Coach Kellie Harper

[Raebo]

So what part of sitting out this coming season but likely getting back in for 2025 don't you understand....

PS, it seems you know the exact details of Kellie's buyout contract. Such provisions do not all have the same clauses or demands. So could you share that info since you seem quite certain of her specific terms?

Just google. The original contract between Kellie and UT is online as a pdf. She needs to make a good faith effort to find similar employment. Mitigation for every dollar she earns UT will owe her an equal amount less. Dollar for dollar.

 

[VolBall09]

I don't think that's the belief at all. Most people don't see two Sweet 16s as the total failure that people on the board do. Many close to the program, including financial stakeholders knew some of the challenges faced and how close many in the sport felt she was to clearing them. I'm kind of in the middle on that and was willing to commit to money either way. But there are people that made donations after being told she would be back. There were also people that made a commitment after being told she might not be or likely wouldn't be. They would be just as mad if it had gone the other way and people asking them for large sums of money hadn't been completely forthright.

We struggled to even be a top 25 team under Kellie. Tired of hearing about her mediocre exists from the tournament. A Sweet 16 should be a GIVEN for Tennessee, not a bonus.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Your last word “available” is key. Many if not most of the names thrown around were not available. I know my top name, Ivey from ND, was pretty wishful thinking.
CKC is a bit of a gamble but I think there is a lot of potential there. To me a key will be is she flexible, can she morph her systems if need be? She will face a lot of old codger coaches in the SEC who have seen it all.

I don't deny the road can likely have a few bumps in the road. However, I believe in her approach to th game and she has been exceptional against her peers. I also acknowledge her peers have not yet been at the SEC and other accomplished D I teams who have the resources needed to compete at the SEC level. I also know she has never before had the resources to compete win at the SEC level. When one wins over 85
5 of their games one has to have at the ability to communicate with their players ,any level, a good knowledge of the game, and and a positive relationship with with the school, AD, and fans. I agree it is somewhat of a gamble, but I think she has what it takes to succeed. I view this as a 2 year period for her to provide the team which be be competitive in the SEC.

 

[madtownvol]

Just google. The original contract between Kellie and UT is online as a pdf. She needs to make a good faith effort to find similar employment. Mitigation for every dollar she earns UT will owe her an equal amount less. Dollar for dollar.

Fair play.

The online contract I found is for her 2019 hire but I assume the buyout terms did not change--it reads: Coach shall be required use her best efforts to mitigate the University's obligation to pay the "University Separation Payment" by making reasonable, good faith, and diligent efforts as soon as practicable following termination to obtain a comparable employment position or paid services opportunity.

This "argument" started with one poster objecting to my suggestion that Kellie probably won't jump into a head coaching job for this upcoming season - which would essentially mean taking over a new program right now with her kids in school etc. I conjectured that she would probably be coaching somewhere in 2025.

So, I ask would that envisioned timeline not be consistent with the idea of "as soon as practicable following termination". Are you and the other poster really suggesting that UT will claim breach of contract if Kellie does not take a new coaching position within essentially six to eight weeks of being terminated?

Seems we have a battle here between common sense and Kellie hate (god forbid she gets some of her contractually obligated buyout $).....

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

"by making reasonable, good faith, and diligent efforts as soon as practicable following termination"

This statement has a lot of legal room in it. Trying to put a timeline on 'reasonable, good faith and practicable' is very difficult as Deerpark pointed out a few days ago on this. She can claim her agent is looking.

 

[VolBall09]

"by making reasonable, good faith, and diligent efforts as soon as practicable following termination"

This statement has a lot of legal room in it. Trying to put a timeline on 'reasonable, good faith and practicable' is very difficult as Deerpark pointed out a few days agon on this. She can claim her agent is looking.

Really weren’t any big openings this year other than UT, UK, Va Tech

Seems she threw her name in the hat for Marquette and probably inquired about VaTech so that would be enough I’d think.

 

[glv98]

"by making reasonable, good faith, and diligent efforts as soon as practicable following termination"

This statement has a lot of legal room in it. Trying to put a timeline on 'reasonable, good faith and practicable' is very difficult as Deerpark pointed out a few days agon on this. She can claim her agent is looking.

It would be incredibly petty of the university to hold her to taking a job the first year. Of course her agent always has ear to the ground. But no need to be brutal.

 

[VolBall09]

It would be incredibly petty of the university to hold her to taking a job the first year. Of course her agent always has ear to the ground. But no need to be brutal.

I doubt they would but I wouldn’t consider it petty. She’s being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to not coach now.

She was being paid millions to coach.

That money comes with expectations. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, nor is it mean.

 

[madtownvol]

I doubt they would but I wouldn’t consider it petty. She’s being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to not coach now.

She was being paid millions to coach.

That money comes with expectations. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, nor is it mean.

Great humanitarians such as yourself are so rare to find.

And you are so right. I mean Kellie did not even have to undergo a public flogging and she wants buy out $ too? The NERVE of her particularly when her hubby Jon is the sole cause of global warming!!!

Plus, she clearly took unfair advantage of the UTAD which gave her two extensions and agreed to these contractual terms. Such shameful behavior on Kellie's part ....

 

[VolBall09]

Great humanitarians such as yourself are so rare to find.

And you are so right. I mean Kellie did not even have to undergo a public flogging and she wants buy out $ too? The NERVE of her particularly when her hubby Jon is the sole cause of global warming!!!

Plus, she clearly took unfair advantage of the UTAD which gave her two extensions and agreed to these contractual terms. Such shameful behavior on Kellie's part ....

Does your employer not have expectations for your compensation?

 

[madtownvol]

Does your employer not have expectations for your compensation?

Sure but that is irrelevant to the situation being discussed.

Kellie has been fired. You seem to have trouble acknowledging that circumstance because it did not involve a ritual execution. Sorry, that is just not how these things go. Yeah, she got paid to coach. I am sorry that upsets you so.

Like most coaches who are recruited from one program to another, Kellie's contract also has a buyout clause with terms that favor the coach in terms of giving them some discretion in their ensuing job search.

That fact seems to be sending you into conniption fits.

If Kellie were still coach, I could understand why would keep harping on her shortcomings and calling for her blood, since you would want a new coach in her place. But she has been fired, the new coaching staff is on the job and you still can't let Kellie go.

It is really, really weird hangup that is very much unique to you (on this board at least).

Anyway, I am tired of "debating" whether or not Kellie should be waterboarded, drawn and quartered, burned at the stake, crushed by a wheel, or stoned to death (I am guessing you would demand all those options simultaneously plus require that her kids pay back her and Jon's earnings to the university at a high interest rate).

So, I will just pass on your future comments about this specific topic but I will suggest that maybe it is high time for you to focus more on what CKC is doing as the current head coach of the LVs and just leave the Kellie bygones behind....

 

[lvocd]

One phrase in Kellie's contract (IF it is, in fact, still in her last contract) is everything:

"... to obtain a comparable employment position or paid services opportunity."

COMPARABLE.

Comparable employment. Comparable pay.

That certainly would obviously mean she wouldn't have to take a position at a mid-major for $200,000 a year. My guess is she'll have at least a year to weigh her options and see what's out there, but as I'm typing this, I'm not aware of any positions open that are comparable to being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. It was a generous phrase in her contract if it's still there -- gives her a grace period. And as a LVFL, she deserves that.

 

[VolBall09]

Sure but that is irrelevant to the situation being discussed.

Kellie has been fired. You seem to have trouble acknowledging that circumstance because it did not involve a ritual execution. Sorry, that is just not how these things go. Yeah, she got paid to coach. I am sorry that upsets you so.

Like most coaches who are recruited from one program to another, Kellie's contract also has a buyout clause with terms that favor the coach in terms of giving them some discretion in their ensuing job search.

That fact seems to be sending you into conniption fits.

If Kellie were still coach, I could understand why would keep harping on her shortcomings and calling for her blood, since you would want a new coach in her place. But she has been fired, the new coaching staff is on the job and you still can't let Kellie go.

It is really, really weird hangup that is very much unique to you (on this board at least).

Anyway, I am tired of "debating" whether or not Kellie should be waterboarded, drawn and quartered, burned at the stake, crushed by a wheel, or stoned to death (I am guessing you would demand all those options simultaneously plus require that her kids pay back her and Jon's earnings to the university at a high interest rate).

So, I will just pass on your future comments about this specific topic but I will suggest that maybe it is high time for you to focus more on what CKC is doing as the current head coach of the LVs and just leave the Kellie bygones behind....

Def not reading all that so you can save your time lol

 

[DeerPark12]

Kellie cannot just “sit out” if she wants to keep getting her buyout. She has to make a good faith effort to get another coaching job. It’s kind of like someone getting laid off and filing for unemployment. Just with a lot more money involved lol.

She did that by interviewing for the Marquette job. She does not have to take additional action until next March to maintain her buyout.

 

[madtownvol]

Def not reading all that so you can save your time lol

Excellent. Your ignorance is well earned. Congrats!!

PS, I know you read it.....

 

[VolBall09]

Excellent. Your ignorance is well earned. Congrats!!

PS, I know you read it.....

Do you? I did not read that. I don’t have time for 4 paragraphs of madtown in the middle of my day.

 

[DeerPark12]

One phrase in Kellie's contract (IF it is, in fact, still in her last contract) is everything:

"... to obtain a comparable employment position or paid services opportunity."

COMPARABLE.

Comparable employment. Comparable pay.

That certainly would obviously mean she wouldn't have to take a position at a mid-major for $200,000 a year. My guess is she'll have at least a year to weigh her options and see what's out there, but as I'm typing this, I'm not aware of any positions open that are comparable to being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. It was a generous phrase in her contract if it's still there -- gives her a grace period. And as a LVFL, she deserves that.

Again, to satisfy the clause, the bare minimum she would have to do is actively apply for D1 head coaching jobs. Simply applying and interviewing satisfies the clause.

That said, she’s not going to drag it out, she wants back in and will likely have a job next year. If she had been let go at the end of the season instead of April 1, I think it’s likely she has something today.

 

[madtownvol]

Do you? I did not read that. I don’t have time for 4 paragraphs of madtown in the middle of my day.

Says the person taking time to post they don't have time.

Truthfully, you are just not very good at this. Toodeloo mate....

 

[VolBall09]

Says the person taking time to post they don't have time.

Truthfully, you are just not very good at this. Toodeloo mate....

Your neck must get tired looking down from that high horse all the time

 

[Majors]

Excellent. Your ignorance is well earned. Congrats!!

PS, I know you read it.....

A mad Madtown post of name calling to another poster and a Lucy like speaks volumes on agendas.

 

[Raebo]

Again, to satisfy the clause, the bare minimum she would have to do is actively apply for D1 head coaching jobs. Simply applying and interviewing satisfies the clause.

That said, she’s not going to drag it out, she wants back in and will likely have a job next year. If she had been let go at the end of the season instead of April 1, I think it’s likely she has something today.

Remember Butch Jones. He took a job as an analyst at Bama that barely paid him and UT continued to pay a very large chunk.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Agreed.

I think the final straw may have been the lost opportunity to hand South Carolina their only loss of the season. It wasn't so much that we lost the game, but the particularly embarrassing way we lost it. The news/social media cycle over the following 24 hours after that loss was brutal, with people at every level of sport and broadcast coming out of the woodwork to poke fun at Tennessee for so spectacularly blowing that last 1.1 seconds. Whether fair or not, the overwhelming theme of the day was, "This was the worst coaching in the history of women's basketball,' and it really hurt Kellie.

I doubt it was the final straw. That was just one game, and we were highly competitive with the best team and best coach in the country. I hope that White doesn't make a one game "shouldawonit" a significant part of his decision. Kellie was fired for poor high school recruiting and a history of failing to finish higher than third in the SEC and finish beyond the Sweet Sixteen. If any one game was the final straw, I'd guess this season's round of 32 game was it.

 

[knoxvol52]

Really weren’t any big openings this year other than UT, UK, Va Tech

Seems she threw her name in the hat for Marquette and probably inquired about VaTech so that would be enough I’d think.

Marquette Wonder if Kellie put Tyler Summitt down as a reference.

Just playing !!!

 

[youcancallmeAl]

One phrase in Kellie's contract (IF it is, in fact, still in her last contract) is everything:

"... to obtain a comparable employment position or paid services opportunity."

COMPARABLE.

Comparable employment. Comparable pay.

That certainly would obviously mean she wouldn't have to take a position at a mid-major for $200,000 a year. My guess is she'll have at least a year to weigh her options and see what's out there, but as I'm typing this, I'm not aware of any positions open that are comparable to being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. It was a generous phrase in her contract if it's still there -- gives her a grace period. And as a LVFL, she deserves that.

Strategically, it would make sense for her to wait until the annual firing season (during and after the next ncaa tourney) to have many more options. She consistently finish third in the SEC and made some Sweet Sixteens. That wasn't good enough for Tennessee, but it would be good enough for many P5 programs. I expect she would get many decent offers.

 

[madtownvol]

I doubt it was the final straw. That was just one game, and we were highly competitive with the best team and best coach in the country. I hope that White doesn't make a one game "shouldawonit" a significant part of his decision. Kellie was fired for poor high school recruiting and a history of failing to finish higher than third in the SEC and finish beyond the Sweet Sixteen. If any one game was the final straw, I'd guess this season's round of 32 game was it.

I agree that one play is getting overblown. Had the percentages gone Kellie's way and Cardosa clanked it off the back rim, the narrative would have been "what a brilliant coaching move to bait a post player who had not shot a 3 all season into taking the final shot!!"

We will never know for sure but if the LVs had been able to get past NCST for a S16 spot, I think she would still be on the job but missing that benchmark coupled with finishing lower in the conference was the death knell.

Conversely, had the LVs beaten SC but lost in the conference final and not made the S16, KJH would have likely been fired as well. It was the body of work, not one play.