Tennessee Tabs Harper To Return Home, Lead Lady Vol Basketball

Tennessee Tabs Harper To Return Home, Lead Lady Vol Basketball

Posted on April 9, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer announced Tuesday that 1999 UT graduate and women’s basketball standout Kellie (Jolly) Harper has been chosen as the new head coach of the Lady Volunteers. She will be formally introduced at a press conference on campus Wednesday.

The university and Harper have agreed to a five-year contract with annual compensation of $750,000 per year.

“I’m excited to have Kellie as our new women’s basketball coach,” Fulmer said. “She is a Lady Vol through and through. Her love of the game, her care and love for her players, and her loyalty to UT all came through during the interview process.

“Kellie has proven to be a winner at every stop in her career, taking three programs to the NCAA Tournament. She certainly knows the expectations that come with this job, as she has lived it herself.”

Harper becomes only the third Lady Vol head coach in the NCAA era of women’s basketball. She will take the reins at Tennessee after six years of leading the Missouri State Lady Bears, capped by this season’s impressive march to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and magical run to the NCAA Sweet 16.

“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be named the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols,” Harper said. “Tennessee holds a special place in my heart, and I am excited to embrace the legacy of this proud program. I can’t wait to help each player and this team be champions, on the court and off.”

A native of Sparta, Tenn., Harper played point guard for the legendary Pat Summitt at UT from 1995-99, starting 132 games and helping the Lady Vols win NCAA National Championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. She was part of a senior class that helped the Big Orange forge a 131-17 overall record as well as win two SEC regular season titles (1998, 1999) and three SEC Tournament crowns (1996, 1998, 1999).

One of only 11 women’s hoops skippers to lead three different schools to the NCAA Tournament, she has directed her teams to 12 postseason berths in her 15-year head coaching career.

Harper guided Missouri State to NCAA appearances in 2015-16 and 2018-19 with WNIT berths on three other occasions. She also led North Carolina State to the NCAA Tournament in 2009-10 (plus two WNIT appearances) and guided Western Carolina to NCAA berths in 2004-05 and 2008-09 (plus two trips to the WNIT).

Harper owns a 15-year head coaching record of 285-208, including five NCAA Tournament appearances and seven WNIT berths in that span. In 24 seasons as a Division I head coach, assistant coach or player, Harper has made 20 postseason appearances with a combined 533-261 record, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven WNIT bids.

She recorded a 118-79 won-lost record at Missouri State, claiming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament crowns in 2016 and 2019 and notching regular-season runner-up finishes in 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2018-19.

This year’s squad improved measurably as the season progressed, resiliently overcoming a 1-7 start to post the program’s best overall record (25-10) since 2004-05 and its top league mark (16-2) since 2003-04 with a 24-3 run over the final 27 contests.

The Lady Bears finished No. 24 in the final USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, which was their first national ranking in 15 years. Harper was named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year and also was chosen as the 2019 Kay Yow Coach of the Year. That award is presented annually to the Division I women’s head coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court.

Harper took over a MSU program that was coming off a 14-17 overall mark and 6-12 league mark in 2013-14. After a 14-17/8-10 slate in her first season in Springfield, the Lady Bears never finished lower than third in the league standings and made the postseason every year.

Three of her last four editions surpassed the 20-win plateau. Her final Lady Bears team developed into her best one with a late season spree that included victories over No. 21 Drake, No. 24 DePaul and No. 13 Iowa State and a nine-point loss to sixth-ranked Stanford in the Sweet 16. Harper’s 2018-19 squad featured only one senior and included 11 freshmen or sophomores on the 14-player roster.

In addition to making the NCAA Tournament this season, Harper took Missouri State back to the NCAA Tournament after a decade absence in 2015-16, guiding her third MSU squad to an MVC Tournament title and 24-10 overall record. Her program also defeated SEC programs Missouri (twice), Arkansas and Ole Miss during her time at MSU.

Prior to her arrival at Missouri State, Harper became just the third women’s basketball coach in North Carolina State history in 2009 and directed the Wolfpack to three postseason appearances and a 70-64 record during her four-year stint at the helm, including the 2010 NCAA Tournament. NC State joined Tobacco Road rivals Duke and North Carolina as the only Atlantic Coast Conference teams to score wins over the league’s other 11 teams during that span and earned six top-25 victories in four seasons.

Prior to her tenure in Raleigh, Harper piloted Western Carolina to a 97-65 record and four postseason berths in five seasons, including a 70-31 mark her final three years in Cullowhee. The Catamounts captured the first two Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament titles in school history while seven student-athletes captured all-conference honors during her tenure.

She earned 2007 SoCon Coach of the Year accolades and placed her squads in the WBCA Academic Top 25 on three occasions, including a fifth-place finish in 2007-08.

Before her first head coaching job, Harper spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Chattanooga, helping the Mocs to three consecutive Southern Conference championships, three NCAA appearances and a combined 78-15 record under head coach Wes Moore. She tutored four all-conference guards while at Chattanooga, including the 2004 league player of the year.

Prior to her time in Chattanooga, Harper spent two seasons at Auburn, the first as an administrative assistant before being promoted to assistant coach under Joe Ciampi for the 2000-01 campaign.

As a college player, Harper was part of a women’s basketball dynasty at Tennessee. As a junior, she guided the Lady Vols to a 39-0 record and their third-straight national championship, averaging 7.6 points and 3.8 assists for the season and scoring a career-high 20 points in the national title game against Louisiana Tech. She went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in that contest and was named to the 1998 All-Final Four Team.

Harper set an NCAA championship game record with 11 assists and dished out 20 helpers in two games for All-Final Four honors in 1997 after returning from a knee injury midway through her sophomore season. That year, the National Strength and Conditioning Association named her its Strength and Conditioning Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

For her Tennessee career, Harper scored 894 points and had 452 assists, leaving UT on the school’s career top 10 lists for assists, assist average, 3-point attempts and 3-point percentage. She still ranks seventh in career assists and is 10th in 3-point percentage (.364, 99-272).

Harper was drafted by the Cleveland Rockers in the fourth round of the 1999 WNBA draft and earned her degree in mathematics that same year. She was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and earned both All-SEC Coaches Second Team and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior. She also was named to the SEC Community Service Team as a senior.

She played for her father (the late Kenneth Jolly) at White County High School in Sparta, Tenn., and was a five-time All-American during her AAU playing career. She was inducted into the UT Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and White County High Hall of Fame in 2012.

Harper is married to Jon Harper, who served on her coaching staff at Western Carolina, NC State and Missouri State. The Harpers welcomed their first child, son Jackson, in November 2013, and had a daughter, Kiley, in June 2018.

 

UT Athletics

Brett Eldredge to Headline Nashville’s Free 4th of July Show

Brett Eldredge to Headline Nashville’s Free 4th of July Show

Posted on April 9, 2019

Brett Eldredge will headline downtown Nashville’s free Fourth of July celebration—Let Freedom Sing—on the nation’s 243rd birthday.

The main concert stage will be located at Fifth Avenue and Broadway and will include a DJ and live music starting at noon. Additional performers include Dylan Scott, Mac McAnally, The Joe West Band, Jessy Wilson and more.

Let Freedom Sing will also feature kid-friendly activities from noon to 5 p.m. and one of the largest fireworks shows in the country synchronized to a live performance by the Nashville Symphony at Ascend Amphitheater.

CMT will air a 90-minute live special that will include performances from Brett and the fireworks show.

photo by NCD

Tanya Tucker Pens Open Letter Detailing “Abuse and Neglect” at a Wisconsin Zoo

Tanya Tucker Pens Open Letter Detailing “Abuse and Neglect” at a Wisconsin Zoo

Posted on April 9, 2019

Tanya Tucker, in partnership with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, penned an open letter that details “abuse and neglect” she witnessed during a recent trip to the Special Memories Zoo in Greenville, Wis.

Areas of concern that Tanya mentioned include animals housed in filthy enclosures, lack of drinking water and food contaminated with fecal matter. Tanya also noted a number of possibly injured animals, including an endangered Bengal tiger, numerous birds and a giraffe.

“The zoo has moral and legal obligations to the animals who are confined and put on display but did not seem to care at all about these animals’ well-being,” said Tanya. “This situation has opened my eyes to the need for stronger laws to ensure captive and wild animals are properly cared for. We need better oversight of those who keep wild animals captive. We need more scrutiny over who is permitted to ‘own’ wild animals.”

Tanya is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the conditions and take action to ensure the animals get the care they need. In addition, concerned individuals can contact the USDA on Tanya’s behalf and urge the organization to investigate the zoo.

You can read Tanya’s open letter below.

To Whom it May Concern:

Recently, I witnessed the shocking and inhumane treatment of animals, including endangered species, at the Special Memories Zoo in Greenville, Wisconsin. I am writing this letter to alert local media, families, schools and anyone who may consider a visit to the Special Memories Zoo. Most importantly, I am asking for help to protect the zoo’s precious animals. It genuinely felt like we were walking through an animal hospice.

Then the reptile room was so filthy, and the stench was so overwhelming, it took our breath away. Plus, I did not see water in any of the animals’ cages.

Somebody has to take action, and I do not want to wait around while more abuse takes place.

As you might already know, I am a music artist and not an animal expert. But I do enjoy going to see animals, and I thought it would be a nice experience to go to the zoo with my children and members of my band while on a day off.

I am very glad I did, because that visit alerted me to the extremely poor conditions in which this zoo’s animals are kept—truly horrific, and impossible not to see and notice. The treatment of the animals was nothing close to humane. Both in terms of their environment and their health, the animals seemed neglected to the point of abuse.

I was excited to see “Tanya,” an endangered Bengal tiger who I was told was named after me. But it appeared Tanya’s leg was broken. When I raised this concern with the zookeeper, her response was, “Oh she’s just faking it.” This did not seem like a reasonable or truthful response, or explanation. Animals don’t just “fake it.”

“Tanya,” the tiger, wasn’t the only animal whose condition surprised and alarmed me. The pitiful Siberian bears were sitting in and surrounded by mounds of their own feces. In addition, the lions—also endangered species—were confined in a very small cage. There was some food in the cage, that zoo staff told me was raw meat—but it did not look like meat, and the lions did not touch it the entire time I was there.

The jaguar was so clearly frightened and was foaming at the mouth. The 5-year-old giraffe was confined to such a small space and was pacing constantly. This giraffe also appeared to have massive tumors right behind his front legs.

The bird room had several birds with what appeared to be broken wings. When asked about them, the zookeeper told me she couldn’t do anything for them and was not concerned in the least. The birds were just lying on the cage floor and to me it looked like they were dying slowly.

I am also concerned that the zoo is not sufficiently staffed. We met the zoo’s two owners and one zookeeper, but they were not attending to the animals. In fact, my entire time at Special Memories we never saw one person or caregiver with any of the animals. Plus, three people cannot take care of that many wild animals.

The zoo has moral and legal obligations to the animals who are confined and put on display but did not seem to care at all about these animals’ well-being.

I play a lot of concerts in Wisconsin. I love its warm friendly people—and I believe if they knew what was going on, they wouldn’t tolerate it. I know what I saw, and I know it needs changing.

This situation has opened my eyes to the need for stronger laws to ensure captive and wild animals are properly cared for. We need better oversight of those who keep wild animals captive. We need more scrutiny over who is permitted to “own” wild animals.

I am now urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the conditions at the Special Memories Zoo—and take action to ensure the animals get the diet and veterinary care they require. Join me in contacting the USDA by visiting www.aldf.org/HelpTanya.

This is where I’m starting, but it won’t be where I stop. I am a singer. I am just one voice. I am using that voice to speak up for these animals.

If the animals can’t be cared for properly, they should be left where they belong in the wild or with people that have the knowledge and means to properly care for them—so our children can gain knowledge from their visit and not sadness.

Very concerned and heartbroken,

Tanya Tucker

Nashville, Tennessee

photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

Maren Morris Featured on Upcoming “Game of Thrones” Soundtrack

Maren Morris Featured on Upcoming “Game of Thrones” Soundtrack

Posted on April 9, 2019

Maren Morris will be featured on the upcoming soundtrack for Season 8 of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones announced the news via Twitter, with Maren adding: “Let the Games begin…👑

In addition to Maren, the upcoming soundtrack, which will be released on April 26, features Lennon Stella (of Nashville‘s Lennon & Maisy), Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers and more.

photo by JPA, AFF-USA.com

Jimmy’s blog: Barnes might be only coach to turn down UCLA and Kentucky

Jimmy’s blog: Barnes might be only coach to turn down UCLA and Kentucky

Posted on April 9, 2019

By Jimmy Hyams

How many men’s basketball coaches have turned down blue-blood programs UCLA and Kentucky?

I know one: Rick Barnes.

In 2007, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, a former Tennessee associate athletic director, fired Tubby Smith and set his sights on Barnes.

Barnes had been at Texas nine years, one year removed from a 30-win season, four years removed from a Final Four.

Kentucky had won a national title in 1998 but had been in a nine-year drought from the Final Four.

The guy pegged to resurrect the program: Barnes.

But Barnes said no. He had fallen in love with Texas, with his athletic director DeLoss Dodds, with football coach Mack Brown, with baseball coach Augie Garrido, with the community.

Kentucky hired Billie Gillispie, whom it fired after two seasons.

Fast forward a dozen years.

UCLA came calling for Barnes. The Bruins were the most dominant program in college basketball history when Barnes was growing up, winning 10 national titles in 12 years. They added another in 1995.

UCLA indirectly contacted Barnes on Tuesday. Talks heated up later in the week and Barnes on Friday told his athletic director, Phillip Fulmer, about the possibility of going West.

UCLA offered about $5 million a year over five years. Barnes was making $3.25 million at Tennessee with a $100,000 built in annual raise.

“It was more than anything about the place,’’ Barnes said Tuesday of UCLA. “It was strictly the lure of growing up knowing what UCLA basketball stood for and the challenge of bringing it back.’’

UCLA’s challenge wasn’t necessarily to win a national championship in a few years or even make the Final Four.

“Just get us a coach we can pull for,’’ was the message UCLA alumni gave athletic director Dan Guerrero.

So UCLA went after Barnes – hard.

Barnes met with Fulmer Sunday night and Monday. The longer negotiations went on, the more likely it appeared Barnes would at Tennessee.

If he were going to UCLA, sources said, he was going to make that decision early afternoon on Monday.

The UCLA deal hit a snag when UCLA wanted to give Barnes a $4 million signing bonus, then have him pay Tennessee the buyout. That would mean Barnes would be taxed about $1.6 million: 40 percent of $4 million.

Despite Barnes calling UCLA “one of the five best jobs in the country,’’ he wasn’t on board with UCLA’s buyout strategy and opted to stay at UT.

“This is a special place,’’ Barnes said of Knoxville.

Barnes said he appreciated the way UT’s administration “treated me and worked with me’’ and gave him the space to make a decision.

After losing four pounds in three days due to anxiety, Barnes felt his best move was not to move.

The UCLA offer came out of nowhere. When Barnes signed his extension last year he said he didn’t request a buyout because “I wasn’t going anywhere.’’

Barnes’ challenge at Tennessee is continued success. His team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for four weeks. It won every home game. It won 19 in a row. It tied a school record with 31 wins. It set a school record with 57 wins in two seasons.

“Can we sustain it and get to another level?’’ Barnes said.

Barnes will try to sustain it this season without seniors Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander, and the possibility of losing point guard Jordan Bone and Grant Williams to the NBA.

Bone has already announced he will test the NBA waters.

Williams likely will do the same thing.

Barnes said that’s part of doing business.

“Every year, in college basketball, if you’re any good, you have to remake your roster,’’ Barnes said.

The terms of Barnes’ deal haven’t been make public but a source said it would likely exceed $4.5 million a year and be guaranteed over five or six years.

“Your team goal every year is to be the best team you can be and if you recruit well enough, you’ll have a chance to win a national championship,’’ said Barnes.

That from a coach who has turned down Kentucky and UCLA.

That from a coach whose return to Tennessee was the best news for the Vol Nation since 1997 – when Peyton Manning bypassed the NFL to play his senior season at Neyland Stadium.

Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all

Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” Is No. 1 for 7th Straight Week [1 Week From the Record]

Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” Is No. 1 for 7th Straight Week [1 Week From the Record]

Posted on April 9, 2019

Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the seventh straight week. The tune is now tied for the second-longest run atop the chart, which was created in 1990. Only Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and Lonestar’s “Amazed” have had longer runs at eight weeks.

“Beautiful Crazy,” which Luke co-penned with Wyatt B. Durrette and Robert Williford, is featured on the deluxe version of his debut album, This One’s for You Too.

With his latest No. 1, Luke is first country artist in history whose first five singles have reached No. 1, following previous chart-toppers “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away” and “She Got the Best of Me.”

Luke was recently named New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards. He is currently headlining his first arena tour dubbed the Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Statement from Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer

Statement from Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer

Posted on April 8, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

“The last few days have been interesting to say the least. One of the nation’s most tradition-rich college basketball programs identified what we here at Tennessee already knew—that Rick Barnes is one the game’s elite coaches and a program-changer. His incredible work here at Tennessee over the past four years illustrates that. Additionally, the impact that he and his wife, Candy, have made throughout this community has been immensely inspiring as well.

“The University of Tennessee and East Tennessee as a whole have developed an enhanced love and appreciation for our men’s basketball program and its culture under Rick’s leadership, and I’m thrilled that he will remain a part of our Tennessee Athletics family.

“I’m grateful to Rick and Candy, and I’m also grateful to our university leadership, which stepped up to show Rick how much he is valued and appreciated. Our commitment to basketball has never been stronger, and we’re all excited for the future as we move forward.”

 

UT Athletics

George Strait Scores Record-Setting 27th No. 1 Album on Billboard Country Chart

George Strait Scores Record-Setting 27th No. 1 Album on Billboard Country Chart

Posted on April 8, 2019

George Strait’s new 30th studio album, Honky Tonk Time Machine, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, selling 51,000 equivalent album units in its first week, according to Nielsen Music.

Honk Tonk Time Machine extends George’s record to 27 No. 1 albums on the chart. Both Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson are a distant second on the list with 17 No. 1 albums apiece.

Honky Tonk Time Machine also debuted at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

The new album features 13 songs, including 12 originals and a cover of Johnny Paycheck’s “Old Violin.” George co-penned eight of the tracks, including a duet with Willie Nelson, “Sing One With Willie.” Longtime collaboration Dean Dillon co-penned seven songs, while George’s son, Bubba, co-penned 10 tracks.

“It’s been about two years since I’ve released a record,” says George. “I hope everyone enjoys listening to Honky Tonk Time Machine as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Honky Tonk Time Machine Track Listing & Songwriters

  1. “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  2. “Two More Wishes” (Jim Lauderdale and Odie Blackmon”
  3. “Some Nights” (Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Phillip White)
  4. “God and Country Music” with Harvey Strait (Luke Laird, Barry Dean and Lori McKenna)
  5. “Blue Water” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  6. “Sometimes Love” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  7. “Código” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  8. “Old Violin” (Johnny Paycheck)
  9. “Take Me Away” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  10. “The Weight of the Badge” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Dean Dillon)
  11. “Honky Tonk Time Machine” (Bubba Strait, Brice Long and Bart Butler)
  12. “What Goes Up” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Jeff Hyde)
  13. “Sing One with Willie” featuring Willie Nelson (George Strait, Willie Nelson, Bubba Strait and Buddy Cannon)

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

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