Former Tennessee player and coach Kellie Harper has been hired as the new coach for Missouri women’s basketball, the school announced Tuesday.
Harper will be returning to the Show-Me State where she spent 2013-19 at Missouri State. She took the Bears to the Sweet 16 in 2019 and was then hired to replace Holly Warlick at Tennessee.
Harper went 108-52 in five years with the Lady Vols, making the NCAA Sweet 16 twice. She was fired after last season when Tennessee went 20-13 overall and 10-6 in the SEC and lost in the NCAA tournament second round to eventual Final Four team NC State.
“Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program,” Harper said in a statement. “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’s ties to the…
