Latest news with #KellieHarper
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kellie Harper feeling at home in Missouri
Hello everyone, I'm Dan Lucy on the Ozarks First digital desk. A former Missouri State Lady Bear coach was back in the Ozarks. In our Bear Nation update. Kellie Harper was back in her old stomping grounds Thursday as part of the 'Mizzou to You' tour. It's a coaches caravan. Mizzou hired Harper in March to coach the Lady Tigers. Harper won two Valley tournament titles in her six seasons with the Lady Bears. Kellie Harper/Mizzou coach: (talks about memories comibng back to Springfield.) The Lady Bears and Mizzou played each other for 12 straight years. But they didn't play last season, and they're not on next season's schedule. For more sports watch Ozarks First news at nine and ten. and I'll see you then. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou WBB lands 3rd commit this week in FAU's Sydney Mains
After building out her new starting five, new Mizzou WBB coach Kellie Harper faced a different question; what would she do with the remaining six roster spots. Her first depth commit is close to home, in redshirt freshman Sydney Mains of FAU; originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. Advertisement Mains comes to the the team following assistant coach Jennifer Sullivan, who originally recruited and coached her during her freshman year. She saw good minutes in her first two games, averaging 12.5 minutes and 3 points. But her season was cut short after suffering an injury early in a game against North Florida. Injuries have been an issue for Mains, as she suffered a partial tear in her ACL, MCL and PCL early in her high school career at Knoxville Catholic. But that didn't stop her from being one of the best players in the area, tabbed as The Knoxville Focus / Coaches' Knox County Player of the Year while averaging 18.5 points. This scoring onslaught was persistent, as she finished her time at Knoxville Catholic with over 2,000 points while being coached by her dad and winning two state championships. Mains has a huge amount of potential if she can stay healthy and can provide some legitimate size on the wings. Mains is the fourth transfer portal commit of the Kellie Harper era, joining Shannon Dowell (Illinois State), Jordana Reisma (Cleveland State) and Saniya Tyler (Kentucky). Harper now has five remaining scholarship spots to fill out the rest of the roster. Up-to-date scholarship chart for Mizzou WBB. More from
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why this win was so sweet for Lady Vols basketball, new coach Kim Caldwell
Nobody makes plans for a parade when the Lady Vols reach the Sweet 16 of an NCAA tournament. That much success is expected of a program that has won eight national championships and never failed to qualify for the tournament. In fact, a coach could lead Tennessee basketball to the Sweet 16 and get fired in the same season. Former coach Kellie Harper can vouch for that after last season. But not all Sweet 16s are alike, and this one seemed sweeter that most after the No. 5 seed Lady Vols shook off a shaky start and a furious second-half surge from No. 4 seed Ohio State on the Buckeyes' home court Sunday. UT's 82-67 victory propelled it into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. That might not be worthy of a parade at a program that has won so much. But it's worth a celebration when you weigh the accomplishments in what qualified as a transitional season. Tennessee athletic director Danny White should be leading the cheers. He's the one who took a chance on coach Kim Caldwell, who won big at Division II Glenville State and in one season at Marshall but had no experience at the SEC level. He believed more in her winning than where she won. One season later, she's still winning. And there's plenty of credit to go around – for the young coach and her staff as well as the returning players. They bought into Caldwell's unorthodox system that features a barrage of 3-pointers, full-court defense, and a 10- or 11-player rotation that defies the norm of college basketball. They weren't the only ones who took a leap of faith with a new coach. Transfers joined up, too. Together, they're 24-9 with the Sweet 16 still to come. Now, back to the shaky start I mentioned. Ohio State looked more confident and comfortable in the opening minutes when it took a 16-5 lead. But if you have followed the Lady Vols throughout this season, you probably didn't overreact to their troublesome beginning. Sometimes, against the best teams on their demanding schedule, they appeared headed for the wrong end of a blowout. However, when momentum and the score were building against them, they rarely collapsed. They also showed their resilience in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Tennessee entered the tournament having lost three of its last four games. The losses cost it a fourth seed and an opportunity to host first- and second-round games at Food City Center. That late-season fade didn't steal the Lady Vols' resolve. They were at their best in a first-round 101-66 victory over South Florida in which they made 16 of 37 3-point attempts. They also threatened to run away from Ohio State when they raced to a 14-point lead in the third quarter. Then, back came the Buckeyes. They outscored Tennessee 19-2 and forged a 56-56 tie with three minutes to play in the third quarter. That charge seemingly took more out of Ohio State than Tennessee, though. The Lady Vols regained their footing, pulled away down the stretch and registered a win for Caldwell's system when they finished off the Buckeyes. They used 11 players, made 10 3-pointers, and forced 23 turnovers. They also looked like a team that might have more to celebrate before it's done. John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or Follow him at: This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why this Sweet 16 is so sweet for Lady Vols, new coach Kim Caldwell
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou picks Harper to lead Tigers
COLUMBIA, Mo–Lady Bear coach Beth Cunningham's name was not in the mix at Mizzou. But Kellie Harper's name was. And Tuesday the Tigers announced that Harper will be Mizzou's next women's basketball coach. She'll be introduced in the next few days. Harper was out of coaching last season after five years at her alma mater Tennessee. Of course before that, Harper coached at Missouri State from 2013 to 2019. She led the Lady Bears to two NCAA tournaments including a Sweet 16 run in 2019. Kellie Harper has 29 full seasons as a division one coach and made 24 post season appearances in that time. Harper is one of only two coaches to lead four different programs to the NCAA tournament. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Missouri hires ex-Vols coach Kellie Harper
March 19 - Missouri hired Kellie Harper, most recently the head coach at Tennessee, to take over its women's basketball program Tuesday. Harper replaces Robin Pingeton, who stepped down at the end of the Tigers' 2024-25 season. Harper, 47, was out of coaching this season after five seasons at her alma mater, Tennessee. Despite guiding the Lady Volunteers to four straight NCAA Tournaments (her first season ended with the COVID-19 cancellation of the postseason) and posting a 108-52 record, she was fired in 2024. Harper previously held head coaching roles at Western Carolina (2004-09), North Carolina State (2009-13) and Missouri State (2013-19). She took each program to at least one NCAA Tournament, with nine appearances in all, including a Sweet 16 with Missouri State. "I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou," Harper said in a statement. "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." Harper holds a 393-260 record all-time as a Division I head coach. "Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the 'Will to Win' necessary to succeed at the sport's highest level," Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch said in a statement. "She is nationally respected, and her experience in the SEC, her deep ties to the state of Missouri and her ability to recruit and develop championship-level players make her the ideal leader for our program. We are incredibly excited about the future of Mizzou Women's Basketball under her leadership."
