Culture Shift: "Kellie Harper is tough, and the Lady Vols appreciate it"

#27
#27
When she watched the game films, she saw a team that had no offensive identity...The 3 ball was considered a sin...The coach had no idea how to position her players to defeat a zone defense....A good pick up squad, at a rec center, could give the team a difficult game....Fans leaving for the exits early as the legend of the Lady Vols was flushed away game by game....She saw how a head coach can stomp her foot and throw her hands up, not knowing what to do....Saw a team that did not value offense...The team never met a turnover to make they didn't like....She saw a team that did not know basic basketball...

Kellie has a huge task in front of her, but she can do it.

Whoa! That about says it all. Yep, long way to go. Mental conditioning sometimes takes long than one might expect.
 
#29
#29
Losing at home to Vandy still hurts and makes my hairs stand up mad as hell that not that it took place but it was to a Vandy team that wasnt even average. Losing to Vandy at home, there just arent words to describe how much it made me despise what took place. I will leave names out of it, but so proud to hear Coach Harper demands better. UT may not be top of the womens game this season, but if I see fire and grit thats all as a fan I can ask for. And so ready to see that again. Same for the football team. VFL!
 
#31
#31
Tough is good. Tough builds a program. But it probably makes for 1-2 off years getting players to buy in until she has her on recruits.

I agree with you but hopefully this process while taking it bumps and bruises will see growth in areas. The players were under CHW but it seems the players that stayed were going to be the more coach able ones. I think Evina would need a coach like Geno because of her demeanor and will while a player like Rennia would be quicker to respond to a coach like KJH. When looking at their HS and/or AAU coaching experiences Zaay, Rennia, Jaz, and Kasi all had STRONG female coaching presences that were VERY demanding. The 4 freshman this is all they know about college coaching (however if you look at some of the clips on Jordan’s high school coach he did NOT play he set a tone of excellence from the players to the people in the stands... hahah on one video clip he shut down the little kids bouncing the balls on the sidelines so that he could finish his talk and there was no confusion on what he wanted). It seems like the majority of them will be returning to somewhat of the disciplined structure that they were accustomed and got them some success.
 
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#32
#32
Coach Harper will turn this team around and get the Tennessee women's basketball program back to where it was before Holly decimated it.

The team didn't respect Holly. Holly talked a tough game, but couldn't walk it. It's about tough Love. Placate and you get walked on. Same as in life.
 
#33
#33
The team didn't respect Holly. Holly talked a tough game, but couldn't walk it. It's about tough Love. Placate and you get walked on. Same as in life.

Tough is good. Tough builds a program. But it probably makes for 1-2 off years getting players to buy in until she has her on recruits.

Honor
Respect
Love

That is what a coach has to have from their players.

Tough or soft,
the player has to care,,,,or they "won't care"
 
#34
#34
I agree with you but hopefully this process while taking it bumps and bruises will see growth in areas. The players were under CHW but it seems the players that stayed were going to be the more coach able ones. I think Evina would need a coach like Geno because of her demeanor and will while a player like Rennia would be quicker to respond to a coach like KJH. When looking at their HS and/or AAU coaching experiences Zaay, Rennia, Jaz, and Kasi all had STRONG female coaching presences that were VERY demanding. The 4 freshman this is all they know about college coaching (however if you look at some of the clips on Jordan’s high school coach he did NOT play he set a tone of excellence from the players to the people in the stands... hahah on one video clip he shut down the little kids bouncing the balls on the sidelines so that he could finish his talk and there was no confusion on what he wanted). It seems like the majority of them will be returning to somewhat of the disciplined structure that they were accustomed and got them some success.

Evina made her decision before she ever met Kellie.
 
#35
#35
I shall reserve judgement until after her first game...… REMEMBER THE MOCS!

Do I ever....we drove to Chattanooga for the game and then got price gouged by the university for tickets. Shook our heads all the way home....and we had spent the night in Chattanooga!
 
#36
#36
Evina made her decision before she ever met Kellie.

Her mother’s not-very-subtle tweet definitely spilled the beans well before Kellie was hired. And while I can’t blame Evina for transferring (under the circumstances), I still hate it for her that she had to leave Knoxville so disillusioned.

I feel certain that if she hadn’t already (likely) made arrangements with Connecticut before Harper was hired, that she’d have excelled in Knoxville under the new staff. I so wanted all of the players to stay and finish out their Lady Vol college careers on a high note, once and for all proving that it was a lack of strong leadership at the top, NOT character flaws in players, that caused the collapse.

I know a lot of folks are still mad at Evina for going to Connecticut. It was a particularly icky turn of events, to be sure. But I, for one, won’t be mad, but sad to see her on the other bench when we meet. She’d have had a great time helping Tennessee give the Huskies their best shot.
 
#37
#37
Her mother’s not-very-subtle tweet definitely spilled the beans well before Kellie was hired. And while I can’t blame Evina for transferring (under the circumstances), I still hate it for her that she had to leave Knoxville so disillusioned.

I feel certain that if she hadn’t already (likely) made arrangements with Connecticut before Harper was hired, that she’d have excelled in Knoxville under the new staff. I so wanted all of the players to stay and finish out their Lady Vol college careers on a high note, once and for all proving that it was a lack of strong leadership at the top, NOT character flaws in players, that caused the collapse.

I know a lot of folks are still mad at Evina for going to Connecticut. It was a particularly icky turn of events, to be sure. But I, for one, won’t be mad, but sad to see her on the other bench when we meet. She’d have had a great time helping Tennessee give the Huskies their best shot.
Hopefully after the next game with UConn Tennessee will never play another regular season game against them.
 
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#47
#47
The great coaches turn things around very quickly and are recognized by most within a year or two. The talent is here, so I expect great things this year and better things next year.

In Nick Saban’s first year at Alabama, his record was 7-6.
Second year: 12-2
Third year: 14-0 and a National Championship.

So, even someone nearly EVERYone can agree is an excellent coach needed that first “average” season — which included a loss to Louisiana-Monroe — to establish his culture and routines.
 
#48
#48
In Nick Saban’s first year at Alabama, his record was 7-6.
Second year: 12-2
Third year: 14-0 and a National Championship.

So, even someone nearly EVERYone can agree is an excellent coach needed that first “average” season — which included a loss to Louisiana-Monroe — to establish his culture and routines.

I don’t follow football so I’m not sure the level of athletes Saban inherited. Oftentimes, new coaches have to recruit to a certain level. The Lady Vols have the athletes already in place. A mediocre season would be due to a learning curve.
 
#50
#50
If the Lady Volunteers get into the NCAA Tournament this season, it will have been a successful season.

If they win a game or two in the NCAA Tournament, that is gravy.
 

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