Kellie Harper

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Kellie Harper
Biographical details
Born (1977-05-03) May 3, 1977 (age 47)
Sparta, Tennessee
Playing career
1995–1999Tennessee
1999Cleveland Rockers
Position(s)Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2000–2001Auburn (assistant)
2001–2004Chattanooga (assistant)
2004–2009Western Carolina
2009–2013NC State
2013–2019Missouri State
2019–2024Tennessee
Head coaching record
Overall393–260 (.602)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As coach:
As player:
Awards

Kellie Jolly Harper (born May 3, 1977)[1] is an American basketball coach who most recently served as the head women's basketball coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Prior to coaching at Tennessee, she served as head coach of Missouri State, NC State, and Western Carolina.

Playing career[edit]

Born Kellie Jean Jolly in Sparta, Tennessee,[2] she is a graduate of White County High School in Sparta, where she earned many honors as a high school basketball player.[3]

In college, she was one of the starting point guards for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers during their three consecutive NCAA women's national championships from 1996 to 1998.[4] In 1997, Harper was named to the Final Four All Tournament team.[5]

Coaching career[edit]

On January 28, 2008, Harper earned her 66th win, passing Beth Dunkenberger as the second winningest women's basketball coach in Western Carolina history with a 60–49 victory over College of Charleston at the Ramsey Center.

NC State athletic director Debbie Yow fired Harper on March 26, 2013, after Harper compiled an overall four-year record for the Wolfpack of 70–64 but only 23–39 within the Atlantic Coast Conference.

On April 10, 2013, Harper was named head coach of the Missouri State Lady Bears, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.[6] Beginning with the 2014–15 season, she led the Lady Bears to five consecutive top-three finishes in the MVC and five consecutive postseason trips, including berths in the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2019.

The 2018–19 season proved to be a career year for Harper. The Lady Bears finished the regular season 20–9 (16–2 MVC), after starting the season 1–7. Harper was voted the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year for her efforts. She became the first Missouri State coach to win the award since Cheryl Burnett in 1994.[7] After defeating top-seeded and nationally ranked #24 Drake Bulldogs in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament Finals, Harper's team received an 11–seed in the Chicago Region. Harper guided the Lady Bears to the Sweet Sixteen with upset wins over 6–seed DePaul and 3–seed Iowa State Cyclones, in games in Ames, Iowa. The Lady Bears fell to 2–seed Stanford in the Sweet Sixteen. Harper was named the Kay Yow Coach of the Year award winner for 2019.[8]

On Apirl 8, 2019, Tennessee hired Harper as the next coach of the Lady Volunteers.[9] In her first season, she led the Lady Volunteers to a 21–10 record. The season ended with a loss Kentucky in the SEC Tournament as the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][11] In her second season, she led the Volunteers to a 17–8 record that ended with a loss to Michigan in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.[12][13] In her third season in 2021–22, she led the Lady Vols to a 25–9 record that ended with a loss to Louisville in the Sweet 16.[14][15] The following year, she led the Lady Vols to a 25–12 record that culminated with another loss in the Sweet 16, this time to Virginia Tech.[16][17] In her fifth season, she led the Lady Vols to a 20–13 record that saw the season end in the Round of 32 to NC State.[18][19] On April 1, 2024, Harper was fired as Tennessee head coach after five seasons and four straight NCAA tournament appearances.[20] The Lady Vols won six NCAA tournament games in those four years. They were eliminated twice in the Sweet Sixteen and twice in the second round. [21]

Personal life[edit]

In 1999 she married Jon Harper, a member of her coaching staff at Western Carolina, North Carolina State, Missouri State, and Tennessee. She has two children, Jackson and Kiley.

Head coaching record[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Western Carolina Catamounts (Southern Conference) (2004–2009)
2004–05 Western Carolina 18–14 10–10 T–5th NCAA First Round
2005–06 Western Carolina 9–20 8–10 5th
2006–07 Western Carolina 24–10 15–3 1st WNIT Second Round
2007–08 Western Carolina 25–9 15–3 2nd WNIT First Round
2008–09 Western Carolina 21–12 14–6 T–3rd NCAA First Round
Western Carolina: 97–65 (.599) 62–32 (.660)
NC State Wolfpack (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2009–2012)
2009–10 NC State 20–14 7–7 T–5th NCAA First Round
2010–11 NC State 14–17 4–10 10th
2011–12 NC State 19–16 5–11 9th WNIT Second Round
2012–13 NC State 17–17 7–11 7th WNIT Second Round
NC State: 70–64 (.522) 23–39 (.442)
Missouri State Lady Bears (Missouri Valley Conference) (2013–2019)
2013–14 Missouri State 14–17 8–10 T–6th
2014–15 Missouri State 18–15 13–5 3rd WNIT First Round
2015–16 Missouri State 24–10 14–4 T–2nd NCAA First Round
2016–17 Missouri State 16–15 12–6 3rd WNIT First Round
2017–18 Missouri State 21–12 15–3 2nd WNIT Second Round
2018–19 Missouri State 25–10 16–2 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Missouri State: 118–79 (.599) 78–30 (.722)
Tennessee Lady Volunteers (Southeastern Conference) (2019–2024)
2019–20 Tennessee 21–10 10–6 T–3rd Postseason not held due to COVID-19
2020–21 Tennessee 17–8 9–4 3rd NCAA Second Round
2021–22 Tennessee 25–9 11–5 3rd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2022–23 Tennessee 25–12 13–3 3rd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2023–24 Tennessee 20–13 10–6 T–4th NCAA Second Round
Tennessee: 108–52 (.675) 53–24 (.688)
Total: 393–260 (.602)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Women's Basketball Coaches Career". NCAA. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  2. ^ "Sparta turns out in full force for hometown hero Coach Kellie Harper". WVLT. June 7, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "Kellie Harper - Women's Basketball Coach". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Harralson, Dan (June 21, 2022). "PHOTOS: Kellie Harper through the years". Vols Wire. USA Today. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Nixon, Rick. "Official 2012 NCAA Women's Final Four Records Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  6. ^ "Missouri State Introduces Kellie Harper as Women's Basketball Coach". Missouri State Bears Athletics. April 10, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  7. ^ "Harper Named MVC Coach of the Year". Missouri State Bears Athletics. March 14, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  8. ^ "Harper Selected 2019 Kay Yow Coach of the Year". Missouri State Bears Athletics. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  9. ^ "Kellie Harper Introduced As Head Coach of The Lady Vols". University of Tennessee Athletics. April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "2019-20 Tennessee Volunteers Women's Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  11. ^ García-Hodges, Ahiza (March 12, 2020). "NCAA cancels March Madness tournaments, all other winter and spring championships". Yahoo! Tech. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "2020-21 Tennessee Volunteers Women's Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Backus, Will (March 23, 2021). "Lady Vols shut down by Michigan, bounced early from NCAA Tournament". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "2021-22 Tennessee Lady Volunteers Women's Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  15. ^ Hall, Cora (March 26, 2022). "Tennessee Lady Vols unable to come back, fall 76-64 to Louisville in Sweet 16". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  16. ^ "2022-23 Tennessee Lady Volunteers Women's Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "Virginia Tech keeps rolling in March Madness, tops Tennessee". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  18. ^ "2023-24 Tennessee Volunteers Women's Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  19. ^ Hall, Cora (March 25, 2024). "Lady Vols basketball can't overcome 20-point deficit against NC State, ending its NCAA Tournament run". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Adelson, Andrea (April 1, 2024). "Lady Vols fire Harper after five seasons, 108 wins". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Tennessee Athletics Announces Change Of Leadership In Women's Basketball". Tennessee Volunteers Athletics. April 1, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024.

External links[edit]

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