Kellie Harper spent four seasons learning and playing under the late great Pat Summit. She acted as the floor generals for one of the greatest dynasties in collegiate basketball history during her time playing for the Lady Vols. Harper started at the one in the latter two seasons of Tennessee’s three-peat National Championship run from 1996-98, the last being the iconic 39-0 undefeated title run.
Across her 20-plus seasons as a head coach at the Division I ranks, Harper has made five separate stops — Missouri marking her fifth and current position. She began her career with runs at Western Carolina, NC State and Missouri State before ultimately returning home to Knoxville in 2019 to become just the third Lady Vols head coach of the modern era.
Harper’s tenure spearheading her alma mater came to an abrupt end in 2024 due to postseason struggles, and she was unable to return the team to the glory of her own playing days. Her departure from the program also marked her move from the sidelines to the bench, until she received a call to steer Missouri into a new era of Tigers basketball…