Kellie Harper Fired by Tennessee After Five Seasons

Tennessee fires Kellie Harper

Tennessee fires Kellie Harper | Image: WATE 6 On Your Side/YouTube

Tennessee has parted ways with head coach Kellie Harper after a span of five seasons, accumulating 108 victories and making four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

This action comes in the aftermath of the Lady Vols’ elimination in the second round of the tournament last week. Simultaneously, on the same day, Harper’s buyout decreased by half, leaving her with a sum of $2.22 million yet to be paid.

“Decisions like these are never easy to make, especially with someone who has done so much for the Lady Vols as a three-time national champion student-athlete,” athletic director Danny White said in a school release. “Her love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols is second to none.”

“She has invested so much heart and soul into our program and truly has given her all for Tennessee. I thank Kellie for her stewardship of our women’s basketball program and wish her and Jon well in the next chapter of their lives.”

White also announced that the school will launch an “aggressive search” for a new head coach.

Over her tenure in Knoxville, the 46-year-old Harper accumulated a record of 108-52, finishing the 2023-24 season with a 20-13 record. Her overall coaching statistic across various coaching stops including Western Carolina, NC State, and Missouri State stands at 393-259, boasting a winning percentage of .603.

“It has been an honor to serve at my alma mater and to coach a Lady Vol program I love so dearly,” Harper said in the release.

“I am grateful for the opportunity my staff and I have had to lead an amazing group of young women and to mentor them on the court as well as provide them with life skills that will benefit them far beyond the game of basketball.”

Harper’s contract was extended in June, adding an extra season to her commitment to the Lady Vols until 2027-28, with a salary increase to $1.1 million per year.

She took over from Holly Warlick, who boasted a winning rate of .720 (172-67) during her seven-season tenure (2012-2019) and managed to lead the Lady Vols to the tournament in all seven seasons.

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