slow start and it gets louder. Not an easy situation to walk into. A bigger name hire would have more latitude to say Rome is not built in a day.

 

[Gilmore]

I will be stunned (and slightly disappointed) if it is Lawson. I get she has a lot going for her but doesn’t seem to be in a better place than Kellie…

Lawson
Gotlieb
Moore
Moren
Berube*** I don’t get this one

Then “the field”

Rueck Fortier Payne

Think Berube (former UCONN player) is the name often mentioned as potentially replacing Geno. Their fans seem high on her…