The rebuild continues
Kellie Harper got her first active commitment to the University of Tennessee by adding junior college post player Jaiden McCoy to the roster, the team announced this week.
In 2018-2019, the Lady Vols had eleven players on their roster.
Since the dismissal of former head coach Holly Warwick, the Lady Vols have had two players transfer, including standout point guard Evina Westbrook and freshman forward Mimi Collins.
More from NCAA
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, April 6: Stanford defeats Arizona in a tightly contested matchup to win the national title
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 30: UConn and Baylor deliver a classic battle of storied programs
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 26: Louisville and Texas A&M survive and advance
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 23: Highlights from the first round of the NCAA Tournament
- Your Day in Women’s Basketball, March 16: Tournament bracket released
Along with the departure of Westbrook and Collins, the Lady Vols also lost seniors Cheridene Green and Meme Jackson to graduation.
Per junior college transfer rules, McCoy will be eligible to suit up for the Lady Vols in the 2019-2020 season.
With the addition of McCoy, the Lady Vols now have eight active players on their roster.
Getting to Know McCoy
McCoy has had quite the story behind how she landed at the University of Tennessee.
The 6’3 post player is a Knoxville Tennessee native, but being a Lady Vol was not in her original plans.
Out of high school McCoy was committed to Louisiana Tech. Once former Louisiana Tech head coach Tyler Summit stepped down, McCoy chose to take a different route, and signed with Virginia Tech.
That year, Virginia Tech also faced a coaching change, ultimately making McCoy decide to go the junior college route.
In 2017-2018, McCoy would only play four games before suffering a broken hip.
Last season at Northwest Florida State College McCoy averaged 10.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, (85 total offensive rebounds), and accumulated 31 blocks.
Although McCoy has only one full junior college season under her belt, she will not be completely new to the physicality and grind of what it takes to be a college player.
Her experience in junior college could be a fairly good addition to help a team out that is seeking a year of rebuilding after finishing with an overall record of 19-13 a season ago.
Coaching Staff Update
Along with the addition of McCoy, coach Kellie Harper has also completed the hiring of her full-time staff, bringing on Jessica Jackson, Catherine Greene, and Tyler Watson.
Jackson takes over the director of recruiting operations, Greene will work as the director of basketball operations, and Watson will be the head strength and conditioning coach for the Lady Vols.
Love our 24/7 women’s basketball coverage? Join our Patreon now and support this work, while getting extra goodies and subscriber-only content for yourself.