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Which head coach will be the next Final Four newcomer?

By Jenn Hatfield

COLLEGE PARK, MD - MARCH 25: Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins signals to her players during a NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Second Round game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center Center on March 25, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - MARCH 25: Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins signals to her players during a NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Second Round game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center Center on March 25, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 30: Missouri State Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper looks on in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Third Round game between the Missouri State Lady Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 30: Missouri State Lady Bears head coach Kellie Harper looks on in game action during the Women’s NCAA Division I Championship – Third Round game between the Missouri State Lady Bears and the Stanford Cardinal on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Kellie Harper, Tennessee

This offseason, Tennessee replaced one Lady Vol (Holly Warlick) with another (Kellie Harper). Harper, née Jolly, played point guard for Pat Summitt from 1995-99, winning three NCAA championships. Fairly or not, she will be expected to bring the program back to those heights. She has several things going for her: first, she is a seasoned coach, with 285 career wins and 5 NCAA tournament appearances under her belt. She led Missouri State to the Sweet Sixteen this season, farther than Tennessee has advanced since 2016. For her efforts, Harper was named the 2019 Kay Yow Coach of the Year, which had to be especially poignant for her given that she succeeded Yow at NC State. That experience following a legend will also help Harper handle the scrutiny at her alma mater. And third, the Tennessee name still carries weight on the recruiting trail. Combine those things with the resources of an SEC school, and you have the makings of a program that could get back to the Final Four in a hurry.

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