RALEIGH, N.C. — Kellie Harper didn’t need anyone to remind her about the pressure of following Kay Yow at North Carolina State. There were reminders everywhere Thursday, from the banners hanging in Reynolds Coliseum to Yow’s name on the court.
But she’s not going to shy away from the Hall of Famer’s legacy.
“Kay Yow is and will always be a legend,” Harper said shortly after being introduced as the Wolfpack’s new women’s basketball coach. “You obviously know that when you step foot on this campus. I respect what she has meant to this university, to this program. I can’t be her. I wish I could. She’s been tremendous.
“I have to be me. And that is, in my opinion, the best way that I can honor her.”
The hiring of the former Lady Vol represents a significant change in direction for the program Yow led for more than three decades before her death in January after a long fight against cancer. Yow had hoped for longtime assistant coach Stephanie Glance to get the job. The school conducted a search that ultimately focused on the 31-year-old Harper, who has spent the past five years at Western Carolina and was part of Tennessee’s three straight national championship teams 1996-98. She played for Tennessee as Kellie Jolly.
Harper compiled a 97-65 record while leading the Catamounts to two NCAA tournament bids and a pair of Southern Conference championships. N.C. State gave her a five-year contract with a base salary of $247,000.
Harper takes over one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s most traditionally successful programs, but one that slid in recent years while nearby rivals Duke and North Carolina became powerhouses.
“This team and staff has got to work hard to get where we want to go,” Harper said. “But we are accepting that challenge. We want to consistently compete for and win championships. We want to beat our neighbors who wear various shades of blue.”
Harper met with her players shortly before the news conference. The team immediately asked to see her Tennessee national championship rings.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Notre Dame beats Tennessee 72-44…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 36
volonthehill writes:
This was a very good hire.
thevoice writes:
Best wishes, Kellie.
tenmanjonez#561272 writes:
Living here in Raleigh and being an Avid UT Fan, this makes me immensely happy
rockytopron writes:
Perfect Choice!
Volunatic writes:
Pat Summitt's "coaching tree" gets another branch in Division 1A.
Congratulations, Kellie!
brmvol#231732 writes:
There is no division "1A" in college basketball - never has been. Western Carolina is a division 1 school, just like are UT and NC State.
D1A is a football only division, and it's actually called the football D1 bowl subdivision now, and not D1A. What used to be called D1-AA is now the D1 football playoff subdivision.
littleorange writes:
Congrats to Kellie ....wishing you success in the ACC
BamaVol writes:
Crawl back into the hole you came out of.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good luck, Kellie! I'm afraid you're going to need it. As much as all women's basketball fans respected the late Kay Yow, her health problems over the past several years basically killed NC State's recruiting and the program is currently nearer the bottom of the ACC than the top. There is also a sizable segment of the NC State fan base who are enraged that the current AD, Lee Fowler, rejected Yow's designated successor, long-time assistant Stephanie Glance. If anyone can overcome all this in a reasonable amount of time, Kellie has my vote, but she is going to have her hands full.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Or to Butchie about almost anything. No one cares what you think. In fact, your posts give no evidence that you do in fact think at all.
Rockytop38 writes:
Why would you think they would not give Stephanie Glance a shot at it after being an assistant under Yow for 15 years? Experience Maybe?
LadyVolFanForever writes:
Congrats Kellie. I wish you the best. You have never minded hard work and you never give up, you will do well at NC State !
VOLFORLIFE writes:
Kellie being from my hometown of Sparta AND being a Lady Vol to boot makes me extremely proud of her. As some have already noted, she not only has some huge shoes to fill, she's going to have to build the program back almost from the ground up. But hey, she's from the Pat Summitt mold! If anyone can do it, one of Pat's Ladies can.
Obviously the NC State brain trust believes in her as is evidenced by the base salary they're willing to pay her.
Best wishes, Kellie. We're all behind you. I've just become an NC State ladies' basketball fan.
Oh, and Butch. Just SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!
GO VOLS!!!
JUGHEAD
VOLFORLIFE writes:
By the way, how many have entertained the thought that perhaps Kellie might one day replace Pat when she's ready to hang up the sneakers? Ya never know, huh?
GO VOLS!!!
JUGHEAD
BigOrangeVol29 writes:
Congratulations to Kellie for getting the job and congrats to NC State for hiring what should be a very good coach. Granted, it will be hard for her to emerge from Kay Yow's shadow in one sense, but I hope she will embrace Yow's impact which I believe she will. Many Lady Vol fans across the US are pulling for you Kellie, we know you will make us all proud, you were always a class act. Best wishes to her.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
As far as I can tell, AD Lee Fowler wants to show that he's the boss, while growing numbers of NC State fans want to show HIM the door. I'm not a big NC State fan, but my impression from the local media is that the politics surrounding the athletic program is getting pretty bloody these days.
MillisaAnn writes:
Good Luck Kellie!!!
KCHS63 writes:
Actually, DUDE, you're pretty close to the Afgan rebels yourself if you think in terms like "chick sports."
VolInIndy writes:
Ouch, good one
GaytorHater writes:
Your family tree has no branches. It's all one trunk, inbred
BigOrangeJeff writes:
ButchIsBack, in response to Volunatic: "Now Geno gets to kick around the tree and the branches."
ButchIsBack, in response to brmvol#231732: "Dude, your talking to chick hoops fans. You might as well be talking to Afghan rebels about sports. The knowledge would be the same."
If Butch was smart enough to understand irony, I'd say this was a hilarious joke. As it stands, he is the joke.
dvsvol writes:
my, what a wealth of information! speaking for all of us, i hope, thank you for that tutorial... if i live long enough, i hope to know it all too.
BigOrangeVol writes:
Way to go KJ!
Ten years later Kellie still ranks in he Lady Vols Top Ten for career Three-Point Field Goal Percentage, Assists, Assist Average and favorite all-time players.
NCSU site:
"Harper has played a key role in eight conference tournament championships, six regular season conference titles and three national titles during her 14 years in college basketball as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Under Harper’s direction, Western Carolina compiled a 97-65 record and competed in three consecutive Southern Conference Tournament finals and won its second tourney title in 2008-09. The Catamounts had never won the league tourney before Harper’s tenure. The team eclipsed 20 wins for the third straight season and has been in postseason play four times in her five years as head coach: twice in the NCAA and twice in the WNIT. She coached seven players to 11 all-conference selections and two SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Players at WCU. The 2007 Southern Conference Coach of the Year has led her student-athletes to success in the classroom as well, as her 2007-08 squad ranked fifth in the WBCA Academic top-25 and the 2006-07 squad was 15th."
That's impressive! She was on a mission in those '97 and'98 NCAA Tourneys. We would not have won those titles without her.
She was a three-time Academic All-SEC honoree as well. So Kellie has every quality that anyone could possibly ask for in a young woman and coach. This hire was a no-brainer...even for a loathsome Vandy grad like Fowler!
BigOrangeVol writes:
Folks just ignore the bottom-feeding Butchie-boy and Little Mikey. Their masculinity is threatened by elementary school female athletes! What else do you expect from people with those types of mental and emotional instability and insecurity issues? They are a product of their environment and upbringing which obviously was extremely lacking in character as well as mature adult guidance. Pity them and their miserable existence because the only satisfaction they receive in life is posting their stupidity on a message board. How sad!
reachkim00 writes:
Congrats Kellie!
GO LADY VOLS!!
floridavolsfan writes:
Good Luck
floridavolsfan writes:
Tt is "small mike"
CTOWNICON writes:
This proves just how retarded you are. You don't know who the man you are obsessed with is going to have on the team.
brmvol#231732 writes:
I'm sorry that you take offense to something that is 100% factual. Some people do have an understanding of how things work, and others speak without any knowledge what so ever.
The point I made was that Kelly Jolly has already been a coach in the NCAA's division 1 for several years, which is the same division that both UT and NCState play in. It wasn't meant as a putdown to you or anybody, but only discussion based in fact. If that bothers you, then that's your problem, not mine.
AWOLVol writes:
Sad that some big news about one of our fine former players seems to devolve into sniping and bickering...
Go get 'em Kellie!!! You deserve your shot at a bigger school in a big-name conference!
brmvol#231732 writes:
Thank you. I sit corrected. I have heard a couple of coaches at that level refer to it as the playoff subdivision. You are correct, however. That's not the official NCAA title of the division.
That still doesn't negate the fact that my original point was that there is no D1A in collge basketball. It's all D1. Western Carolina, where Jolly coached, is a D1 basketball program, just like Tennessee and NCState are. She was already coaching in the highest level of NCAA basketball.
I wasn't correcting anybody, rather just pointing out factual information, but that seems to have just sailed right over some peoples heads.
vol4gzus writes:
What's your point? Oh, thats right there really isn't one since at this time it is all speculation anyway. I heard the olympic team will also get a free tour of ESPN. However, later reports are that the Uconn players are passing saying been there done that.
I hope our team does well whether Lady Vols are on it or not. Parker being a mommy might determine a different outcome. Also Tamika Catchings might get invite due to her tenacious D and rebounding. Oh well, as I said ,all speculation 4 now.
98reax writes:
How's he gonna coach from a prison cell?
BigRMan writes:
Montgomery will have no shot. Seimone Agustus, Lindsay Harding, Alexis Hornbuckle, Deanna Nolan, Alana Beard are ALL far better guards than Montgomery. Tameka Catchings has an excellent chance and should be on the 2012 team.
BigRMan writes:
Very happy for Harper. It's very fitting that one of Coach Summitt's prodigies will be given the chance to carry on for Coach Yow. Harper brings knowledge , enthusiasm, and integrity to a program that was built by one of the cornerstones of the women's game. Success to Kellie for as long as she stays at State.
BigRMan writes:
What Civil or Criminal laws has Geno fractured, other than recruiting violations. I know sanctions up to and including forfiture of games and scholarships is the maximum penalty that can be imposed on him and the UCON program-Hey 98-did you catch Geno with Vito Corleone or Tony Soprano? Or did he get caught smuggling olive oil in from Scicilly (sp?)
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