Kellie Harper discussion/debate thread [merged]

sweet 16 is the Mendoza line for this team...Mendoza...in the sports world that equates to "minimum requirement"...to me that means if Coach Kellie is to be better than her predecessor,,,Even Holly could get this team to that round

I have been in management for most of my adult life and been a coach for longer,,,,This team is where it is bc "The business,,is being run as,,,a possession"

"I want what I want and don't have too change and you can't make me"
I shouldn't have to, make you.
Speaking like someone who wouldn’t allow your business to just get by with meeting minimum expectations in year 4. Eventually you have to increase productivity for the long term, greater good of the company or be shown the door with a nice severance.
 
Speaking like someone who wouldn’t allow your business to just get by with meeting minimum expectations in year 4. Eventually you have to increase productivity for the long term, greater good of the company or be shown the door with a nice severance.
agreed
 
Nah there's a much bigger "one thing" negative which recruits can be told: they can't win against elite teams. Compared to that, what fans say doesn't mean jack.

Same. I'm really sad about this, but we said from the get go this season would tell the tale on whether Kellie can coach elite. So far, she just can't. Doesn't help that she's a few players short, especially at guard. But that's on her also either for lack of recruiting or lack of development. I'm still hoping for some kind of post season run, mostly bc I so want RJ to get to experience that. But nothing that's happened this season gives me much hope that KJH can consistently coach at an elite level. Like this team, she's good but so far not great. And next year, yikes!


If Key comes back, next years team might over perform in the way that this years team has underperformed. Key and Hollingshead is the twin towers foundation that Kellie needs for her old skool style to be effective (again SC is doing the exact same thing with the right personnel).

Kellie desperately needs an upgrade at PG and ideally one with more size-- a 6'1 PG who can guard--for her system to really work. A new improved Sara and Tess will plug right in to that line-up.
Wynn could be huge in this system too.

Still not clear how Kellie will use Pissott but perhaps as the offensive spark off the bench.

In an ideal world, she finds another player like Alexis Dye in the portal; a hardnosed, athletic, decent sized, "defend and crash the boards till you die" type player.

Kellie is not changing her system. Rickea has had to adapt her game to Kellie but this team is not quite built (with Key out) to make this retro-game truly competitive against top 10 opponents, as the record clearly shows.

As I see the big contingencies as being whether Key comes back and if she is 100%; landing the right kind of PG in the portal; and the power forward option (though not as essential as Key and the PG).

Kellie wants "three yards and a cloud of dust" on the hardword and by analogy you got have a big O-line and some bruising runners to make a go of that. So, let's get behind Kellie "Woody Hayes" Harper.

{You young whippersnappers can use that newfangled googly thing to find out about Woody)
 
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Hiring and firing decisions are complicated, multi-factor decisions. I think if Kellie gets back to the Sweet 16, she will be warm and snug like a bug in a rug. It would be sending wrong signals, and generate a lot of bad national press, to fire a well-liked coach who has had that level of success in back-to-back years (even if expectations were higher). Even dominant teams can get knocked off at the Sweet 16 level (i.e. Baylor with Griner in 2013, when they were the odds on favorite to win the NC). If the LVs make that benchmark, any sports media buzz about a coaching change will stop and it will be wait and see about the next season.

If the LVs don't advance past the first weekend, then a conversation would probably begin because there would be a tangible sign of the program not moving forward (unless the LVs win the SEC tournament which also would provide a lifeline).

But, even if the team does not make sufficient progress in the post season, there is still the question of who could the program get as a clear upgrade replacement and the related concern of getting into a destabilizing coaching carousel.

I had been thinking it was going to be Sweet 16 or bust but I think it may more be likely that Kellie would get a kind of probation year for next season if the LVs lose in the opening round and then the pressure would really be on.
I agree with this I think it is likely to see her next season and a little hotter seat than this season. I wish her well she really needs some magic to get this roster to the level it will need to be. Some SEC schools did well in recruiting in the last season. This roster without Horston and Jackson looks really ordinary. It is all coming soon March 11 through May 13 portal for eligibility for players to transfer. I am hoping we can get the players we need to change the program for the better.
 
Let me know when you or anyone else on this board gets contract to coach A P5 program. Until that time I’ll believe Kellie knows more about coaching than anyone on here.
She may know more about coaching than these posters but we see enough to know we need a more polarizing coach because Dawn and Kim are like celebrity coaches and that in turn is gonna get top recruits to come and we will be at a minimum looking at 3rd place for the foreseeable future and that’s if we don’t fall further.Kellie has got to recruit better or her coaching won’t look any better
 
If Key comes back, next years team might over perform in the way that this years team has underperformed. Key and Hollingshead is the twin towers foundation that Kellie needs for her old skool style to be effective (again SC is doing the exact same thing with the right personnel).

Kellie desperately needs an upgrade at PG and ideally one with more size-- a 6'1 PG who can guard--for her system to really work. A new improved Sara and Tess will plug right in to that line-up.
Wynn could be huge in this system too.

Still not clear how Kellie will use Pissott but perhaps as the offensive spark off the bench.

In an ideal world, she finds another player like Alexis Dye in the portal; a hardnosed, athletic, decent sized, "defend and crash the boards till you die" type player.

Kellie is not changing her system. Rickea has had to adapt her game to Kellie but this team is not quite built (with Key out) to make this retro-game truly competitive against top 10 opponents, as the record clearly shows.

As I see the big contingencies as being whether Key comes back and if she 100%; landing the right kind of PG in the portal; and the power forward option (though not as essential as Key and the PG).

Kellie wants "three yards and a cloud of dust" on the hardword and by analogy you got have a big O-line and some bruising runners to make a go of that. So, let's get behind Kellie "Woody Hayes" Harper.

{You young whippersnappers can use that newfangled googly thing to find out about Woody)
Rebounders and three point shooters all led by a elite point guard is a winning combination. We could be great on the boards with Key, Hollingshead and a couple of unknowns. If you can shoot until you make it on half your misses like SC that is something anyone would like to build. You don't mind shooting 35 to 40 percent if your getting 20 offensive rebounds and scoring over 20 second chance points.
 
KJH is similar to Holly, she is caught up in Pat’s teams of the 80’s and early 90’s, however, the difference is in today's game, height alone is not enough. You need speed along with height. You need a point guard who is not a turnover waiting to happen. You need a good decision maker who can stay on the floor and make good decisions. You need a good shot blocker in the post who can post up and be an offensive weapon. She needs to have a shot which extends at least to the elbow. You need a scoring guard with speed, who can shoot from anywhere on the court, but yet can dribble drive and put constant pressure on the opposing defense. You also need an athletic wing with good to outstanding defensive and offensive skills. For next hear, we have some potential on the team but will need some help from the portal or JUCO to create what we need to be successful. We also need coaching to bring out the potential of the players we already have. The view looks bleak, however, miracles can happen.
 
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I'm sure Kellie was in the crowd too showing a coveted in-state recruit how much she is valued? I mean she's working hard to bring the program back, right?

Kinda explains why the current SEC standings are what they are...
If you’ve been told you would be wasting your time, why would you waste your time on somebody that everyone and their brother knows isn’t coming to Knoxville.
 
If you’ve been told you would be wasting your time, why would you waste your time on somebody that everyone and their brother knows isn’t coming to Knoxville.

If Kellie had attended this game, the post in question would have read something like "Why is Kellie wasting valuable recruiting time on a player who everyone knows is not staying in state. I mean she is working hard to bring the program back right? Kinda explains why the current SEC standings are what they are...."
 
Now that Max Rogues has shown his coaching chops by schooling Auriemma, perhaps he can fix a few of Harper's more egregious faults. :p
 
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Now that Max Rogues has shown his coaching chops by schooling Auriemma, perhaps he can fix a few of Harper's more egregious faults. :p

So, pointing out an easily identifiable problem with UConn's team is equivalent to schooling Auriemma? I guess to those awed by the genius of the GOAT (just ask him) his decisions are sacred and should never be second-guessed even if doing so is literally one of the time-honored traditions on fan sites like this one?

As far as improving Harper's coaching acumen, I will leave that to the Volunteer faithful (like yourself). Besides, it appears that there are several hundred pages worth of contributions that you can sift through as is.
 
If you’ve been told you would be wasting your time, why would you waste your time on somebody that everyone and their brother knows isn’t coming to Knoxville.

Tell me you have little understanding of how recruiting works without telling me you have little understanding of how recruiting works...
 
I think CKJH will get another season or two to acheive and meet the ‘Rise Glorious‘ goal.

According to Rise Glorious, which was published Thursday morning, Tennessee will be creating an “NCAA Championship Plan” for each program that will help detail and maintain a focused path to success. Ultimately, Tennessee’s goal is that it “will win a national championship in at least one sport every four years; and each sport will achieve at least one national top-16 finish every four years.”

In addition, an “SEC Championship Plan” is also being established for all Tennessee programs, with the goal that “each sport will win a conference championship at least once every five years; Tennessee Athletics aims to capture five conference championships in one academic year while averaging at least three conference championships per year over the next five years.”
 
For those who say Kellie isn’t the best coach, Kellie was able to get the Lady Vols to 13 SEC wins; the most since 2014-2015. That’s one big positive moving forward.

It’s a good accomplishment, but we didn’t do anything we weren’t expected to do. We were picked to finish 2nd in preseason. Finished 3rd.
 
Harper will in my opinion return next season but the seat will be “hot” right after the annual Carson Newman Cakewalk”. Watched the Kentucky game today and came away with the feeling that early in the 1st Qtr that a few of the ladies figured out that it was going to be a “cakewalk” and pulled back to a 75% effort. Horston, in my opinion, still playing for something but nobody knows what, especially her. Lady Vols go as far as Jackson and Hollingshead take them. They are just out there to play ball without all the showboat moves of Horston. If Key is watching how different the game is now being played without her, common sense should tell her to not come back next season. Need a point guard next season.
 
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It’s a good accomplishment, but we didn’t do anything we weren’t expected to do. We were picked to finish 2nd in preseason. Finished 3rd.

Right. With our roster, Jackson, Horston, Hollingshead, a good supporting cast - minimum should have been 15 & 1. Preseason I had hoped we'd challenge SC. Being happy with 3rd in the SEC is accepting mediocrity.
 
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Right. With our roster, Jackson, Horston, Hollingshead, a good supporting cast - minimum should have been 15 & 1. Preseason I had hoped we'd challenge SC. Being happy with 3rd in the SEC is accepting mediocrity.
Don’t underestimate our Lady Vols team quite yet. Remember, Kellie was a part of the Cinderella team that came in with 10 losses. The Lady Vols have literally played every style team and most of the top 10 teams this year already. They should be well prepared and relaxed of any stress.
 
Don’t underestimate our Lady Vols team quite yet. Remember, Kellie was a part of the Cinderella team that came in with 10 losses. The Lady Vols have literally played every style team and most of the top 10 teams this year already. They should be well prepared and relaxed of any stress.
That would be WONDERFUL
 
Don’t underestimate our Lady Vols team quite yet. Remember, Kellie was a part of the Cinderella team that came in with 10 losses. The Lady Vols have literally played every style team and most of the top 10 teams this year already. They should be well prepared and relaxed of any stress.

That team had a freshman by the name of Chamique Holdsclaw on it and she started coming into her own towards the end of the season.
 
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I'm sure Kellie was in the crowd too showing a coveted in-state recruit how much she is valued? I mean she's working hard to bring the program back, right?

Kinda explains why the current SEC standings are what they are...
To be fair, Kellie was in the crowd showing two coveted in-state recruits how much they are valued just a couple of weeks ago up in Clarksville sitting with the same Kim Mulkey. It's not like she never goes to these games.
Right. With our roster, Jackson, Horston, Hollingshead, a good supporting cast - minimum should have been 15 & 1. Preseason I had hoped we'd challenge SC. Being happy with 3rd in the SEC is accepting mediocrity.
You are hereby marked down in the Unaccepting ledger. Won't be your fault if the program slouches toward Gomorroh.
That team had a freshman by the name of Chamique Holdsclaw on it and she started coming into her own towards the end of the season.
This team has a senior named Rickea Jackson who is playing the best basketball of her career towards the end of the season. The question is whether the surrounding pieces can come together, especially as the opponents get better and better.
 

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