Kellie Harper to Missouri

[choochoovol]

1) it's completely unlikely to happen.
2) KH would be a storyline for the game broadcast and on social media for a while but probably more troubling would be what it would indicate about the LV program. Something would have to be really wrong for the group coming in and coming back to lose at home to Mo, no matter who's coaching them. Worse than GA this year.
3) it's completely unlikely to happen.

Like us crushing Georgia. Oh wait…

 

[Majors]

Would you rather make $180,000 to be the head coach of Tennessee Tech and have to win your conference tournament every year to make the NCAA tournament, or would you rather make $1.2 million at Missouri and be assured to make the NCAA tournament by finishing in the top half of your conference, which is doable with her coaching abilities? I think that’s a pretty easy choice.

1.2M. But I don’t think it’ll be a cozy job of minimum expectations. The expectations may be lower, but eventually fans will start to expect more.

 

[JohnnyPayne]

I wonder if she watched Coach Caldwell pick up all those highly ranked high school kids this year and took some notes on how to recruit? If not, she's destined for mediocrity.

I’m sure she did since she also finished as the 9th seed for the SEC tournament.

Missouri isn’t good. Everything is about NIL and coaching. If they don’t give her money, they will finish towards the bottom. If they do, she’ll be fine. Hopefully we keep pumping money into our D2 system coach. “Ahead of schedule”…

 

[lvocd]

Like us crushing Georgia. Oh wait…

Still a nightmare of a day. The only good thing about it was seeing the amazing dogs perform at halftime.

 

[jacksonvol24]

I’m glad Kellie got another job. With that said, saying she is a proven recruiter is a complete joke. That’s one of the big reasons she isn’t coaching the Lady Vols. She is at best a subpar recruiter anyway you look at it. Go Vols.

 

[volfan102455]

I don’t want to imagine the meltdown here if the LVs lose to MO next season.

Board will need to be taken offline to let everyone cool down!

 

[volfan102455]

Happy for Kellie - hope she has success at Missouri! I like seeing all former Lady Vols do well.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

This whole argument of a Coach Harper vs Coach Caldwell narrative is a complete joke.
These posters sound deeply wounded and it’s sad to read this level of nonsense.
The fact you have people thinking Missouri and their new coach can focus on beating Tennessee at this point is comical.
Some have went as far off track as to think Coach Caldwell and Danny White should be concerned about a new coach hire at Missouri.
The Lady Vols have been a leading WBB story all season and continue to be so due to the year 1 resume under Coach Caldwell. Missouri won’t even be thought of heading into the 2025-2026 season. Let them fly under the radar and if need be have this discussion when it’s relevant. Talking about a board meltdown if Tennessee loses, when some of these same posters might been threatening to breakdown mentally following the beat down Missouri will take is reverse psychology at its finest.
This group of outliners pushing this agenda are doing Missouri and their new coach a disservice.

I’m glad Kellie got another job. With that said, saying she is a proven recruiter is a complete joke. That’s one of the big reasons she isn’t coaching the Lady Vols. She is at best a subpar recruiter anyway you look at it. Go Vols.

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

I’m glad Kellie got another job. With that said, saying she is a proven recruiter is a complete joke. That’s one of the big reasons she isn’t coaching the Lady Vols. She is at best a subpar recruiter anyway you look at it. Go Vols.

Let's take NIL into account here. NIL became available to players in July of 2021. Kellie came on board Spring of 2019. Technically, she started recruiting to TN for the class of 2020. Given it takes a while to build relationships with players interested in a program like TN (new relationships) I wouldn't have started looking at her recruiting abilities untill the 2021 class and moreso after because of the NIL issue. And, if what's been said is true about lack of competitive funds then I think she did pretty damn well. I like Kim a lot, but Kellie should've been given another year or two with the same funding available now.

Just my 2 cents.

What Kellie should've done when hired to TN is what Kim did. Hire two associate head coaches with established roots in the SEC. Of course, she may not have had the same money available to lure them away as Kim did. But, who knows?

 

[Ladyvols4ever!]

Could Danny W. have had his eye on Kim and didn't want to lose her to another P4 program? Thus, resulting in Kellie's dismissal?

Thoughts?

 

[KTrain]

Let's take NIL into account here. NIL became available to players in July of 2021. Kellie came on board Spring of 2019. Technically, she started recruiting to TN for the class of 2020. Given it takes a while to build relationships with players interested in a program like TN (new relationships) I wouldn't have started looking at her recruiting abilities untill the 2021 class and moreso after because of the NIL issue. And, if what's been said is true about lack of competitive funds then I think she did pretty damn well. I like Kim a lot, but Kellie should've been given another year or two with the same funding available now.

Just my 2 cents.

What were the funding difference NIL wise in regard to pre 23/24 season vs pre 24/25 season. Does anyone know? Are there ballpark figures floating around or is it all just total conjecture.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

I say congrats to Coach Harper. Missouri is a good place for her. I wish her and the family well.
I watched the Pauldo twins and their dad new podcast where they discussed Tennessee and CKC. This first season under Coach Caldwell with a top HS recruiting class, beating 5 quality NCAA tourney teams, Top 20 ranking, and a Top 5 win wouldn’t have happened under any other coach at this moment at UT.
Danny White made the perfect hire.

I wonder if she watched Coach Caldwell pick up all those highly ranked high school kids this year and took some notes on how to recruit? If not, she's destined for mediocrity.

 

[backdoorcutvol]

Think she was coach at Missouri St before Tennessee. Your right about them living there before

Has she been living in Knoxville for the last year?

 

[CKCfan]

I'm curious. Why do people think this?

she would still be there but she chose to keep her husband on staff

 

[Scotty4lvs]

Still a nightmare of a day. The only good thing about it was seeing the amazing dogs perform at halftime.

Ironically I was supposed to be at that game (literally only ever been to 2 home games, so super excited) and the stomach bug hit - instead of an epic day at TBA, I was taking care of a sick kid and hubby in a hotel room, watching the impossible loss unfold. Far cry from the planned in person seat at the big win on senior day, but a trip to TN that we will always remember

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Never see this in Knoxville.

 

[Majors]

Cult vibes. A few levels below Texas AM and the 1940’s Yell Leaders.

 

[volbound1700]

Very happy for Kellie Harper. Taking a very similar Cuonzo Martin route: Missouri State - Tennessee - Mizzou (minus the brief stop in Berkley before Columbia)

Sadly, Cuonzo was more successful at Tennessee than Missouri.

 

[Majors]

Sadly, Cuonzo was more successful at Tennessee than Missouri.

Couldn’t get out of the shadow of Pearl. Tennessee gives you the resources and instant brand to thrive.

 

[Rooster1]

What were the funding difference NIL wise in regard to pre 23/24 season vs pre 24/25 season. Does anyone know? Are there ballpark figures floating around or is it all just total conjecture.

Conjecture mostly.

 

[leeeda97]

I wonder if she watched Coach Caldwell pick up all those highly ranked high school kids this year and took some notes on how to recruit? If not, she's destined for mediocrity.

$$$$...all notes needed

 

[VintageFan]

Harper should do well at Mizzou. The fans will embrace her. She's a players' coach and that's what they're used to. High School recruiting in Missouri is tough, even with the proximity to KC and St. Louis. The Cunningham sisters were an outlier.

If there's some NIL money the portal should actually be easier. A player on another team who doesn't feel they have an opportunity to shine and/or get enough playing time could be a star at Mizzou.

The expectations of Mizzou WBB fans are remarkably different than those of the Lady Vols. There will be a lot less pressure. An upset here or there (and if you check the record Pingeton delivered a bunch of those) and making the Tourney once in awhile will please them.

Several posts here questioned whether Mizzou could ever be more than a “middle-of-the-pack” team in the SEC, and that's probably true. But isn't that how the Lady Vols could be described after a ninth-place finish this year? Mizzou lost to the LV's by 5, Texas by 9, Ole Miss by 2, and Georgia by 2. But their lack of ANY bench strength caused some late-game collapses that provided lopsided final scores in some games. But it's not accurate to say that they can't compete in the SEC. (And didn't they used to say that about Vandy?)

It may take a few years, but at Mizzou, Harper will get them.

 

[volfan102455]

$$$$...all notes needed

True, recruiting these days is less about being a good recruiter and more about $$$s that can be offered. And when you get a player on campus the next challenge is keeping them.

The years of dominant teams, year after year, will come to an end.

 

[volfan102455]

Harper should do well at Mizzou. The fans will embrace her. She's a players' coach and that's what they're used to. High School recruiting in Missouri is tough, even with the proximity to KC and St. Louis. The Cunningham sisters were an outlier.

If there's some NIL money the portal should actually be easier. A player on another team who doesn't feel they have an opportunity to shine and/or get enough playing time could be a star at Mizzou.

The expectations of Mizzou WBB fans are remarkably different than those of the Lady Vols. There will be a lot less pressure. An upset here or there (and if you check the record Pingeton delivered a bunch of those) and making the Tourney once in awhile will please them.

Several posts here questioned whether Mizzou could ever be more than a “middle-of-the-pack” team in the SEC, and that's probably true. But isn't that how the Lady Vols could be described after a ninth-place finish this year? Mizzou lost to the LV's by 5, Texas by 9, Ole Miss by 2, and Georgia by 2. But their lack of ANY bench strength caused some late-game collapses that provided lopsided final scores in some games. But it's not accurate to say that they can't compete in the SEC. (And didn't they used to say that about Vandy?)

It may take a few years, but at Mizzou, Harper will get them.

Agree - some folks seem to think we are in the top of the SEC - we aren't. I had hoped we would finish closer to the top after the UCONN win but then we lost 3 of the last 7 including one to Georgia who ended up one spot above Missouri.

I'm hopeful that KC can turn us back into national competitors. Next year will set the tone - 9th place in the conference will not be good enough IMO. Beating UCONN was great, but it is going to take more than that.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

People can say a lot of stuff, how many teams in the SEC have a win over Top 5 UConn? While you all stuck on a SEC conference record CKC just put together arguably the best first season ever for a coach at their first job in a P4 conference. With a top recruiting class featuring 3 McDonald’s AAs, wins over UConn, Florida State, Iowa, Alabama, Ole Miss, and a Top 20 ranking. Talking about a SEC conference record that’s irrelevant with CKC overall resume.

Several posts here questioned whether Mizzou could ever be more than a “middle-of-the-pack” team in the SEC, and that's probably true.