Tennessee Lady Vol News

Yep, Darth, just like the men's team got dog whipped by O St. in March. So, here's my larger point to you again, using Coach Barnes: This college athletics business doesn't make logical sense.

Rick's been making final four money for a while even though he hadn't come close to sniffing a final four. And his underperformance in the ncaa tourney is at Tennessee what it was at Texas, or worse. He has yet to win an outright conference championship of any kind nor gone further than the SS in the tourney in his years at Tennessee. And yet he was just given a big raise to keep him among the very top men's coaches and an extension. He's begun recruiting at a very high level, but that hasn't translated to anything but disappointment so far. So, does that raise and extension make any logical sense by your criteria? No.

So, are you singling out Kellie for extensions that don't make sense? If so, why single her out?

Because this is a Lady Vol forum?

No, I wouldn't have given Barnes a raise. Frankly, I wouldn't have been upset if he left for UCLA a couple of years ago. With over 30 years of coaching, I think we know what Barnes is and what he isn't. As long has he continues having decent regular seasons, finishing at or near the top of the SEC, the powers that be seem content to overlook his postseason failures. It's rather sad that in spite of the Lady Vols' storied history of championships, now the definition of success for their program seems to be aligning closer and closer with the men's team...
 
Yep, Darth, just like the men's team got dog whipped by O St. in March. So, here's my larger point to you again, using Coach Barnes: This college athletics business doesn't make logical sense.

Rick's been making final four money for a while even though he hadn't come close to sniffing a final four. And his underperformance in the ncaa tourney is at Tennessee what it was at Texas, or worse. He has yet to win an outright conference championship of any kind nor gone further than the SS in the tourney in his years at Tennessee. And yet he was just given a big raise to keep him among the very top men's coaches and an extension. He's begun recruiting at a very high level, but that hasn't translated to anything but disappointment so far. So, does that raise and extension make any logical sense by your criteria? No.

So, are you singling out Kellie for extensions that don't make sense? If so, why single her out?

Because he wanted Jeff Walz and got mad with Kellie for Jeff starting to the rumor he was leaving to keep up with the top paid coaches 🤣

Kellie got a tourney seed TN hadn’t seen in years and would have been a host to the NCAA tourney which i think is one of her bonus criteria. First the criticism was TN having to struggle to get in the tourney, then it was not being a host, now it’s getting their a$$3$ handed to them. To most fans we are cautiously excited to see what’s going on and realize how important it is to keep progressing. But to him any point where she can fail and does he rejoices.

And for the love of Pete if the only reason Kellie had success at TN was because of Rennia then DAMN i guess she gets credit for keeping one of the best players in the conference (and actually country) at TN ! Also, she was able to put Rennia AND Rae in positions to be successful. I don’t think those kids were out there totally making all the calls by themselves.

YES, kellie needs to keep evolving both defensively and more so offensively, also improve recruiting, keep the culture going in the right direction, and WIN. But GEEZ if the steps she is taking isn’t in the right direction i don’t know what is.

I also think Kellie needs to get involved with USA bball. get in on some of those junior national opportunities.
 
Because this is a Lady Vol forum?

No, I wouldn't have given Barnes a raise. Frankly, I wouldn't have been upset if he left for UCLA a couple of years ago. With over 30 years of coaching, I think we know what Barnes is and what he isn't. As long has he continues having decent regular seasons, finishing at or near the top of the SEC, the powers that be seem content to overlook his postseason failures. It's rather sad that in spite of the Lady Vols' storied history of championships, now the definition of success for their program seems to be aligning closer and closer with the men's team...

Respectfully, I must disagree. Barnes is the best chance - at this moment in time - for the men's team to make a FF. He is being overpaid on the hope that he does. (illogical, but true). I don't think anyone is settling for "good but not great" in the AD's office or Plowman's office And AD White is different than past AD's - he wants to win championships in all sports (at least, that's what he says. And he just got through putting a ton of the University's money where his mouth is). He has given Kellie a raise and extension and upped his commitment and support to her staff lately. Message to her: You are fully supported. Now go and win championships. We'll see if she can, just like Barnes.
 
Respectfully, I must disagree. Barnes is the best chance - at this moment in time - for the men's team to make a FF.

In 32 seasons, he has been to ONE Final Four. And this is the guy who coached Kevin Durant in college. Good luck with that.

He has given Kellie a raise and extension and upped his commitment and support to her staff lately. Message to her: You are fully supported. Now go and win championships. We'll see if she can, just like Barnes.

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The Barnes situation isn't hard to figure out. Tennessee needs wins - any wins - thanks to football's decade of struggle. Barnes brings legitimacy, top 5 recruiting classes, family / community values, national media attention, and a steady hand for the second most important sport on campus. Oh and he also beats Kentucky. Shoot, with all the big time players they're signing, they may even luck into the program's first Final Four or heaven forbid, a national title. Even better! So they overpaid to keep that part of the engine working smoothly and show program commitment to interested parties.

I think, and this may be right or wrong but it's my opinion so, I think Tennessee is locking in everything they can for the sake of stability and freeing resources to devote to football and to the donors and everything else. Money is a simple equation. Pay X, get Y. If you're confident in the teams you've built, then insert X money in the machine and let it run. That frees you up to focus on problems elsewhere, and Tennessee football has been a big one for a long time now. Probably a lot of problems behind the scenes. Losing at football can do that.
 
I love Kellie Harper. I was very pleased when they hired her. I'm happy they extended her contract. I believe she has brought in a very good class with her four recruit. Brooklynn Miles, Sara Puckett, Kaiya Wynn, and Karoline Striplin also with the addition of Alexus Dye. If two of them pan out that is a great class. Kellie has a great start on the class of 2022 class. Recruiting is very hard with coaches like Geno and the help he gets from ESPN. Many other establish coaches. As always go Lady Vol's.
 
There probably were underlying problems, but you still can't characterize that season as a "dumpster fire." Granted it looked that way early with the embarrassing season opening loss to Georgia St. followed by the OT loss to BYU. Still, they rallied to finish a respectable 3rd in the East (after being picked to finish 5th in the preseason), won a bowl game, and managed to land an impressive recruiting class. The lovefest for Pruitt and Fulmer was at a fever pitch by the end of the season. Congratulations if you thought the extension was a mistake, you were in the vast minority at the time.

The bottom line is two seasons isn't enough of a sample size to validate long term fit. If people want to vilify me for dumping on poor Kellie, whatever. I'm not saying she will or won't be the right coach to lead this program long term. I'm saying it's too early to know either way, for ANYONE to know, which makes this extension absurd...
Wait , what?!?!? “I’m not saying she will or won’t be the right coach to lead the program long term.”
Talk about revisionist history!! That is exactly what you have been saying since the day she was hired. You have never wavered in your insistence that she is a bad hire. No backing up now!! You need to decide whether you like ketchup or bar-b-que sauce with your crow.
 
Wait , what?!?!? “I’m not saying she will or won’t be the right coach to lead the program long term.”
Talk about revisionist history!! That is exactly what you have been saying since the day she was hired. You have never wavered in your insistence that she is a bad hire. No backing up now!! You need to decide whether you like ketchup or bar-b-que sauce with your crow.

Lucy is 100% spot on....

You have hated Coach Kellie since she was hired...You wanted your man crush from Louisville, Ky.

Coach Kellie is the coach for a long time to come....DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I love Kellie Harper. I was very pleased when they hired her. I'm happy they extended her contract. I believe she has brought in a very good class with her four recruit. Brooklynn Miles, Sara Puckett, Kaiya Wynn, and Karoline Striplin also with the addition of Alexus Dye. If two of them pan out that is a great class. Kellie has a great start on the class of 2022 class. Recruiting is very hard with coaches like Geno and the help he gets from ESPN. Many other establish coaches. As always go Lady Vol's.

Yep. And we ended the season at #13, first end of year ranking in a few years.
 
I love Kellie Harper. I was very pleased when they hired her. I'm happy they extended her contract. I believe she has brought in a very good class with her four recruit. Brooklynn Miles, Sara Puckett, Kaiya Wynn, and Karoline Striplin also with the addition of Alexus Dye. If two of them pan out that is a great class. Kellie has a great start on the class of 2022 class. Recruiting is very hard with coaches like Geno and the help he gets from ESPN. Many other establish coaches. As always go Lady Vol's.


Get ready...Striplin and Wynn are gonna, Puckett is a strong maybe and Brooklynn is a possible,,,Dye, is a strong potential,,,look for 3 to rise from this class
 
Get ready...Striplin and Wynn are gonna, Puckett is a strong maybe and Brooklynn is a possible,,,Dye, is a strong potential,,,look for 3 to rise from this class

I've got to raise you Coach.....Look for all 4 recruits to rise to the top like sweet cream...

KS will be a major improvement over last year's post player....Her very presence will help Key find that missing element in her game; nastiness!

Puckett will bomb away from the wing, like an angry banshee she will terrorize whomever the opponents send out to stop her....

Wynn will be bustin moves and popping 3 balls to draw the defense away from the post players...If they try and sit on the posts, Wynn will show them the error of their ways and score from wherever she wishes...

And then little Brooklyn Miles will show us what we have been missing from the point position; speed!
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We all have a good idea of who the starters will be for Tennessee next season. For the first time in a while their jobs as starters are not secure. There will be huge competition for minutes next season the most competition we've had 1 thru 12 or so in a while. This makes players better. If you don't want to ride the bench you better be working and getting better.
 
I'm not a mathematical expert, but last I checked 3 isn't the "same" as 2....

The poster didn't focus on what Vitello did in his second season. Just like Harper, he took a moribund program and got them into the ncaa round of 32 before elimination at the end of his second season. Unlike Harper, he did not receive a raise or extension then, nor did he receive upgrades in his staffing or facilities, which were in dire need. And yet in the last two years he has brought his program to the elite eight of his sport. In doing so, he put his name on the map of every good program looking for a new head coach. And because he wasn't extended or raised, nor his staff, he was available. As a result, Volnation has been through a harrowing experience in stressing out over him potentially leaving. Don't you wish now that he was raised and extended after year two? I know I do. Just to show ya, if you're the AD, you're damnd if you do and damned if you don't. Kellie may just go on a similar tear, but we won't be stressing at the thought of losing her, because we have her tied up now.
 

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