Kellie Harper discussion/debate thread [merged]

[DarkPhoenix]

Is this season the worst win/loss record in UT history to begin a season, or close to it? I can’t remember ever seeing 5 losses not even 10 games in.

We also play an 8-1 Eastern Kentucky at home (which we’ve lost twice in a row at home, noting also a 3 game losing streak). We are extremely vulnerable, and I expect EKU to be much closer than it should be, if not a complete loss.

Kellie Harper’s tone taking “ownership” from her press conference after the game last night told me what I needed to know. She put blame on the players and that they needed to be the ones to take ownership, while I agree to a point, but she took no ownership in herself and her staff. It’s a team effort, coaches and players, not just one or the other. Her coaching staff may be “working their tails off” as she said, but there’s something more that they are not doing. Results matter in this job, and her and her coaching staff are not producing positive results.

In her defense she did say “We” need to improve, but the critique about the players are correct, there needs to be a leader that holds her teammates accountable and be vocal, that’s an issue I e talked about before. The players need to have heart and care about winning and losing, I just don’t see it while I, watching. When u watch other teams u will see the communication and directing traffic, that doesn’t happen with us at all. Rickea is our best player, but she leads by example and not vocal, so I don’t think that will change on this roster. Maybe next year we’ll get more passionate players on the roster.

 

[Coach Jumper]

....Kellie Harper’s tone taking “ownership” from her press conference after the game last night told me what I needed to know. She put blame on the players and that they needed to be the ones to take ownership, while I agree to a point, but she took no ownership in herself and her staff. It’s a team effort, coaches and players, not just one or the other. Her coaching staff may be “working their tails off” as she said, but there’s something more that they are not doing. Results matter in this job, and her and her coaching staff are not producing positive results.

this/\

 

[VolBall09]

Kara Lawson immediate phone call

Please, no.

Just another former Lady Vol we would have to fire. She hasn’t done anything of note at Duke. If they miss the NCAA tourney this year she’ll be out there as well. She hasn’t recruited overly well and lost some good players to transfer.

Her teams will at least play defense, but struggle to score the ball against any quality opponent.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

It’s not all on the coach, yes part of it, but the players need to execute the game plan. Never as a player did I blame the coach, us as players always took accountability for not getting it done.

 

[Coach Jumper]

It’s not all on the coach, yes part of it, but the players need to execute the game plan. Never as a player did I blame the coach, us as players always took accountability for not getting it done.

You can have the best ingredients for cake money can buy,,but if the cook has a bad recipe...it comes out cornbread

 

[BruisedOrange]

I saw a broken coach last night who seemed to not have the answers on the court and in the locker room leading up to and after the loss.

That's a heck of a psychological diagnosis from... how many feet away? With no dialog?

How about maybe you projected your own feelings onto Coach Harper, and now demand that she change to improve your feelings?

We're all guilty of that to some extent. But we need to keep working at it because it's not healthy for anyone, and it never leads to real solutions.

 

[BruisedOrange]

If this slide continues, look for a number of portal transfers out at the end of the season. Some need to do that but the issue is getting players to transfer in and recruits signed if the program looks like a sinking ship with no chance of saving it.

If this is the case, IMO a coaching change is the only way to start over.

Asking this as an honest question:
Who on this team is capable of playing more minutes for a better team?

 

[Majors]

This is exactly the issue, we have players that wouldn’t get any minutes on any good team, the coaching staff doesn’t know how to evaluate players correctly.

It’s noticeable now that Jordan is gone. RJ and JH last year masked much of the roster issues.

 

[gule]

Asking this as an honest question:
Who on this team is capable of playing more minutes for a better team?

Spear

 

[Majors]

That's a heck of a psychological diagnosis from... how many feet away? With no dialog?

How about maybe you projected your own feelings onto Coach Harper, and now demand that she change to improve your feelings?

We're all guilty of that to some extent. But we need to keep working at it because it's not healthy for anyone, and it never leads to real solutions.

Camera puts you in good view. Presser also adds the dialog to it.

My feelings are numb to her in regards to winning or losing.

 

[Nute Gunray]

Kara Lawson immediate phone call

Absolutely not! Call Shawn Poppie of UTC.

 

[DougVol]

Are we recruiting rugby players? Coaching is abysmal too.

 

[glv98]

Asking this as an honest question:
Who on this team is capable of playing more minutes for a better team?

Exactly. And they all only have one yr of elig left. Going nowhere.

It’s noticeable now that Jordan is gone. RK and JH last head masked much of the roster issues.

You went kinda mudcat on us, but if you mean Jordy and Rickea masked roster issues, not really. We knew where the weak links were. That's why they went out and got what we thought were significant upgrades in the portal. Unfortunately, so far they haven't been much better. Which of course is a coaching issue as well.

 

[Nute Gunray]

My question is this. Can this coaching staff get the team going in the right direction? Do they want to put in the effort to teach these players how to play the game? I'm not saying the LVs don't have the talent, they just don't have a "team" attitude towards the game. Now, this is the attitude that maybe the coaches have towards their job:
We will win the next game, it's only a matter of time. We don't want high school recruits, it's too much work. First, we have to convince them to come here. Then, we have to evaluate their weaknesses and strengths, then we have to teach them, we have to get them to play together and build chemistry, then we have to get them stronger in the weight room, then we have to get them on the same page as far as learning the LV system. Wow, that's a lot of work, and the worst part is we will have them for 4 years. Constantly working with them, getting them better, teaching them the game.
Well, we don't have to do that. Next year we can pick 2, or maybe 3 players out of the portal. Yeah, that's a lot easier. We don't have to teach them the game, because some other coach already did that for us. We don't know if they can play together, but what the hell, let's just throw them out there and see what happens. Maybe it will work out, but come next year, you have to start all over again, because in most cases, they will only be here for one year, 2 at the most. That to me is laziness.
Incompetency, well that is in the eye of the beholder. I think the fans can figure that out, but if that is the case, a change should be made based on that.
So what do you think? Laziness, incompetency, or both?

Coaching is the same as cooking. Some people are good cooks and some are not.

 

[Majors]

Coaching is the same as cooking. Some people are good cooks and some are not.

Some can buy the ingredients but can’t bring it together.

 

[Nute Gunray]

Man I've backed Kellie as much as I could but she's had more then enough time and more then enough talent for the losses we keep piling up to be accepted at this university. We are women's basketball and we deserve a top team year in a year out. The basketball we've endured since Pat had to retire is a slap in the face of the greatest women's coach on and off the court in the history of the sport. Danny White time to make lady vols basketball great again!

Hire Shawn Poppie, HC at UTC.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

the players don't draw up the game plan or the defensive strategy
Attacking the players is what Holly supporters did as well

I’m not attacking the players, both are to blame. The coach is more responsible since she put this roster together. But players need to hold themselves accountable as well.

 

[glv98]

Studette.....

Lady Stud

This is exactly the issue, we have players that wouldn’t get any minutes on any good team, the coaching staff doesn’t know how to evaluate players correctly.

Nah, Sam Williams knows how to evaluate players. They all do. They got the players who wanted to come play for the Lady Vols. Problem isn't identifying talent, it's landing it. We've been mired in 30-60 territory for way too long.

 

[Majors]

I’m not attacking the players, both are to blame. The coach is more responsible since she put this roster together. But players need to hold themselves accountable as well.

No players only meeting (was it after Atlantis last year they had one)
No locker room privileges taken away
No minutes cut

 

[CoryDallasLV]

We now have the real test of Kellie's coaching acumen. Can she keep this team in the right mental space during this low period (and this game needs to be rock bottom). The pressure is on where the team starts needs to begin stringing together a series of wins and good

Haven't they always needed to string those wins together each and every year? Broken record that never seems to stop skipping. They could be 0-33 and you'll keep on keeping on.

 

[Nute Gunray]

You can have the best ingredients for cake money can buy,,but if the cook has a bad recipe...it comes out cornbread

Bad recipe or not so good cook.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

Asking this as an honest question:
Who on this team is capable of playing more minutes for a better team?

I was really thinking more of players bailing if the situation on the team gets toxic by end of the season and just wanting out. But it doesn't appear that finding a better team would be too hard the way this one is nose diving.

 

[Nute Gunray]

UT should hire Shawn Poppie as next WCBB head coach.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Asking this as an honest question:
Who on this team is capable of playing more minutes for a better team?

Spear is the only one besides Rickea and that’s the problem.

 

[chuck0303]

none of the coaches you mentioned as ones you would want are former Tennessee womens basketball players who played under Pat Summitt, so they are non-starters for this fanbase. Remember, nothing says disrespect to them like mentioning a potential coach who did not play here. And quite frankly, i doubt this is Danny White's decision. Its like a marriage over there between the mens and womens athletic departments, the women do the shopping and tell the men to pay for it

A little sexist are we?