Harper contact extension

#76
#76
It's unrealistic to compare Kelly or any other future Lady Vol coach with Pat Summit. Pat did a lot of her winning when there wasn't much serious competition. Pat put women's basketball on the map by taking it ultra-serious when no one else was, except for Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, and maybe a couple of others followed by UConn a few years later. No future coach will dominate women's college BB like Pat.

This is so correct and why a segment of fans wil always be disgruntled. They want things like when Pat was here and Pat wanted bBall to be where it is now. Where a team like South Carolina in the 90s would cakewalk to a natty BUT now a team UT beat in SECT came out of basically nowhere and won a Natty. It’s growing the sport and girls will be the recipients of the accolades. Which will come in many different avenues mostly more money poured into the women’s game. This is where Pat envisioned the game IMO and one team dominating just gets boring. Although the best team didn’t win a Natty this year the talk and vibe of women’s Bball is at its highest IMO.
 
#77
#77
1 of 7 coaches to get her team back to a sweet 16 in consecutive years. It isn't 1997 anymore and there are more than 3 or 4 schools that can compete. The Declared and undisputed national champion before the season started was South Carolina with possible competition from Uconn or Stanford. We saw how that worked out for all three.

Like i said, she earned the extension. I personally expect more than s16, but that’s just me. To each his own.
 
#78
#78
I guess Dawn didn't lose her #2 overall recruit (Rivers), Tara didn't lose her #1 overall recruit, many on this board don't want the ones she (Kellie) brings in and then when they leave they still complain

When we offered Justine the sentiments of many on this board, was questioning who she was and complaining we could do better and then she shot up the recruiting ranks and now she is the next best player at UT.

Have any of you stopped and think that this generation of kids read these boards and look up the history and say you know what It's too many expectations to live up to to play there. The moment folk saw Rennia Davis commit she starting getting the comparisons to Holdsclaw.

Let's stop living off of Past history and judge Kellie for what she has accomplished in this time while at UT. She is an 88-39 (69%) record in her time at UT and is 48-18 (71%) in the SEC with two Sweet 16 appearances in her 4 years as the head coach of the Lady Vols. Who else has a better record on the job in their first 4 seasons at a program and has done it with bad recruits as many of you have stated
Holly Warlick had a .761% winning percentage. Her first 4 years
 
  • Like
Reactions: olddog
#79
#79
I always thought Kellie would have to grow into the job and if they gave her the time she could be a good coach for us.They'll win a lot of games next year with Jackson and Key coming back.


Would have to grow into the job? Ha: She'd been a head coach for about 15 years before getting this job.
 
#81
#81
1 of 7 coaches to get her team back to a sweet 16 in consecutive years. It isn't 1997 anymore and there are more than 3 or 4 schools that can compete. The Declared and undisputed national champion before the season started was South Carolina with possible competition from Uconn or Stanford. We saw how that worked out for all three.
What would be the harm in waiting? TN might lose her? Yes...back-to-back sweet 16s, but the draw gave her some needed assistance, no? You can't overlook the full picture (the entire season). Now...TN is locked in until 2028. They could buy her out, but that means you will essentially pay more for a new coach (if it came to that) or wait until the extension expires. I wouldn't commit myself to a contract with so many unanswered questions...like recruiting and player retention. It may not be 1997, but the reality is those collective teams will more than likely win more than half and possibly all the NCs the next 4 years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tbwhhs
#83
#83
Holly Warlick had a .761% winning percentage. Her first 4 years

And if she had maintained that against a competitive schedule, she would have been fine.

Holly's last three years ended her tenure as the results got progressively worse each season. And I don't think any of Holly's teams faced the Murderer's Row schedule like this year, although I could be wrong about that.
 
#87
#87
Connecticut hasn't seen an NCAA title since 2016. Complacency maybe. Not enough attention to detail to get over that hump. Maybe a new more energetic coach is needed? Who knows.......
You're right, maybe we should dump him. Seven years is a long time to not win a NC. Too bad there isn't a portal for coaches, maybe we could find a good one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Go aeiou
#88
#88
Holly Warlick had a .761% winning percentage. Her first 4 years
Holly also had the luxury of the players who played for Pat! When Holly got her own players what did she do with them? Kellie didn't have the luxury of a Izzy Harrison, Andraya Carter, Cierra Burdick, Basharra Graves, Meighan Simmons, and Jasmine Jones, Ariel Massengale, Kamiko Williams. The closest Kellie had to any of those players when she arrived that Holly left her was Rennia Davis. The rest Kellie and her coaching staff developed.

What's Holly's win percentage when she got her own players?
 
#89
#89
Holly also had the luxury of the players who played for Pat! When Holly got her own players what did she do with them? Kellie didn't have the luxury of a Izzy Harrison, Andraya Carter, Cierra Burdick, Basharra Graves, Meighan Simmons, and Jasmine Jones, Ariel Massengale, Kamiko Williams. The closest Kellie had to any of those players when she arrived that Holly left her was Rennia Davis. The rest Kellie and her coaching staff developed.

What's Holly's win percentage when she got her own players?
So no credit to Holly recruiting under Pat or the fact she coached two years while Pat was the coach in name as she faded away. Those final years Summitt wasn’t who we remember and it was Holly that kept it together. So that win percentage isn’t telling the entire story.
 
#90
#90
So no credit to Holly recruiting under Pat or the fact she coached two years while Pat was the coach in name as she faded away. Those final years Summitt wasn’t who we remember and it was Holly that kept it together. So that win percentage isn’t telling the entire story.
Was it truly Holly or Micky...
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#91
#91
I've been scared to open this thread ... figured it would be pretty ugly. LOL.

It's not as bad as I thought. As has been pointed out, we have fired coaches in other sports a year after an extension before. It doesn't guarantee Harper anything beyond 2024.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chuckiepoo
#94
#94
So no credit to Holly recruiting under Pat or the fact she coached two years while Pat was the coach in name as she faded away. Those final years Summitt wasn’t who we remember and it was Holly that kept it together. So that win percentage isn’t telling the entire story.
No one is taking credit from her but her standing in as interim coach in a sense and the girls rallying around her because of Pat's illness is totally different. The same grace many gave holly in those first few years they aren't willing to give Kellie and I find that hypocritical. Again what did Holly do with the players that she and her coaches had to go out and get and Pat was no longer there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Benionsopinion
#95
#95
No one is taking credit from her but her standing in as interim coach in a sense and the girls rallying around her because of Pat's illness is totally different. The same grace many gave holly in those first few years they aren't willing to give Kellie and I find that hypocritical. Again what did Holly do with the players that she and her coaches had to go out and get and Pat was no longer there.
First few years she went to the E8 as well as followed the legend in the women’s game, so that is that grace or pressure? Kellie is entering year 5 and year 20 overall as a coach. Holly was a head coach in total 7 years. So how much grace is needed to not be hypocritical?
 
#97
#97
First few years she went to the E8 as well as followed the legend in the women’s game, so that is that grace or pressure? Kellie is entering year 5 and year 20 overall as a coach. Holly was a head coach in total 7 years. So how much grace is needed to not be hypocritical?

Agree that Holly faced the typical pressure that any coach encounters when folowing a legend. And Kellie had nowhere to go but up.

The flipside of that coin is that Holly was a longstanding part of the championship infrastructure that was there when she took over. TN was still getting the elite recruits coveted by everyone else. Holly knew and had recruited tge players. And in Pat's fibal year, Holly did the bulk of the in-game coaching in what was essentially an audition for the head job.

Kellue inherited some talented young players, but the program was in total disarray. She had to re-recruit the pkayers who weren't already out the door and rebuild a culture that was shot.

Both coaches had tough although different challenges. But one telling factor is that this was Holly's one and only gig as a head coach, and that will likely remain the case. Maybe Holly is one of that rare, one-school breed of athlete who can only be loyal to one school. Maybe she turned down offers to leave Tennessee and take on a head job as Mickie DeMoss did. Maybe she's had offers since leaving the UT job. Regardless, it seems Harper has more head coach DNA in her than Warlick, which is not meant to take away from Holly's attributes as contributions as a fine assistant coach.

Kellie has to prove that she can close the deal on some game-changers until more elite help arrives while keeping younger and role players satisfied. A lot of coaches are discovering how difficult that is these days, as Auriemma lamented about in his viral video address about the cutrent "me" generation of players.
 
#98
#98
Agree that Holly faced the typical pressure that any coach encounters when folowing a legend. And Kellie had nowhere to go but up.

The flipside of that coin is that Holly was a longstanding part of the championship infrastructure that was there when she took over. TN was still getting the elite recruits coveted by everyone else. Holly knew and had recruited tge players. And in Pat's fibal year, Holly did the bulk of the in-game coaching in what was essentially an audition for the head job.

Kellue inherited some talented young players, but the program was in total disarray. She had to re-recruit the pkayers who weren't already out the door and rebuild a culture that was shot.

Both coaches had tough although different challenges. But one telling factor is that this was Holly's one and only gig as a head coach, and that will likely remain the case. Maybe Holly is one of that rare, one-school breed of athlete who can only be loyal to one school. Maybe she turned down offers to leave Tennessee and take on a head job as Mickie DeMoss did. Maybe she's had offers since leaving the UT job. Regardless, it seems Harper has more head coach DNA in her than Warlick, which is not meant to take away from Holly's attributes as contributions as a fine assistant coach.

Kellie has to prove that she can close the deal on some game-changers until more elite help arrives while keeping younger and role players satisfied. A lot of coaches are discovering how difficult that is these days, as Auriemma lamented about in his viral video address about the cutrent "me" generation of players.
That’s a fair assessment and majority on par for my own view.
 
#99
#99
Look at the bright side Basketball fans - if making the Sweet 16 is the bar for an extension, looks like Rick B. is never going to get one...HAHAHAHA

I'm ok with the one year extension. Danny White sees that Coach Kellie struggles with recruiting so why not try to help her out a little with a little extra time on paper?
Decent move if you ask me.
 
That’s a fair assessment and majority on par for my own view.

I will add that it's taken a little while to separate my fondness for Kellue as a player from a more objective assessment of her coaching. Two separate entities.

Likewise, I can appreciate Holly's accomplishments as a beloved player and assistant (and successful head coach early on) from her overall hc record.

Holly wasn't the answer. Kellie may or may not be. Time will tell.

The one thing that seems certain is that UT was not going to empty the bank to bring in one of the handful of coaching legends whose marquee names would instantly attract top recruits. Most were (and still are) arttached to their schools for life, and many of the other names most frequently bandied about had baggage and/or are facing their own challenges these days.

Just an observation: The offseason seems to bring out more balanced discussions and less partisanship/open hostility, imo.
 

VN Store



Back
Top