Kellie Harper discussion/debate thread [merged]

[T_Vol376]

That's because she had Pats girls

One could say that, and maybe they were a different type player than what we have in these times. Holly was doing the bulk of the coaching for the last year or two - per Pat. Just a thought.

 

[Voluble2]

Big world of LV fans out there and not all of them reside here.

Very few are here because this board has always been very, very hostile to those who are knowledgable and want to discuss the games and team in anything other than hagiographic terms. It has gotten better though and there is less of the personal "negavol - fan of other team" attacks. Drivebys are still a problem and I get why people are upset about those.

 

[VolFuture]

The real question to me is why is there SO MUCH missed local talent.
Short list I’m sure there’s more:
A redshirt freshman starter for 12 Iowa State from Maryville (And a redshirt post from White Pine)
A starter for 20 NC STATE from Chattanooga
Starting PG for 6 Indiana who was teammates with Tess/Edie
A Starter for BC up for DEFENSIVE POY from the same HS as Kaiya but not offered
A top Freshman for Pitt (having an All ACC Freshman team year) from KNOXVILLE
A Soph Forward Starter from Crossville who plays on Belmont who almost beat the LV last year and beat Oregon
The Big South Player of the Year from Johnson City
A top freshman at Kentucky with no chance at her sister
A top freshman for Alabama (5th in SEC) who had a Tennessee offer and was dropped averaging 15 mins a game
An All Big 12 starter for WVU

All have left the state and are having major impacts at their schools. Many very good schools or great conferences. Not saying get them all that’s impossible but to let them ALL leave is insane. Esp in the younger classes with 1 scholarship player. Next year we have ONE underclassman. ONE. FOR TWO CLASSES. How are u supposed to build a team like that?

As for 2023s
The Starting PG for the Number 1 HS team in the country but had her offer from UT dropped going to Illinois
A ranked girl from Memphis going to MTSU
A ranked Post from Memphis going to NC State
2 ranked girls going to LSU (technically not from Tennessee however) but the School is here and has LOADS of talent


The 2024s have loads of local talent too
A great shooter from Jefferson County
The best player in the country from Nashville
A high ranked combo guard from Clarksville

 

[J-Dog 1313]

In my opinion, as a LVFL, Kelli deserves another year after this one, at least, to right the ship. All the talk about other ex players and their fundamentals and competitiveness, there weren't many more sound or competitive than Kelli Jolly.

In my humble opinion, Kellie deserves at least two more years. Rome was not built in a day. GBO.

 

[ttharp]

Kellie is articulate, says the right things, and looks the part on the sideline...but at her core regarding the ability to lead this team, yeah...she's basically Holly 2.0. There's a reason that no big time programs came knocking on her door after her NCState tenure until Tennessee called.

Bingo! She just so happened to make a surprise S16 run with MO State the same time the coaching search was being conducted.

Outside of that, her then 15-year (!!) coaching resume was average at best.

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

You guys, don’t beat me up TOO bad about what I’m going to suggest!

IF Kellie doesn’t get it together and make a tournament run, (cause there’s still a chance), she’ll more than likely still get another year. Considering we don’t have any recruits and we’re not likely to strike gold again in the portal after the Jackson debacle, I really believe it’ll be Kellie’s final season here.

With that being said, I think we should offer the job to……..Candace Parker!!! (Runs and hides )…..I understand she hasn’t coached a lick of basketball in her life, but she could always surround herself with a great staff to help get her where she needs to be. Although I definitely think one of those people should be Andraya Carter and Tamika Cathchings in some capacity, they don’t necessarily have to be assistant coaches, but the basketball knowledge between those 2 alone would make me want them on my staff. Not to mention the recruiting I believe those 2 could do, hell maybe even bring Holly back, we know she was an amazing recruiter as well, cause I don’t know how in the hell she was landing too recruiting classes with the product on the floor.

I only say say this because I really believe we need a POLARIZING type hire at this point. I know a lot of people say we need to get away from the Lady Vol coaching tree, but I feel like Candace, if she’s even interested, would be a great hire. We all know, at the end of the day, you need TOP ELITE horses to win the race! I haven’t seen a team since Texas A&M win a championship without ELITE talent.

Candace, IMO, would be an IMMEDIATE elite recruiter for us, similar to Deion Sanders once he busted on the scene in college Football. The star power would attract ELITE talent, and the passion Candace has for Pat, her legacy, and Tennessee permeates through the TV, so I can only imagine the final, deal closing, pitches she’ll be able to deliver to young girls and parents.

We need an infusion of youthfulness to also bring back a new demographic of fans! The old guard would flock back, but we’ll also have new fan support for Candace’s name alone. Everybody would want to come and see the new show in town. I could even see NBA players starting to come to games or tweet at Tennessee players due to her connections to the NBA.

I know it’s a pipes dream and most likely won’t happen but I’d love to see if it could work!!! [/QUOTE
You are right the answer is to get a star coach for this program it’s good to be classy and honest and a very good person at heart but a recruit wants to see the passion the fire the get up in your ass Coach the charisma the play to the camera and when a coach comes at her she needs to stop taking the high road all of the time dam say something nasty back Coach Mulkey can be an ass but the majority of this board would love to have her as our coach and for the if they don’t want to be here we don’t want them here folks well they don’t want to and you see our results this poster is right we need a polarizing coach just to get the top recruits back in orange

 

[Cloudland vol]

First time anyone has every called me Lucy Loo. But, in any case, you didn't answer the question: Who do want as a replacement?

I don’t have anyone in particular in mind but just think that KJH is not the person to move the program to the level of past years. I also acknowledge that perhaps that person doesn’t exist anymore. However, Staley, Mulkey and Vanderveer have done very well over the years. Why? Because good, smart players want to play for them as they did with Summit. Not so with Harper.

 

[LasVegasBill23]

On paper, I agree that promoting Holly was a no brainer. She would provide continuity and as stated by others was already the de facto coach. There weren't any red flags until the last 3 years (and one of those last 3 years was actually a pretty good season until an early tournament upset loss). Of course, looking back we can all see that wasn't a fit but at the time, she looked like the right fit.

well i never thought it made sense from the standpoint that head coaching skills are different from asst coach skills we should have done a national search if we were a national brand holly was the wrong hire i wont get agreement on that i know following a legend aint easy but unwise to reflexively choose next person on the bench lets get craig esherick to replace john thompson and bruiser flint to replace calipari they werent cut from the same fabric

 

[Amb3096]

again, we agree to a point...

Holly was a PG and that position was our weakpoint...IJS

Same with Kellie. And PG continues to be a weak point.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I don’t have anyone in particular in mind but just think that KJH is not the person to move the program to the level of past years. I also acknowledge that perhaps that person doesn’t exist anymore. However, Staley, Mulkey and Vanderveer have done very well over the years. Why? Because good, smart players want to play for them as they did with Summit. Not so with Harper.

So, if we fire Harper, then can't attract any of those you mentioned, what happens then?

 

[Dadof2Vols]

In my opinion, as a LVFL, Kelli deserves another year after this one, at least, to right the ship. All the talk about other ex players and their fundamentals and competitiveness, there weren't many more sound or competitive than Kelli Jolly.

First let me say two things. I am not a Kelli hater as I am a long term Basketball fan(55+ years) but became a UT fan when both of my kids decided to go to UT. Second, because I am not a longer term fan, I don't own any orange colored glasses.

With as much talent as maybe leaving this year (JH, RJ, Key) and without a top ranked 2023 class signed, how much talent will CJH have to pickup in the portal to be better than this year and show real improvement in 2023?

I am not trying to be a jerk or a hater, but I just don't understand why people say give her 1 or 2 more years. The truth is that it is a greater chance than not that giving another 1 or 2 years will just be wasted years.

I could be wrong just trying to look logically at where the program is after 4 years. I just don't see the talent recruitment or the growth of the players or coaches execution after 4 years.

 

[T_Vol376]

Two reasons:

1. Pat specifically stated she wanted Holly to have the job following her which would have probably caused a fan revolt it she had not been hired.
2. No good experienced HC wants to follow a legend, especially one of Pats level. Seriously doubt they could have gotten a top level coach to follow Pat.
Think Majors addressed both of these in his posts.

IMO the opportunity for that top level coach was when Holly was fired as that would have been an ideal spot for a top level coach. Just be better than Holly. Fulmer was the bad AD at that time and was totally focused on hiring a FB coach. My understanding was he practically had to be told to change LV coaches. He was long time friends with Holly and did not want to fire her. He took the easy quick way out and hired Kelly. Could
have even been at the recommendation of Holly. Opportunity missed and here we are.

Fulmer hired Pruitt as football coach in 2018. He was interviewing people for the Lady Vol BB HC position in 2019 when UCLA tried to hire Rick Barnes away. That was the distraction. Kellie had made the Sweet 16 with Missouri State and people were practically foaming at the mouth that the new hire, “had to be a woman and had to be a former Lady Vol.” And here we are.

 

[Volstylexx]

What games did we lose we shouldn't have?

Umm.. the first 6 losses were games that traditionally we would have dominated them.

 

[Volstylexx]

What’s crazy in all of this is the X factor of March Madness. The latest bracketology released today with TN a 7seed in a bracket they could absolutely ride all the way to a Final4

 

[VolBalls33]

No maybe to it....

 

[GameTime]

Get off Jon, there's not room for both of us.....Somebody's gots to go.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

First let me say two things. I am not a Kelli hater as I am a long term Basketball fan(55+ years) but became a UT fan when both of my kids decided to go to UT. Second, because I am not a longer term fan, I don't own any orange colored glasses.

With as much talent as maybe leaving this year (JH, RJ, Key) and without a top ranked 2023 class signed, how much talent will CJH have to pickup in the portal to be better than this year and show real improvement in 2023?

I am not trying to be a jerk or a hater, but I just don't understand why people say give her 1 or 2 more years. The truth is that it is a greater chance than not that giving another 1 or 2 years will just be wasted years.

I could be wrong just trying to look logically at where the program is after 4 years. I just don't see the talent recruitment or the growth of the players or coaches execution after 4 years.

I think you give her more resources and try to make it work until it doesn't. A firing is a really messy thing. The staff will disperse and the players will hit th portal. There will be nothing left but the ashes. You'll have to find a miracle worker to have the program back to this level in four years.

 

[creekdipper]

Maybe it's time to...

Quit opening brainless, totally useless threads that have the pungency and substance of a wet fart.

Correction: This thread isn't totally useless. We've gotten to be introduced to lots of total strangers who have developed a new-found interest in Lady Vol sports. Always some silver lining to be found, even in the depths of the sewer!

 

[mudcat1973]

what caazy was ncaa had tenn in south bracket last week

What’s crazy in all of this is the X factor of March Madness. The latest bracketology released today with TN a 7seed in a bracket they could absolutely ride all the way to a Final4View attachment 533966

 

[mudcat1973]

Get off Jon, there's not room for both of us.....Somebody's gots to go.

does other schools have more than three.? maybe jon can take less role not be one of the ast coaches. get film ready for the coaches. unpaid aid maybe. or all else fells jump ship

 

[Majors]

I think you give her more resources and try to make it work until it doesn't. A firing is a really messy thing. The staff will disperse and the players will hit th portal. There will be nothing left but the ashes. You'll have to find a miracle worker to have the program back to this level in four years.

What kind of resources? She has the blue blood brand of Tennessee. She has one of the biggest arenas to play in along with a practice facility. Multiple NIL collectives to entice kids to come and stay. Just not sure what other resources she would need.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

Should’ve been Hammon from the jump

 

[Majors]

does other schools have more than three.? maybe jon can take less role not be one of the ast coaches. get film ready for the coaches. unpaid aid maybe. or all else fells jump ship

He should of been an advisor/analyst from the start.

 

[Volinnooga]

Wes Moore or Jeff Walz. To start

Wes Moore isn't interested. He would not even talk to UT when CKH was hired. But ignore the facts to support your agenda.

 

[Darth_Vol]

Unfortunately Kellie isn't going anywhere this year unless the wheels completely come off. With the talent on this team along with how bad the SEC is, it's hard to see that happening. They will finish 3rd in the SEC, again, and limp into the postseason... maybe win a game or two in the SEC tournament. It's hard to see them lasting past the first weekend of the NCAA, but another Sweet 16 is probably the ceiling if things break their way.

An underwhelming season will get White's attention, but it isn't terrible enough to justify firing Kellie. Sadly we will have to wait until next season when the program craters - which as things stand now is imminent - before White will act...