Congrats to Kelly Jolly-Harper and the Missouri State Lady Bears

[creekdipper]

No she failed at NC State

Yeah, we got that.

Kellie didn't turn a mediocre NC State program into a Top 10 program. On the other hand, she didn't take a Top 10 program and turn it into a Last Four In program.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

After seeing the Rabid Hatred that UT fans have spit upon Holly Warlick, I can't imagine another former Lady Vol player taking the head coach job at UT. They know the same fate could be waiting for them after a few seasons.

 

[NoBackBoard]

After seeing the Rabid Hatred that UT fans have spit upon Holly Warlick, I can't imagine another former Lady Vol player taking the head coach job at UT. They know the same fate could be waiting for them after a few seasons.

Stop acting like the fans’ frustration is misplaced. I never wanted Holly but most fans did. They welcomed her. However, many grew tired after our offense stalled, turnovers piled and our defense failed to limit the opposing team’s best players.

Holly was given time and patience. Our offense and defense have both deteriorated during her regime. We play careless. Our teams are not disciplined.

Coaches who can improve these deficiencies will be met with admiration and support. Those who can’t deserve the same fate as Holly, just much quicker this time.

 

[Amb3096]

After seeing the Rabid Hatred that UT fans have spit upon Holly Warlick, I can't imagine another former Lady Vol player taking the head coach job at UT. They know the same fate could be waiting for them after a few seasons.

But the question is whether or not they have the same iron-clad support from Franklin Warlick?

 

[glv98]

After seeing the Rabid Hatred that UT fans have spit upon Holly Warlick, I can't imagine another former Lady Vol player taking the head coach job at UT. They know the same fate could be waiting for them after a few seasons.

Only if they screw the pooch repeatedly. I save my rabid hatred and spit for abject failures who refuse to acknowledge when they've overstayed their welcome.

 

[MSUDuo]

Y'all stole our coach once on the men's side. Stay away from Kellie, please!!!

BTW, I'm surprised at how many people misspell her name...You'd think a former player would be more well known...

 

[give_him 6]

another nice win for Kelly Harper and the Lady Bears. Sweet sixteen for my alma mater

 

[BruceInLouisville]

Sweet Sixteen for Harper and the Mo State Bears!

 

[37620VOL]

Kelly Jolly Harper has the credentials to become a replacement for Holly Warlick. She was the point guard for Pat Summit on three national champions teams. She learned plenty as an assistant under Joe Campi at Augurn, then Wes Moore at Chattanooga. As a head coach she was very successful at Western Carolina. She has totally turned the Missouri State program into a winner in a very short time....bring her home to Tennessee. With the material recruited and her coaching ability, the Lady Vols would be back in the winners category again. We need a former LV to be a winner again.

.500 acc record. Hard pass.

 

[bballnut90]

Huge congrats to Kellie Harper and her team...making the Sweet 16 as an 11 seed is a very impressive feat! No, she didn't turn around NC State 5-10 years ago but she'd 100% be an upgrade over Holly. Amanda Butler didn't do much at Florida and led Clemson to an incredible turnaround this year. Whoever gets the Tennessee job is coming into a position where they are set up for success (assuming players stay). We have a talented roster coming back, great resources/facilities and a brand of basketball that still recruits well. Harper isn't my first pick but I'll honestly be thrilled with most candidates as long as Holly doesn't return.

My biggest concern for Harper is that her legacy gets tarnished if the LVs struggle under her. She's one of my all time favorite Vols and was the hometown hero of Pat's golden era. I'd hate to see everyone turn on her if she doesn't get Tennessee back to the Final Four.

 

[dapeak]

Huge congrats to Kellie Harper and her team...making the Sweet 16 as an 11 seed is a very impressive feat! No, she didn't turn around NC State 5-10 years ago but she'd 100% be an upgrade over Holly. Amanda Butler didn't do much at Florida and led Clemson to an incredible turnaround this year. Whoever gets the Tennessee job is coming into a position where they are set up for success (assuming players stay). We have a talented roster coming back, great resources/facilities and a brand of basketball that still recruits well. Harper isn't my first pick but I'll honestly be thrilled with most candidates as long as Holly doesn't return.

My biggest concern for Harper is that her legacy gets tarnished if the LVs struggle under her. She's one of my all time favorite Vols and was the hometown hero of Pat's golden era. I'd hate to see everyone turn on her if she doesn't get Tennessee back to the Final Four.

High risk, high reward. I see her being extremely successful and bringing us back to being a consistent final 4 contender. NC State was not and is not the recruiting giant Tennessee was and is. She should be given a hard look.

I’m rooting for Tennessee to make a great hire and she would be one.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

No she failed at NC State

LOL... I’m taking that was sarcasm

 

[lvocd]

No she failed at NC State

Do you have any real knowledge about how things actually went down for Harper at NCST, or are you just basing your opinions on wins and losses? I ask because there are solid sources who, at the time, said that powerful forces within the Wolfpack family were EXTREMELY upset that Kay Yow’s choice to replace her, Stephanie Glance, was ignored in favor of young upstart Kellie Jolly, and then proceeded to sabotage her at every turn.

The Missouri State community, on the other hand, has fully embraced and supported her and that support has resulted in getting the Bears’ program back to the level of respect they had when assistant Jackie Stiles was a player.

I feel like Harper is a terrific coach, and I love the fact that she was born and raised in the great state of Tennessee. If she were Fulmer’s choice I wouldn’t be upset.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Do you have any real knowledge about how things actually went down for Harper at NCST, or are you just basing your opinions on wins and losses? I ask because there are solid sources who, at the time, said that powerful forces within the Wolfpack family were EXTREMELY upset that Kay Yow’s choice toreplace her, Stephanie Glance, was ignored in favor of young upstart Kellie Jolly, and then proceeded to sabotage her at every turn.

WThe Missouri State comminity, on the other hand, has fully embraced and supported her and that support has resulted in getting the Bears’ program back to the level of respect they had when assistant Jackie Stiles was a player.

I feel like Harper is a terrific coach, and I love the fact that she was born and raised in the great state of Tennessee. If she were Fulmer’s choice I wouldn’t be upset.

Nicely written! The crazy part is we don’t know if he even being thought of as a candidate is a possibility because nothing has been finalized.

This all may be a moot point... ugh I’m not patient

I bet though it kills the LV of the past to see the program in this situation!

 

[lvocd]

Nicely written! The crazy part is we don’t know if he even being thought of as a candidate is a possibility because nothing has been finalized.

This all may be a moot point... ugh I’m not patient

I bet though it kills the LV of the past to see the program in this situation!

I would be just fine with Harper or several other candidates, but I also won’t be quick to judgement if Fulmer goes in a totally different direction than anyone I like because I realize that we, as ousiders looking in, cannot possibly see all the pieces that are in play in this hiring game.

I can only say that I believe with all my heart that Fulmer has a soft spot for Lady Vols basketball, and though his well-meaning gamble on Holly’s word that she would turn things around didn’t pay off, I have NO DOUBT that he wants very much to see the Tennessee Lady Vols competing for championships again. He WILL be willing to spend the money it will take to get a top-notch coach. No doubt.

 

[Cees]

Talked to Kelly a few weeks ago as I went to the Missouri State-Indiana State game. Asked her about the current state of the LV and she just said it's a tough job. Asked her if she would be interested in the job if open and she said that's out of her control. Her and her husband (who is the Asst Coach) were very friendly and down to Earth. Talked to them for about 10 minutes before the game and ended up sitting by their young (I'd say about 5 yrs old) son in the stands. Would love to see her get the chance here!!

If she said "that's out of her control" she wants it. She was trying to be tactful. If you don't want it, you would say that. She left an opening because she wants an opening. We are stupid if we don't seriously talk to her.

 

[MSUDuo]

Just for the record, the Lady Bears are 24-2 since 12/17; with 3 top 25 wins and only 1 senior and 1 junior available. Still think she can't coach?

 

[casetopia]

it's Kellie

 

[Smallvol#1]

Y'all stole our coach once on the men's side. Stay away from Kellie, please!!!

BTW, I'm surprised at how many people misspell her name...You'd think a former player would be more well known...

You should be surprised who all is on this board.

 

[WeAreTheRealUT.]

.

 

[T_Vol376]

Y'all stole our coach once on the men's side. Stay away from Kellie, please!!!

BTW, I'm surprised at how many people misspell her name...You'd think a former player would be more well known...

Well they misspell Pat Summitt’s name all the time, so..... I know what you mean. It irks me too. Congrats on the win last night!

 

[LVsinceJV]

Do you have any real knowledge about how things actually went down for Harper at NCST, or are you just basing your opinions on wins and losses? I ask because there are solid sources who, at the time, said that powerful forces within the Wolfpack family were EXTREMELY upset that Kay Yow’s choice to replace her, Stephanie Glance, was ignored in favor of young upstart Kellie Jolly, and then proceeded to sabotage her at every turn.

The Missouri State community, on the other hand, has fully embraced and supported her and that support has resulted in getting the Bears’ program back to the level of respect they had when assistant Jackie Stiles was a player.

I feel like Harper is a terrific coach, and I love the fact that she was born and raised in the great state of Tennessee. If she were Fulmer’s choice I wouldn’t be upset.

This is extremely important information that will need to be copy and pasted everywhere to get people to stop hating on Kellie's tenure at NC State. Often times there is drama happening behind the scenes that we regular folk never hear about.

 

[leejoek]

After seeing the Rabid Hatred that UT fans have spit upon Holly Warlick, I can't imagine another former Lady Vol player taking the head coach job at UT. They know the same fate could be waiting for them after a few seasons.

Our fans should not have to endure 7 years of embarrassment. She should have resigned before running down the program.

 

[creekdipper]

While knowing that we are all currently rightfully obsessing over The Choice, wanted to take a moment to acknowledge Missouri State and all the scrappy smaller programs and mid-majors who are a big part of the overall WCBB landscape. Many of us graduated from smaller schools and love seeing the Woffords and Murray States and others competing hard in both men's and women's tournaments...and even seeing some move up to becoming regular contenders (Gonzaga, Boise State in football, etc.).

So, setting aside the Kellie question, just wanted to say that it's been a real pleasure to follow the Lady Bears this year. It's been fun listening to their home radio announcers and the "Hoosiers" feel of games that many of us have forgotten given that we have grown accustomed to life at the top re: media fanfare, crowds, facilities, top recruits.

Just really appreciate what this bunch of Missouri State athletes have accomplished this year. Easy to forget that it's basically an undersized group of underclassmen who started out 1-7. A lesser group could have folded then, but they bought into what the coaching staff (including the legendary Jackie Styles) kept telling them, and they kept getting better.

It's easy to look at the Stanford game and talk about how "ugly" the game was, but you can't deny the effort of the team or its confidence and belief that it can achieve...which is what got them a conference championship and several wins over ranked opponents to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. I was quite frankly surprised at how well they ran their offensive sets against Stanford and wouldn't have been shocked by a blowout loss. I believe that Stanford's length and shot-blocking did affect their shot selection from the start and encouraged them to rush shots they normally make. All season long they have had youthful lapses at times, but usually their mistakes were aggressive mistakes and they maintained an aggressive attitude. They had quick hands and good ball anticipation on defense and didn't shy away from physical play under the boards, taking charges, diving for loose balls, boxing out, getting back on defense, moving toward rebounding spots, and other "effort" plays. They're going to be better next year, and they have some good recruits joining them.

And they seemed to really enjoy playing together, too. As one player put it, they could confront each other on the court when needed without getting mad because they had mutual respect for each other.

One other thing that doesn't show up in the stats. Although they were known for hard-nosed physical play, they also showed class. A comment made on their message board pointed out that "coach" had instilled the culture of showing respect for opponents after "putting them on their arse." They mentioned that even officials seemed surprised when the MoSt players would help up opposing players, hand the ball to the refs, etc. And they mentioned that the players showed great appreciation for the fan base, too. No wonder they are energized over there.

We've become Lady Bear fans now and hope to follow them next season. We've come to know the players by name and can identify them on the court despite having only seen them a couple of times on tv/computer feed. I'd love to see our LV team pull together like the Lady Bears and be competitive again in such a classy way, It really reminds you why you came to love the women's game in the first place (especially those of us privileged enough to have coached girls/young women) and what the Lady Vols program always stood for. Love to root for both teams in the future.

Wishing much success to Lady Bears in the future!

 

[bobkitten]

While knowing that we are all currently rightfully obsessing over The Choice, wanted to take a moment to acknowledge Missouri State and all the scrappy smaller programs and mid-majors who are a big part of the overall WCBB landscape. Many of us graduated from smaller schools and love seeing the Woffords and Murray States and others competing hard in both men's and women's tournaments...and even seeing some move up to becoming regular contenders (Gonzaga, Boise State in football, etc.).

So, setting aside the Kellie question, just wanted to say that it's been a real pleasure to follow the Lady Bears this year. It's been fun listening to their home radio announcers and the "Hoosiers" feel of games that many of us have forgotten given that we have grown accustomed to life at the top re: media fanfare, crowds, facilities, top recruits.

Just really appreciate what this bunch of Missouri State athletes have accomplished this year. Easy to forget that it's basically an undersized group of underclassmen who started out 1-7. A lesser group could have folded then, but they bought into what the coaching staff (including the legendary Jackie Styles) kept telling them, and they kept getting better.

It's easy to look at the Stanford game and talk about how "ugly" the game was, but you can't deny the effort of the team or its confidence and belief that it can achieve...which is what got them a conference championship and several wins over ranked opponents to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. I was quite frankly surprised at how well they ran their offensive sets against Stanford and wouldn't have been shocked by a blowout loss. I believe that Stanford's length and shot-blocking did affect their shot selection from the start and encouraged them to rush shots they normally make. All season long they have had youthful lapses at times, but usually their mistakes were aggressive mistakes and they maintained an aggressive attitude. They had quick hands and good ball anticipation on defense and didn't shy away from physical play under the boards, taking charges, diving for loose balls, boxing out, getting back on defense, moving toward rebounding spots, and other "effort" plays. They're going to be better next year, and they have some good recruits joining them.

And they seemed to really enjoy playing together, too. As one player put it, they could confront each other on the court when needed without getting mad because they had mutual respect for each other.

One other thing that doesn't show up in the stats. Although they were known for hard-nosed physical play, they also showed class. A comment made on their message board pointed out that "coach" had instilled the culture of showing respect for opponents after "putting them on their arse." They mentioned that even officials seemed surprised when the MoSt players would help up opposing players, hand the ball to the refs, etc. And they mentioned that the players showed great appreciation for the fan base, too. No wonder they are energized over there.

We've become Lady Bear fans now and hope to follow them next season. We've come to know the players by name and can identify them on the court despite having only seen them a couple of times on tv/computer feed. I'd love to see our LV team pull together like the Lady Bears and be competitive again in such a classy way, It really reminds you why you came to love the women's game in the first place (especially those of us privileged enough to have coached girls/young women) and what the Lady Vols program always stood for. Love to root for both teams in the future.

Wishing much success to Lady Bears in the future!

Towhat do you attribute their attitudes/ culture?