SIAP, but looks like Kellie Harper turning out…

#2
#2
He just happened to be in the driver's seat when it became clear patience with Holly had ran out, and a new hire had to be made.

I am not trying to belittle Fulmer's tenure. Or minimize him landing her. But had Kellie not been a former Lady Vol? Would he
have gotten her? Maybe, maybe not. Pat left a big enough legacy to land anyone, but I am sure the fanbase for the Lady Vols
wanted one of our own to come home and take the reins.

Right after she was hired, I just happened to be shopping at a Kroger's store. Turned out Kellie just happened to be there as well.
As I was shopping that day wearing a Tennessee hoodie, I think I passed by her maybe three times, and did not recognize her until we were checking out. Did not say anything to her, but as we were leaving, I did say, "Welcome Home, Coach" in passing.

I am glad she is back, and glad she is getting this program on track again. But as to praising Fulmer for the hire? It is what it is. Would Hart
or Currie have gotten her had it happened earlier? I don't know. Would our current AD have hired her? Again, I don't know. Is what it is.
 
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#3
#3
Harper has done a good job but her recruiting remains a major question. She's not yet shown she can land top talent. We need some
"difference makers" in the next two classes, as Fulmer liked to say.
 
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#4
#4
TNnative said:
I am glad she is back, and glad she is getting this program on track again. But as to praising Fulmer for the hire? It is what it is. Would Hart
or Currie have gotten her had it happened earlier? I don't know. Would our current AD have hired her? Again, I don't know. Is what it is.
Click to expand...

And it's goooooooooood.

One thing you mentioned about Pat's legacy got me to thinking. Would any "big-name" coach, short of getting a huge bump in pay, really have wanted to follow Pat? Saban went to Alabama where the Bear was canonized, but at least there a lot of mediocre Bama coaches between him and Bryant. At least we got someone who won championships under Pat, coaches like Pat, reminds the fan base of Pat, and embodies Pat's best qualities with passion, class, and grace. And it seems to be paying off.
 
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#8
#8
turbovol said:
Harper has done a good job but her recruiting remains a major question. She's not yet shown she can land top talent. We need some
"difference makers" in the next two classes, as Fulmer liked to say.
Click to expand...

The more I watch this team, the more convinced I am that Kellie is actually an outstanding recruiter.

No, she hasn’t signed any Candace Parker-like “generational” players, but the players she has brought into the program have meshed perfectly with Holly’s recruits to form a real, genuinely bonded team.

That’s rare, and we should all be grateful that she has both a good understanding of team psychology and has a GREAT eye for spotting talent that fits her plan for winning.
 
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#11
#11
Holly worked the "star" system. How did that workout???

Kellie and her coaches (she added Louisville's best recruiter as a coach, BTW) look for heart and fit, along with talent, in recruiting.

Geno has lost two games without 'Superstar' Paige Bueckers and has COVID postponed their last 4 games because he doesn't have a 'team'. Conversely, the Lady Vols compiled a 12-1 record when their All-American player Rae Burrell was out.

l'll put my confidence in our coach, who is now 15-1, and just beat a top 25 team by 28 points and a top 40 .NET team by 12 on the road, over a bunch of negaVols who try to belittle her by moving the goalposts when she's successful.
 
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#13
#13
TNnative said:
He just happened to be in the driver's seat when it became clear patience with Holly had ran out, and a new hire had to be made.

I am not trying to belittle Fulmer's tenure. Or minimize him landing her. But had Kellie not been a former Lady Vol? Would he
have gotten her? Maybe, maybe not. Pat left a big enough legacy to land anyone, but I am sure the fanbase for the Lady Vols
wanted one of our own to come home and take the reins.

Right after she was hired, I just happened to be shopping at a Kroger's store. Turned out Kellie just happened to be there as well.
As I was shopping that day wearing a Tennessee hoodie, I think I passed by her maybe three times, and did not recognize her until we were checking out. Did not say anything to her, but as we were leaving, I did say, "Welcome Home, Coach" in passing.

I am glad she is back, and glad she is getting this program on track again. But as to praising Fulmer for the hire? It is what it is. Would Hart
or Currie have gotten her had it happened earlier? I don't know. Would our current AD have hired her? Again, I don't know. Is what it is.
Click to expand...

Given the opportunity, Fulmer hired her. That's what it is.
 
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#14
#14
turbovol said:
Harper has done a good job but her recruiting remains a major question. She's not yet shown she can land top talent. We need some
"difference makers" in the next two classes, as Fulmer liked to say.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but i beg to differ. Justine is top-talent, #11 recruit this cycle. The freshman class she recruited (top 15) is paying huge dividends already in their freshman year against top competition. And she has recruited very well out of the transfers to fill positions of need, and they have been very effective this season. Also, don't forget she had to recruit Key, Burrell, and Horston to stay after Holly left. I'm sure that wasn't easy, but she did it.

Maybe her recruiting has so far not been elite, but it has been solid and very good for someone trying to reconstruct a program. I think it's too early to expect her to recruit with SC and UConn. She has to prove herself first. She's in the process of doing just that.
 
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#15
#15
Right now, KJH is skipping merrily down the path toward landing the Difference Maker by doing what she's doing with the semi difference makers. Nothing like winning, and doing it in a cool, unexpected way with lots of player development, to get the attention of the Elites.

Also helps to be doing it in a revitalized culture where everyone seems to be having so dang much fun.
 
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#16
#16
Geno has lost two games without 'Superstar' Paige Bueckers and has COVID postponed their last 4 games because he doesn't have a 'team'. As was stated earlier. I didn’t even realize that Geno and his team are taking a break. To prevent further decline in the ranks until they get their superstars back. I hope that’s not what he’s doing but he is so classless it wouldn’t surprise me.
 
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#19
#19
creekdipper said:
And it's goooooooooood.

One thing you mentioned about Pat's legacy got me to thinking. Would any "big-name" coach, short of getting a huge bump in pay, really have wanted to follow Pat? Saban went to Alabama where the Bear was canonized, but at least there a lot of mediocre Bama coaches between him and Bryant. At least we got someone who won championships under Pat, coaches like Pat, reminds the fan base of Pat, and embodies Pat's best qualities with passion, class, and grace. And it seems to be paying off.
Click to expand...

A prime example of what you are saying about "legacy coaches" is UCLA after J. Wooden.
 
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#20
#20
rockydoc said:
…turning out to be Coach Fulmer’ s best hire. Of course the bar was set low with CJP.
Click to expand...
I’m sure most of us remember that Fulmer’s announcement of Harper’s hiring was not greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. ”She was hired because she’s a former Vol”. “She doesn’t have enough of a winning record”. She has proved this board wrong. Imagine that! 😊
 
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#23
#23
turbovol said:
Harper has done a good job but her recruiting remains a major question. She's not yet shown she can land top talent. We need some
"difference makers" in the next two classes, as Fulmer liked to say.
Click to expand...

1. The transfer portal is now part of recruiting (in fact a really big part). Dye is adding quite a bit to the team and not many true freshman would step in and have her impact. (We can add Keyen Green to that list as well). Marta may be prove to be an elite recruit. Puckett and Miles are playing like blue chip recruits. I think Wynn will prove out as well,.

On paper Kellie has a better class coming next year.
 
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