QUICK SUMMARY: HC Kellie Harper received an indefinite suspension from the squad for
On April 10, 2019, Kellie Harper was appointed head coach of Tennessee’s women’s basketball team.
From 1995 to 1999, Harper—then known as Kellie Jolly—played with the Lady Vols, earning three national titles (1996–98).
In addition, she held the position of head coach at Missouri State (2013–19), North Carolina State (2009–13), and Western Carolina (2004–09).
Here are images of Harper taken over the years.
The university said on Monday that head coach of the Tennessee women’s basketball team Kellie Harper has reached an agreement to extend her contract in principle through the 2027–2028 campaign.
Harper, who recently wrapped up her fourth season at her alma mater, has now gotten a one-year contract extension three times in a row.
Athletic director Danny White of Tennessee said in a statement, “Kellie has led her teams to three of the past four NCAA Sweet 16s, including her tenure at Missouri State.” She is one of the few instructors in the world who has accomplished that, and it wasn’t by happenstance. The Lady Vols have a great program culture, player development that is evident, a dedication to quality, and deliberate leadership in place. I’m excited to watch our program grow.
Tennessee had an up-and-down 2022-23 campaign. Early in the season, the Lady Vols struggled in nonconference play against some of the nation’s top teams while incorporating a host of roster newcomers, going into the holidays unranked in the AP poll and with a 7-6 record. But they solidified their chemistry and gained traction after the new year, upsetting eventual national champion LSU in the SEC tournament semifinals to advance to the event’s title game, where they fell to then-unbeaten South Carolina.
Harper’s squad ultimately defeated Saint Louis and Toledo in the NCAA tournament — where they hosted as a top-16 seed — before falling to Final Four squad Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16, recording their second consecutive appearance in the regional semifinal.
The Lady Vols saw Jordan Horston get drafted No. 9 overall to the Seattle Storm in last week’s WNBA draft, the third consecutive first-round WNBA draft pick for Harper (along with Rae Burrell and Rennia Davis).
Heading into 2023-24, Tennessee returns top scorer Rickea Jackson, who opted to come back for her fifth year, as well as Tamari Key, who was sidelined the majority of 2022-23 after blood clots were discovered in her lungs. Harper also brought in transfer Destinee Wells from Belmont in the offseason.
