Coach Kellie Harper

[Volstylexx]

Photo from the 2011 women's basketball championship. My Facebook "memories" send me pics from the past this time of year that makes me incredibly sad to see where this program currently is. Look at all that orange in the stands. You would roll into Greenville, SC every year with a massive sea of orange. We were loud. We were proud. Now, we argue on Volnation about if 17-11 is "good enough." No one will ever convince me this program can't be great again. I refuse to believe it. Put a great coach at the helm and watch this fanbase fill the arenas week in and week out. We are starving for wins, Danny.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Sorry to have lumped you in with the negavols that have filled this thread with misinformation and vitrol. My apologies - I corrected my post.

Appreciate it. No worries.

 

[Majors]

This needs to be removed right now!!
Ridiculous and a disservice to our program!!!!!!

Humbling experience I’m sure. All this time you felt it was just a few. We are a #5 seed heading into the tournament, we have different views on disservice.

 

[ABV]

I love all the celebrating about breaking the SC double point margin win streak when we lost by 8 and with one more basket the streak would have been intact.

Is the celebration of an 8 point loss really the definition of mediocre, I am sure Pat is rolling over in her grave at those celebrations

I really wish many of you posters would quit with the comments about "Pat rolling over in her grave". If you knew Pat personally, you would know that isn't so. I did - and what she would do is encourage Kellie to keep fighting like hell to have the team postseason ready. She would tell Kellie she's impressed she is with how far the team has come in February. An SEC season is more of a grind now than it ever could have been when Pat coached... she would be the first to acknowledge that.

 

[Rooster1]

Many sleepless night for me , just worrying about you putting me on ignore..
BTW the no was for the ones who voted to fire Kelly, lol
Have a nice day..
Check where my vote is Einstein.

Knox, how do you see the voter’s response?

Edit: my bad, just figured it out….thx

 

[knoxvol52]

Knox, how do you see the voter’s response?

Yea I definitely should've worded the original post differently.

Though this High School education only gets me so far..

 

[feathersax]

She tore her ACL

Who?

 

[knoxvol52]

Who?

Destinee Wells transfer from Belmont, I think it was Belmont

 

[Volstylexx]

She should be back. She will be back. She is building. Idc what y’all say. She’s also improving as a coach. Our brand is strong and she is a good representative of what we what at UT. Cant wait for postseason.

This team can go far. I’m excited to see us try to do it.

I'm sorry, but this is just an inaccurate view of the state of the Lady Vol program. Respectfully, the statistics don't bear anything out that you said. Over 5 years, her winning percentage is worse than Holly's. Kelli is 40-22 over the last two seasons. That's a 65% winning percentage. You have to go back nearly 50 years to the 1974-75, and 75-76 seasons (Pat Summit's first two seasons at UT to find a lower winning percentage over two years in Lady Vol basketball history.

Tennessee Lady Vols averaged attendance:

2015-2016 (10,412)
2016-2017 (9,184)
2017-2018 (8,788)
2018-2019 (8,028)
2019-2020 (8,645)
2021-2022 (7,477)

That is the definition of a "Diminishing Brand" not one that is healthy. Keep in mind, that all of this is occurring during a time of immense growth in viewership of the women's game. In 1998, The Lady Vols broke the NCAA attendance record with over 24,000 fans in attendance for TN versus Uconn. In 2023, Iowa broke the record with 55,000.

Again, no final four appearances in 15 years.

Our brand is not strong in comparison to the elite teams in the game. Separate out any feelings you have towards Kelli and look at it objectively. Our program has historically never been weaker and each year that passes with us being "average" further relegates us to the "has-beens" in women's basketball history.

 

[woodpusher]

Tennessee athletics raked in record $200 million in revenue, led by football. Here's how.

Tennessee football made more money than most athletic departments. That fueled UT's record revenues in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Here's the breakdown.

www.knoxnews.com

here is the breakdown @brittannica on women’s and men’s sports at UT

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Athletics Programs

Take a look and see what sports programs are available at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Find out how much in aid student athletes receive, how UT Knoxville ranks for each sport, how much revenue the school makes for each sport, and more.

www.collegefactual.com

UT is among the tops in the NCAA in athletic revenue. They ain’t poor. Now, as for collectives and NIL money, I have a hard time understanding how all other UT sports are killing it in recruiting except for WBB. Here is where the breakdown in logic occurs, so again, it will be interesting to see the actual numbers if they ever become public knowledge, because something does not add up.

With an excellent academic progress rate of 971, the team has shown that they take there time in the classroom seriously.
====
Maybe collegefactual could get one of those studious Lady Vols to write for them.
A graduate assistant told me that baseball made money. That was ~20 years ago. True?

 

[JCP201]

Vote is a lot closer then I thought. I'm usually one of the hold outs in these things, but I don't think we are going to get any better-- seem to be getting worse.

 

[Rooster1]

With an excellent academic progress rate of 971, the team has shown that they take there time in the classroom seriously.
====
Maybe collegefactual could get one of those studious Lady Vols to write for them.
A graduate assistant told me that baseball made money. That was ~20 years ago. True?

Baseball is right there with WBB, no school makes money on it. The potential is there for WBB to become a money maker once their media/TV deal equates to their growth in viewership and sponsorship however…WBB is a much bigger commodity than college baseball, look at the TV viewership numbers, not even close, one day WBB will get theirs, it’s the fastest growing sport in college viewership bar none. It even has out drawn the NBA on a week night and has 5 of the top 10 viewed college BB games year to date.

 

[Deebowbear]

I'm sorry, but this is just an inaccurate view of the state of the Lady Vol program. Respectfully, the statistics don't bear anything out that you said. Over 5 years, her winning percentage is worse than Holly's. Kelli is 40-22 over the last two seasons. That's a 65% winning percentage. You have to go back nearly 50 years to the 1974-75, and 75-76 seasons (Pat Summit's first two seasons at UT to find a lower winning percentage over two years in Lady Vol basketball history.

Tennessee Lady Vols averaged attendance:

2015-2016 (10,412)
2016-2017 (9,184)
2017-2018 (8,788)
2018-2019 (8,028)
2019-2020 (8,645)
2021-2022 (7,477)

That is the definition of a "Diminishing Brand" not one that is healthy. Keep in mind, that all of this is occurring during a time of immense growth in viewership of the women's game. In 1998, The Lady Vols broke the NCAA attendance record with over 24,000 fans in attendance for TN versus Uconn. In 2023, Iowa broke the record with 55,000.

Again, no final four appearances in 15 years.

Our brand is not strong in comparison to the elite teams in the game. Separate out any feelings you have towards Kelli and look at it objectively. Our program has historically never been weaker and each year that passes with us being "average" further relegates us to the "has-beens" in women's basketball history.

Only going to get worse now is the time to get rid of her before no coach wants to touch it

 

[Rooster1]

Only going to get worse now is the time to get rid of her before no coach wants to touch it

Tbh, and I am not Advocating this at all of course, but in opposition to your premise, actually the worse it gets the more inclined a coach would see it as an opportunity. That’s how it works.

 

[Deebowbear]

Let’s say they fire her and bring in a new coach, and let’s say this coach doesn’t have any elite players on their team to bring with them, and we lose our incoming recruits. So that means we will start all over, how many years are u willing to wait while we are bad?

Don’t take long now with the transfer portal to build a team you got to look forward if they don’t want to play for new fine let them go and fine some that will can’t let players control that they want be here as long as the coach most of the time if you can upgrade your coaching do it now players now my transfer in first year you don’t know that get a winning coach in here and let’s see

 

[Deebowbear]

Tbh, and I am not Advocating this at all of course, but in opposition to your premise, actually the worse it gets the more inclined a coach would see it as an opportunity. That’s how it works.

I guess you don’t your a SC fan

 

[Rooster1]

I guess you don’t your a SC fan

I’m not about wishing demise on any program deebowbear. The point I made was accurate in spite of your insinuation. Btw, I am no where as negative on the current state of the LV program as you are, though I have my private thoughts that they are a sleeping giant once again with the right leadership, too many advantages and too much tradition to lay silent forever. It is still there.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

I'd really like to share my thoughts on Tennessee's NIL with you, but I just can't in a public forum. Maybe I will run into you in Greenville...

One thing I can tell you, when Pat was coaching there was an annual fundraiser for women's athletics called the 'Salute to Excellence' that raised over $250,000 in 2012. Most of the 'big money' in Knoxville participated.

A new athletic director was hired in 2011, Dave Hart, who decided to merge the unique, separate women's athletic department into the men's and end the 'Lady Volunteer' brand. I was/am not 'big money' but I always bought a table at that fundraiser (and danced with Pat one time!). He ended that fundraiser and I was never asked to donate again, as were the 'big money' donors. Those relationships ended and have never been regained in the NIL era. If we had those people involved now, our NIL would be much better funded.

So, that's currently where we are. Maybe someday we'll get those kinds of folks involved again...

@EarlVolFan what is the cause of that for a program with such a huge fan base? I’m asking because it seems perplexing. LV’s have one of the largest fan bases in the country. The state of Tenn is doing well, the University is breaking all time revenue numbers. Everything seems in place, and it makes one wonder. We can all look at the top 25 in WBB and we can pick out many programs that are doing well in recruiting and on the court that surely don’t have the ability to raise the kind of money or have the resources that UT has. I mean, is Duke recruiting so well because they can spend more on WBB than UT? So many examples of teams in the top of recruiting these days who should not be able to outspend UT. Where is the breakdown if it is money? Thx for the answer in advance, I really am interested in your thoughts on this. I’m not trying to be obtuse, I really am trying to understand Earl.

Btw, enjoy the tourney in Greenville, love all of the info from your posts. If you see a fella wearing a West Point t-shirt just ask if it’s Rooster…….

 

[Rooster1]

I'd really like to share my thoughts on Tennessee's NIL with you, but I just can't in a public forum. Maybe I will run into you in Greenville...

One thing I can tell you, when Pat was coaching there was an annual fundraiser for women's athletics called the 'Salute to Excellence' that raised over $250,000 in 2012. Most of the 'big money' in Knoxville participated.

A new athletic director was hired in 2011, Dave Hart, who decided to merge the unique, separate women's athletic department into the men's and end the 'Lady Volunteer' brand. I was/am not 'big money' but I always bought a table at that fundraiser (and danced with Pat one time!). He ended that fundraiser and I was never asked to donate again, as were the 'big money' donors. Those relationships ended and have never been regained in the NIL era. If we had those people involved now, our NIL would be much better funded.

So, that's currently where we are. Maybe someday we'll get those kinds of folks involved again...

Thx for the reply Earl.

 

[DougVol]

Does she deserve to come back? Probably not

Will she be fired? No

What coach will come to this University and be able to handle this pressure cooker?

The big names aren't coming, it is what it is.

What pressure cooker? That rodeo left town eons ago. Lady Vol Basketball is ho hum. We need a complete rebuild. Nobody should be intimidated to take this job now.

 

[th2421]

Tennessee Lady Vols averaged attendance:

2015-2016 (10,412)
2016-2017 (9,184)
2017-2018 (8,788)
2018-2019 (8,028)
2019-2020 (8,645)
2021-2022 (7,477)

That is the definition of a "Diminishing Brand" not one that is healthy. Keep in mind, that all of this is occurring during a time of immense growth in viewership of the women's game. In 1998, The Lady Vols broke the NCAA attendance record with over 24,000 fans in attendance for TN versus Uconn. In 2023, Iowa broke the record with 55,000.

You conveniently left off that attendance is on the rise the last two years, 8,150 last year and 8,880 this year, the highest it's been since 2016-17. Of course the total numbers dropped a bit in the first couple of years of the pandemic, but our ranking in attendance never dropped below 8th.

Last year we were 7th in the NCAA in attendance. Not sure yet about this year, but if other teams have the same crowds as last year, we'd be 5th. This is an improvement from 8th in 2021-22.

 

[Volstylexx]

You conveniently left off that attendance is on the rise the last two years, 8,150 last year and 8,880 this year, the highest it's been since 2016-17. Of course the total numbers dropped a bit in the first couple of years of the pandemic, but our ranking in attendance never dropped below 8th.

Last year we were 7th in the NCAA in attendance. Not sure yet about this year, but if other teams have the same crowds as last year, we'd be 5th. This is an improvement from 8th in 2021-22.

Attendance for this year hasn’t been posted on the NCAA’s website. Attendance has been up across the board in women’s basketball, while we have seen maybe a slight increase this year. Even if we increased this year, it is attributable to the increase in demand for the sport, not success by Kelli or the team. I’d bet money that we lose further ground nationally even if we saw an increase this year.

 

[glv98]

He ended that fundraiser and I was never asked to donate again, as were the 'big money' donors. Those relationships ended and have never been regained in the NIL era. If we had those people involved now, our NIL would be much better funded.

As I've said ad nasuem, the lack of professional fund development for the LVs is astonishing. And if even I know it's a huge problem, why the heck isn't someone doing something about it? Why isn't someone working on resestablishing those relationships?

Even if we increased this year, it is attributable to the increase in demand for the sport, not success by Kelli or the team.

How do you know that?

 

[VolFuture]

Oh it matters. Embarrassing is embracing a tie, while we don’t get the double bye. Meaning we got 5th by default.

Nah take the L

 

[Majors]

Nah take the L

Not sure you understand head to head. No tie, just 5th. Might want to plead it now