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 Former Tennessee point guard and Chattanooga assistant coach Kellie Jolly Harper has been named Western Carolina's new head women's basketball coach. |
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April 22, 2004
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina University athletics director Jeff Compher has announced today that Kellie Harper, former assistant coach at Southern Conference rival Chattanooga, will be the new head women's basketball coach to lead the Catamounts into the 2004-05 season. Harper becomes the 10th head coach in the program's history as WCU prepares to enter its 40th year of women's basketball.
Harper replaces former WCU head coach Beth Dunkenberger who was named the head coach at Virginia Tech on Apr. 6. Dunkenberger spent four years at the helm of the Catamounts, compiling a 65-50 overall record to finish as the second winningest coach in the program's history.
"We are extremely pleased to have Kellie Harper as our new head coach for our women's basketball program," Compher said of the Sparta, Tenn., native. "I believe she has what it takes to build on the foundation that Beth established and will lead our program to the next level competitively. I was fortunate to see her play at Tennessee on several occasions. In my opinion, she was one of the best floor leaders I have ever seen on the basketball court. Kellie also showed poise, determination and a winning attitude that has transferred into her coaching style in a most effective way. Wherever she goes, championships seem to follow. I am excited for the future of our program and feel fortunate to have Kellie leading the Lady Cats."
Harper is no stranger, and certainly no rookie, to the world of women's basketball. Harper, whose maiden name was Kellie Jolly, was a three-year starting point guard for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. She helped guide Tennessee to an unprecedented three consecutive national championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Harper quickly instilled that confidence and enthusiasm in the Lady Mocs program when she joined the Chattanooga staff in the summer of 2001.
"I've learned very quickly that Western Carolina is a great place to be and I'm very thankful for this opportunity," Harper said at a Thursday press conference to announce her appointment. "We're so excited to get started and get to know the current players. That's our number one priority. They need to know who their coaches are before they go home for the summer. We have a lot of challenges in front of us with seven new players coming in and we'll look for great senior leadership to take this team to the next level. We're going to work hard as a team and a group to be representatives of this University that everyone can be proud of both on and off the court."
Harper just completed her third year as an assistant at Chattanooga where she helped the Mocs to three consecutive SoCon Championships. While at Chattanooga, she worked primarily with the perimeter players, which have included 2004 Player of the Year and tournament MVP Katasha Brown, two-time tournament MVP and All-Conference guard Miranda Warfield, along with two other all-league players. In 2004 the Lady Mocs finished with a 29-3 overall record (including the nation's longest winning streak at 27 games), ended with a perfect 20-0 league record and became the first SoCon women's basketball team to ever win an NCAA tournament game when the Mocs defeated Rutgers (74-69) in the first round of the 2004 tournament, which Chattanooga hosted.
"I think Kellie is one of the young up-and-coming coaches in women's basketball," Chattanooga head coach Wes Moore said of his former assistant. "With her playing for Pat Summitt, I think Western Carolina is getting a great coach with a lot of great attributes. She's more than just a name. I think she's going to be an outstanding coach for years to come and what's great is that Kellie's an even better person. Good people have a way of being successful and she's quality, through and through."
Prior to her stint at Chattanooga, Harper spent two years on the Auburn staff from 1999-2001, quickly moving from administrative assistant the first year to assistant coach in 2000-01. She made her way to Auburn after a very successful playing career at Tennessee.
"Kellie was already a coach on the floor when she played at Tennessee and her decision-making skills were outstanding," former Auburn head coach Joe Ciampi said of his former assistant. "At Auburn, her ability in selecting players that fit into our system was spectacular and we are so happy for her and wish her the best as a head coach."
As a senior in 1998-99, Harper earned All-America status as an honorable mention selection by the Associated Press after averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 assists. She was also a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection.
As a junior, she averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 assists in guiding the Lady Vols to a perfect 39-0 record. In the national championship game against Louisiana Tech, she poured in a career-high 20 points and hit four of five 3-pointers. She did not miss a free throw during the NCAA Tournament, nailing 14 in a row. Her prowess earned her a spot on the All-Final Four team, plus she was voted by her teammates to receive the Gloria Ray Leadership Award and by the staff to receive the "Coaches Award."
Harper became the team's emotional and inspirational leader in 1997. After missing the first 16 games of her sophomore season due to injury, she returned to help the Lady Vols win the second of their three NCAA Championships during her time with the team. In the NCAA Final against Old Dominion, she dished out a championship-game record 11 assists and was named to the Final Four All-Tournament team with a record 20 assists in two games. She was also selected to the NCAA All-Midwest Regional Tournament team. In 1995-96, she was the co-recipient of the team's "Sixth Player Award."
The National Strength and Conditioning Association named Harper as its "Strength and Conditioning Female Athlete of the Year" at Tennessee in 1997 plus, she was selected by the Lady Vols coaching staff for the "Coaches Award" and she was also selected to the NSCA All-America team.
"Kellie Harper is a great young talent for the coaching profession and having the opportunity to coach her and follow her success as an assistant at Chattanooga, I knew it was just a matter of time," University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt said of her former standout player. "Kellie was every coach's dream as a point guard and I know she will work hard in all aspects of this position from recruiting to continuing to build a great program. Western Carolina has made an excellent decision in hiring Kellie."
For her career, Harper tallied 894 points and 450 assists. At graduation, she ranked in the school's Top 10 lists in assists, assists per game (3.41), 3-point field goals (99), 3-point field goal attempts (272) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.1). She was drafted in the fourth round of the 1999 WNBA draft by the Cleveland Rockers.
A 1999 graduate of Tennessee, Harper received her bachelor's degree in mathematics. She is a three-time Academic All-SEC honoree.
"I do believe in working hard," Harper said. "I've had great teachers in Pat Summitt, Joe Ciampi and Wes Moore. They are all great examples of hard work and dedication and have been the foundation for my coaching career. I've been able to take bits and pieces from each of them to form my own philosophy and now see a new vision for this program. We're ready for this challenge and we want to continue to make Western Carolina athletics the best place for a student-athlete in the Southern Conference."
Harper helped White County High School become a regular fixture at the Tennessee State Tournament in the early 1990s. Prior to the 1994-95 season, she was named to the Street & Smith's preseason All-America third team. She earned MVP honors at the Roundball Classic in April 1995 as the Pennsylvania All-Stars played the Tennessee All-Stars. She was also named to the all-tournament team in Region 4-AAA and a fourth-team Parade All-American.
Harper had abundant experience as an AAU player. Throughout her eight years of playing AAU ball, Harper's teams won three gold medals (1988, 1990 and 1994), three silver medals and had one fifth-place finish. In January 1994, she was awarded the 1992 Merton Baker Memorial Award for the Southeastern Association AAU MVP. She was a five-time All-American and a two-time MVP during her lengthy AAU career.
In high school, she was elected Most Athletic and was the recipient of the Daughter's of the American Revolution's Good Citizen Award. She graduated third in her high school class and was a member of the Beta Club.
She was born Kellie Jean Jolly on May 3, 1977, in Cookeville, Tenn. She was married to Jon Harper, also a Lady Mocs assistant coach over the past three seasons, on May 15, 1999.
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