Kellie Harper’s time to restore Lady Vols basketball to glory is up after five seasons.
Athletic director Danny White announced Harper’s firing Monday, one week after the Lady Vols lost 79-72 to NC State in the NCAA Tournament second round.
“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,” 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.
“After seeking input from our student-athletes, I will begin an aggressive search process to find the next leader for our iconic women’s basketball program. To protect the integrity of this process, you will not hear from me until we are ready to announce our new head coach.”
Tennessee was consistently one of the top teams in SEC under Harper, but it couldn’t get over the hump to achieve the success of the past.
