Kellie Harper discussion/debate thread [merged]

[utkCREW]

Adia Barnes - currently making 1mill
Brenda Frese -- currently making 1.4mill
Jeff Walz -- currently making 1.5mill

In no particular order -- Danny White needs to offer them sizeable incomes that a women's hire can afford us...

I got to see Adia Barnes coach when we were in Arizona for the men's bball game. She's intense and animated like Bruce Pearl but seems to be a better Xs/Os scheme coach.

 

[utkCREW]

If LSU can drop 2.6 mill on Mulkey -- albeit she was a HOMERUN hire... We can certainly get close to that for one of these other big fish.

 

[LadyVol1908]

Look at the bright side everyone, Kellie has desensitized us this year, to be able to handle next year. It’s going to be a blood bath if she’s still coaching here!

 

[AthensVol2007]

I know this season hasn’t been the best, and we all want results of the past, but I’m not giving up on Kellie yet. It’s hard to establish yourself as a coach to want players to come play for, especially to be able to compete for national championships, and winning multiples. I’m still behind Kellie, and I have to trust her and her abilities. We can’t afford another coach so soon. We need to allow her to have a couple more years to see where she takes us.

The programs of winning 5 plus companionships within a 10 year gap is no longer going to happen. The field is too competitive and players are emerging to all sorts of schools to win.

Go Lady Vols!

What gives you faith in her abilities? Was it her stellar run at NCSU that resulted in her firing or the Cinderella SW16 run at Mo State that did it for you?

 

[DSunAthletics]

It took awhile for it to play itself out but the turning point of this season was when Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell were taking out of the starting lineup. It did not make the team better. Allowing those players to play through the growing pains and setbacks would’ve been what most confident and proven head coaches had done. You have to change what has not and will not work in the system to get ahead.. to stay ahead. Don’t change the players, change or adopt a system to compliment their skillset. Tennessee signed Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell, Jillian Hollingshead, Jasmine Franklin, and Justine Pissott just to take 10 steps backwards this season.
As a math teacher would say, what is the common denominator? Or your greatest COMMON factor?

 

[AthensVol2007]

Can we be honest? KH is a good story being a former player…but has she shown anything justifying herself as a competent coach? Obviously cannot motivate or x & o anything better than a high school JV coach.

The only question that should be asked is, if she had played anywhere else in the country would her resume have justified her being hired? The answer is a resounding no. NOBODY would’ve supported hiring a coach with 5 tournament appearances in 15 years of being a HC and being fired after 4 years at her only other P5 job (a solid to good P5 program at that). She was hired to coach strictly on her name and her resume as a player despite having a long and uninspiring resume as a coach, as a reference.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

I know this season hasn’t been the best, and we all want results of the past, but I’m not giving up on Kellie yet. It’s hard to establish yourself as a coach to want players to come play for, especially to be able to compete for national championships, and winning multiples. I’m still behind Kellie, and I have to trust her and her abilities. We can’t afford another coach so soon. We need to allow her to have a couple more years to see where she takes us.

The programs of winning 5 plus companionships within a 10 year gap is no longer going to happen. The field is too competitive and players are emerging to all sorts of schools to win.

Go Lady Vols!

It’s giving, “that’s my man and I’ll stick beside him”. When we all know your man ain’t ish. That lady is in yr 4. What’s a couple more yrs to a dying program right? Want the program in the dirt when she leaves.

 

[TJVol95]

Holly Jr not getting it done

 

[TJVol95]

Miss St beat us in points off turnovers 21 to 8 hard to win with that stat

We will find a coach someday

 

[Dadof2Vols]

Adia Barnes - currently making 1mill
Brenda Frese -- currently making 1.4mill
Jeff Walz -- currently making 1.5mill

In no particular order -- Danny White needs to offer them sizeable incomes that a women's hire can afford us...

I got to see Adia Barnes coach when we were in Arizona for the men's bball game. She's intense and animated like Bruce Pearl but seems to be a better Xs/Os scheme coach.

Could a good Xs and Os coach of a lower tier mens team be a candidate with maybe an all women assistant coaching staff?

If there are only a few great options available in the women's game to Today, I say all options should be on the table.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

I know this season hasn’t been the best, and we all want results of the past, but I’m not giving up on Kellie yet. It’s hard to establish yourself as a coach to want players to come play for, especially to be able to compete for national championships, and winning multiples. I’m still behind Kellie, and I have to trust her and her abilities. We can’t afford another coach so soon. We need to allow her to have a couple more years to see where she takes us.

The programs of winning 5 plus companionships within a 10 year gap is no longer going to happen. The field is too competitive and players are emerging to all sorts of schools to win.

Go Lady Vols!

Winning 5 championships in 10 years may not but consistently being in top 5 is being accomplished by several schools and UT isn’t one of them or even close.

At the least Top 5 consistency should be the goal.

 

[Coach Jumper]

If Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson had been playing together the whole year as starters,, we would have a Michael and Scottie Right now.

 

[Memvol44]

If Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson had been playing together the whole year as starters,, we would have a Michael and Scottie Right now.

Not sure that's totally Kellies fault. They obviously had some issues...

 

[glv98]

If Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson had been playing together the whole year as starters,, we would have a Michael and Scottie Right now.

Not sure that's totally Kellies fault. They obviously had some issues...

IMO it is Kellie's fault. Per the recent ESPN article, the problem was over RJ's role. How in the world was that not worked out in the 6 months btw RJ signing and the apparent Bahamas blowup I'll never understand.

Still, the 2 game suspension could have worked for the good if KJH had not gone off on that idiotic coming off the bench crap. KJH had a Ferrari and chose to putter about in the Yugo. That move, and the original sin of the overschedule really, really hurt this team. KJH misread almost everything important coming into this season.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Not sure that's totally Kellies fault. They obviously had some issues...

I wonder why?

Could be...""I don't like to change things. I'm not big on change. I like to settle in and everybody defines their roles. As long as something is working for us, and right now Jillian [Hollingshead] is playing really well off the bench, that's fine. The starting lineup is not the biggest thing for me. Let's have consistency. Let everyone know their roles and understand what's about to happen. That to me is more important than who's out there first.""

It took an absence by Horston to force Kellie to insert Rickea
What will it take to see the benefit of starting Jillian?
Not to mention Justine, who seemingly will never get a chance to shine with Tess on the roster.

I watched Holly stomp her foot and scratch her head,,,subbing with no purpose and ignoring the masses who were telling her what she was doing wasn't working. And Holly's glaring position weakness, was PG, a position she played?

Kellie has already shown she is a better coach, but she is blazing a trail that failed.
"People who don't change, get changed"

I am going to rewatch that game again this afternoon, looking at it from a coaching analytical standpoint...Turnover report, substitution patterns, , , looking for things I can't see while my heart is involved...I am hoping I don't walk away from that second viewing seeing a winnable game that was lost,,3 times.

I'm out

 

[BigALWiLson]

This team is simply put.... not good. Time for a change.

 

[Volfan2012]

I felt she was allowed four years to straighten out the mess that Holly left and she hasn't done that. So I am all in to get a change here at Tennessee sure hoping the AD sees it that way. Why waste more seasons unless it is with someone who can rebuild. She has done nothing with a team rated fifth in the country at the beginning of the season. She is a likeable person, but her job performance is way below par.

 

[Majors]

If Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson had been playing together the whole year as starters,, we would have a Michael and Scottie Right now.

But they needed Phil to make it work. Our Phil has the court named after her….so we get MJ and Scottie under Collins

 

[1reVOLver]

Nearly four years in, and we have established a steady state among “Others receiving votes”.

Discuss. (Don't bother invoking the usual suspects- ‘Geno is evil’, refs suck, Kim's schedule is a joke. They are not responsible for “Others receiving votes”.)

 

[Volfan2012]

Nearly four years in, and we have established a steady state among “Others receiving votes”.

Discuss. (Don't bother invoking the usual suspects- ‘Geno is evil’, refs suck, Kim's schedule is a joke. They are not responsible for “Others receiving votes”.)

View attachment 535026

I doubt we get any votes in the next poll after that loss last night.

 

[Amb3096]

Nearly four years in, and we have established a steady state among “Others receiving votes”.

Discuss. (Don't bother invoking the usual suspects- ‘Geno is evil’, refs suck, Kim's schedule is a joke. They are not responsible for “Others receiving votes”.)

View attachment 535026

This might be the first season in as long as I can remember where Tennessee has spent pretty much the entire season unranked. After starting as a preseason #5, they were out of the rankings altogether after 2 weeks and haven't made it back in.

 

[glv98]

It’s USC, LSU and everybody else….we are holding onto being the best of the everyone else. Not sure develop for the sake of Justine, but playing Justine because those ahead of her aren’t getting it done.

Tess had 3 3s last night. Sure would have liked to see her hit that last one, but Justine would not have hit more. And her D is no better, probably not as good, as Tess. Sad but true.

This might be the first season in as long as I can remember where Tennessee has spent pretty much the entire season unranked. After starting as a preseason #5, they were out of the rankings altogether after 2 weeks and haven't made it back in.

Sad, and oh so painful. Be a long time before my expectations get that jacked again.

But for now, I say muddle on with KJH until we can hit an absolute home run hire. No more up and comers, no more "would probably be good", no more "had a great season". If we hire someone else who doesn't pan out, the problem is proven to be systematic.

We have to get someone next who is an elite recruit magnet. Until such a coach is available and we're willing to pony up, might as well hold what we've got. Not Kara Lawson btw.

 

[Lurker]

I am going to rewatch that game again this afternoon, looking at it from a coaching analytical standpoint...Turnover report, substitution patterns, , , looking for things I can't see while my heart is involved...I am hoping I don't walk away from that second viewing seeing a winnable game that was lost,,3 times.

I'm out

I may be wrong, often am, but I think you will see a winnable game that was lost, twice.

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Holly Jr not getting it done

At this point i think were discrediting Francis , at least she could recruit lol ...Lost a lot a wholllle LOT but still managed to get top players . Kellie has surpassed the all time low .

 

[Lurker]

We have to get someone next who is an elite recruit magnet. Until such a coach is available and we're willing to pony up, might as well hold what we've got. Not Kara Lawson btw.

I am of the opinion that most elite high school athletes (of all descriptions and in all sports) choose their colleges to play for specific coaches, not because they like school colors or historical reputations for success. Because of her personal athletic success, generally great demeanor, and long association with Coach Summitt, I thought Holly was going to provide that kind of attraction, but, sadly, I was very wrong. That's why I really wanted an established, proven, "name," coach when she was replaced rather than the next former Lady Vol in line. Elite players always seek to play for the elite coaches. Growing an elite coach from the start is way more chancy and requires way more patience than this program can afford, unless the fans can be satisfied with years and years of also ran finishes -- sometimes better, sometimes worse --- but never at the top. UT needs to choose what it wants in women's basketball going forward or it will become the next Old Dominion or LaTech.