glad we fired Holly for this

[livefaith]

Good gosh. She hasn't even been here a year.

No mattress is safe around here. Make sure to bring yours in every night.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

In women's basketball, how many times has a coach been hired by their alma mater? Also, considering that men comprise quite a few of the "top tier" coaches, that excludes quite a few from even being eligible.

And it seems a little silly to suggest that Vanderveer, Staley, McGraw, Auriemma, Graves, Blair, Schaefer, etc. couldn't be successful at the schools they attended (assuming the schools were willing to invest in the program and facilities).

Most people think a coach named Kim Mulkey would have done decently at La. Tech (where she really wanted to stay) had they shown her an iota of respect when Baylor came calling.

The men have quite a few examples including three who have won basketball national championships.

In other sports, former players have done quite well at coaching. Majors and Fulmer are two good examples at Tennessee.

Again, if you took the fact that Harper played at UT out of it she would have never been considered for the job here. Period

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Kellie really has them peaking at the right time, 4 losses in a row (about to be 5) but at least this one was in single digits. You managed to:

1. Let the same, correctable, issues that have not improved all season cost you another one.
2. Let the one player who could beat you go off for 37, and make it look easy.
3. Have completely broken the freshmen.
4. Demonstrate your typical brilliant late game execution.

Well done. Can't wait to see what you have in store for Arkansas...

Haters will be haters.

 

[DeerPark12]

Again, if you took the fact that Harper played at UT out of it she would have never been considered for the job here. Period

Ok, but take Harper out of the mix and who do you think they were honestly going to hire. They didn't just set out to hire her, other people had to pass on interest before they arrived there.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

Save it for a while. Every coach gets a free pass year one, with the transfer and injuries this season was not going to be a final 4 year. This was never going to be an immediate program flip hire, no experience. We went for the coach with deep roots in the program so sit back and hopefully watch the progression.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

Ok, but take Harper out of the mix and who do you think they were honestly going to hire. They didn't just set out to hire her, other people had to pass on interest before they arrived there.

Never said they didn't offer other people but people defending her tooth and nail as the end all of all hires are acting on emotion because she played here

 

[krichunaka]

Even though it's still just the first season, seems fair to discuss the possibility of adding either an ace recruiter to the staff or someone who is known for developing offenses (just as LSU brought in a new coordinator with outstanding results, although having a Heisman winner didn't hurt). The problem is that, with the more limited opportunities for top talent in women's basketball, most of the coaches who have demonstrated that sort of talent have been offered head jobs somewhere (unless they're waiting in the wings to take over the program).

I’ve been with you throughout this thread, creekdipper, and you could ultimately be right on this as well. However, we’re still missing free throws, layups, basic defensive assignments, and throwing the ball away. All this plus the I-told-you-soldiers are out en-mass, so for now, I suggest all we can really do is step back from the ledge while they harp on. They’re certainly not going anywhere.
I think we have a couple very capable signings; we have a quality commitment; we will get a couple, three more very good players before the ‘21 signing period is over, and perhaps a one-and-done graduate transfer or through the portal (Of course, that’s a saloon door, so the transfer(s) could head the other way).
Our offense is at times stagnant, but by correcting/reducing the above deficiencies we’re a better offensive team as well. Next season, we - and our Staff - will have a clearer read on things.

 

[djtee]

Never said they didn't offer other people but people defending her tooth and nail as the end all of all hires are acting on emotion because she played here

Hold if you did say it you are 100% correct Fulmer did not open up the coaches hiring process.

 

[lvocd]

If this team were tested they would, as a whole, have a MUCH higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers than any other team in the SEC. MUCH higher.

Next time you have a chance, really focus on the body movements of our players. The ones most assume are our “quickest” players aren’t actually very quick at all. Rae IS quick, but her brain doesn’t quite know what to do with it. Hell, I suspect Jaiden probably has a higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers than our guards, whose ability to evade defenses and stick close to their man on defense, is hampered by much slower than average (for “elite” players) reaction times.

We are, for the most part, a far slower overall than the vast majority of teams we’ve played. Remember Angie Bjorklund? Fantastic shooter, but slow-twitch athlete? For the most part, our team is nearly that slow, and these days, that’s hard to compensate for.

Anyway, all this to say: I’m not sure what can be done to make a majority slow-twitch team be able to keep up with overall quicker opponents. Lack of the genetic gift of quickness, NOT coaching, is what is keeping these players from winning games like yesterday’s.

 

[Magherr]

The knock on Harper has always been her recruiting. I loved Kellie as a player--not so much as a coach. I had hoped that her husband would be put in a non-coaching position and that she would hire a first class recruiter or a great x's and o's coach. Yes, she is an improvement over Holly, but unless she recruits much better than the past two years, she will not be able to take this team beyond the sweet 16. I am not impressed with her husband's coaching of the post players. I have seen little improvement; in fact, I have seen little improvement from the guards either

I was told that Phil really wanted to hire a "name coach" but when he had to up the ante for Barnes, he had to "settle." He received lots of pressure to hire a female and Harper was pushed. The fan base will give her lots of leeway, as they did Holly, because she is a former Lady Vol, but I fear that the longer the lady vols are irrelevant, the interest will wane and Tennessee will continue to be an after-thought for the premier players.

As great as Pat was, she did not get the prize until she had the superstars that have eluded this team for way too long. I hope that Kellie will pull in a top three player very soon and prove that everything that I have posted is wrong.

We only need one Harper on the bench and that is Coach Jolly. When you are at a game, make your own observations.
Our team has made a lot of progress since last year and hoping that continues.

 

[Prophet1]

The only problems I see are Our youth, a lack of leadership, conditioning, our bigs With the turnovers trying to give them the ball and free throw shooting. Injuries have caused us problems But we're light- years ahead of Where we would be with our old coach.

Losing Zaay Green had a bigger impact across the board than imagined.
1) team leading scorer 2) lead shooting guard 3) lead point guard 4) best role model for Jordan ,better than Davis.5) ball handler 6) more options for coach 7)
great fit next to Jordan up tempo style 8) offense would
be more up tempo and on and on and on.
There would be plenty of games we wouldn't have lost.
Her injury this year was socio huge. Keep the faith

 

[Prophet1]

The only problems I see are Our youth, a lack of leadership, conditioning, our bigs With the turnovers trying to give them the ball and free throw shooting. Injuries have caused us problems But we're light- years ahead of Where we would be with our old coach.

Losing Zaay Green had a bigger impact across the board than imagined.
1) team leading scorer 2) lead shooting guard 3) lead point guard 4) best role model for Jordan ,better than Davis.5) ball handler 6) more options for coach 7)
great fit next to Jordan up tempo style 8) offense would
be more up tempo and on and on and on.
There would be plenty of games we wouldn't have lost.
Her injury this year was socio huge. Keep the faith

 

[Prophet1]

And it took Pat how long to built this house?

 

[creekdipper]

I think it's fair to say that Kellie would not have had an inside track had she not been a former beloved player with three NC.

In Fulmer's defense, there are some positives to that as long as the A.D. can remain professional enough to cut ties if that ever becomes necessary. It also applies to head coaches who have been very successful at schools but whose programs have stagnated. But hiring a fan favorite does buy some good will from longtime fans, maybe puts some butts in the seats, generates some excitement, maintains traditional ties to a school that values such ties, etc.

There are a lot of good arguments to be made for making a clean sweep and break with the past in a rebuild. There are arguments for throwing a lot of money to attract a "sure-fire" big name. There are arguments for finding a hotshot up-and-comer. There are counter-arguments for hiring from within or hiring an alum.

Every situation is different. And, until the tale is told, no one knows for sure whether a hire is right or not. Lots of gambles pay off, and lots of "sure-fire" hires don't.

I don't recall anyone saying that Kellie was the "end-all" candidate or that they wouldn't accept any other candidate. There were a lot of names mentioned...some totally absurd...and there were some intriguing possibilities. I don't think anyone would have minded bringing in a "big-name" coach or even one that had steadily improved a program from scratch into a ranked contender. Some of those names came with baggage and negatives while others were unproven quantities over the long haul. But, outside of a Donnie Tyndell or someone jumping ship for a bigger payday (see Kiffen, Lane), coaches are generally going to be given at least three seasons to show what they can do and see if recruiting and player development improve.

And judging a coach by their first season is going to miss out on some outstanding coaches, just as it's going to be a mistake for some coaches who have excellent first seasons.

Didn't our previous coach win the Maggie Dixon Award, which is awarded to the coach with the best performance in their rookie year as a head coach?

 

[creekdipper]

Anyway, all this to say: I’m not sure what can be done to make a majority slow-twitch team be able to keep up with overall quicker opponents. Lack of the genetic gift of quickness, NOT coaching, is what is keeping these players from winning games like yesterday’s.

I think you made an intriguing analysis and some great points, but the ten missed free throws don't seem to correlate with twitchiness.

I think the twitchy factor there was between the ears. And that's something they can improve upon.

 

[therickbol]

You can’t be serious ! If you don’t see that this team is light years better than an Holly coaches team you’re blind. We don’t have the talent yet and it’s just that simple.

Yeah it's frustrating to watch especially because of the roster limitations. We are seriously playing with 1 1/2 guards which is ridiculously hard. Limits so much of what we are able to do. Anyone that thinks we are putting a worse product on the court than we did the last 7 years is not entitled to have their opinion taken seriously. KH has not been perfect. I don't know how high her ceiling is as a coach at this level. But much better all around compared to what we have been watching for years.

 

[lvocd]

Yes, of course you are correct about the free throws. Could people watching the game on TV hear the groans of the fans after all the misses? It was one of the more frustrating experiences I’ve had as a fan at TBA to have that dread feeling the entire game that all the missed free throws were going to do us in.

If I were a coach I’d have had someone face-guarding Carter from one end of the court to another, making her have to work WAY, WAY harder than normal just to get open to touch the ball. And I’d have been okay with my players regularly fouling her the second she touched the ball.

I mean I would have had a body on her (as best any one of our players could do) and hands waving in her face even if she were 50 feet away from the ball. She might still have scored quite a bit, but she’d have been TIRED AF trying to do it. We should have pestered the hell out of her to take advantage of the fact that she may still be rebuilding her stamina after having been sidelined with injury for a while.

I’d have made the rest of their team beat me. I’d have tried to make sure that the majority of her points — if she got many — were scored at the free throw line after having had to wear herself out getting the ball in the first place, and then also enduring the exhaustion of getting constantly fouled if she did get a shot off. No way should even the best player in the SEC have scored 37 in only her second game back after weeks on the sidelines. She’d have had to work way harder for the points, at the very least. I’d have sacrificed a couple of our players’ foul limits (even Rennie could have served that purpose) in pestering her full-court the entire game to wear her down a bit.

 

[stlvolsfan]

Of course. Unlike fans, they're not quitters.

Trust me, I’m old school. I think of you make a commitment you stick to it. However, a lot of people transfer these days. I pray they all come back.

 

[lvocd]

P.S. I realize Carter made a ton of her points at the free throw line, but she may have only been truly fouled once or twice. She is an expert at contorting her body in a way that routinely fools officials into thinking that she has been fouled when she has not. I’m sure she gets a kick out of that.

That’s where I think we could have made a difference yesterday on her. I kept thinking that if the officials were going to fall for Carter’s acting jobs over and over and we’re going to get whistled for fouls every time anyway, why not go ahead and ACTUALLY foul her? At least make her think a little about it. Ya know?

 

[BigBadVol]

Kellie really has them peaking at the right time, 4 losses in a row (about to be 5) but at least this one was in single digits. You managed to:

1. Let the same, correctable, issues that have not improved all season cost you another one.
2. Let the one player who could beat you go off for 37, and make it look easy.
3. Have completely broken the freshmen.
4. Demonstrate your typical brilliant late game execution.

Well done. Can't wait to see what you have in store for Arkansas...

So easy to be a fool on a message board.

 

[sisaq]

You can’t be serious ! If you don’t see that this team is light years better than an Holly coaches team you’re blind. We don’t have the talent yet and it’s just that simple.

Exactly.. Again, if anyone wants to compare Kellie & Holly, they should consider the kind of players Holly had and what Kellie is working with.

 

[Darth_Vol]

I just hope Walz is available when Kellie completely flames out.

It doesn't matter, they will just hire another female retread from Pat's unremarkable coaching tree. It's the Lady Vol way...

 

[NeedOrange]

Kellie really has them peaking at the right time, 4 losses in a row (about to be 5) but at least this one was in single digits. You managed to:

1. Let the same, correctable, issues that have not improved all season cost you another one.
2. Let the one player who could beat you go off for 37, and make it look easy.
3. Have completely broken the freshmen.
4. Demonstrate your typical brilliant late game execution.

Well done. Can't wait to see what you have in store for Arkansas...

Darthman, you know better than this. This is a flawed team. Yes big. Yes slow. Yes loaded with forwards. One freshman center. One 2 guard forced to play point. your coach is limited by the roster by what she can do.

I saw all these same quotes with Dan Hurley His first one and a half seasons coaching the men at UConn. (I know you don't give a flying flip about UConn, but learn something.) Today they are celebrating what a great job he has done and all the great changes in the team. Patience Darthman, patience. Keep this up and you get to eat crow in 2 years.

 

[Darth_Vol]

That is totally made up BS.

Uh, Fulmer said this himself...

 

[Darth_Vol]

I saw all these same quotes with Dan Hurley His first one and a half seasons coaching the men at UConn. (I know you don't give a flying flip about UConn, but learn something.) Today they are celebrating what a great job he has done and all the great changes in the team. Patience Darthman, patience. Keep this up and you get to eat crow in 2 years.

UConn men's basketball had become a national power under Calhoun. Since he's been gone UConn men's basketball is completely irrelevant. I hope the same thing happens to the women's team when Geno leaves...