Former Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper to lead Mizzou
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Former Tennessee women's basketball coach Kellie Harper is returning to the Southeastern Conference next season as the newest head coach of the Mizzou Tigers.
Mizzou announced Tuesday that Harper has been named the fifth head coach in the history of their women's basketball program. She was fired last year after five seasons in charge of the Lady Vols and has recently worked as an analyst for SEC Network.
Lady Vols head to Columbus, Ohio to begin NCAA Tournament
The Sparta, Tennessee native was a standout point guard for the Lady Vols under Pat Summitt, playing 132 games and helping Tennessee win three straight national championships from 1996-1998.
She has a career record of 393-260 in 20 seasons as a head coach. Harper returns to the Show-Me state where she coached Missouri State for five seasons and led the Lady Bears to their first appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen since 2001 in her final season before rejoining Tennessee.
Harper will be tasked with improving a Mizzou team that hasn't had a winning record in SEC play since the 2018-2019 season.
THE LATEST: University of Tennessee Basketball news
'I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou,' Harper said in a statement on mutigers.com. 'Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program. Our family is excited to return to the state of Missouri. I look forward to working with our leadership and our student-athletes, building strong relationships throughout the community and winning championships in Columbia. The foundation is in place for success — and I can't wait to get started.'
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