What we learned from Kellie Harper’s introductory presser

Are y’all ready?

Mizzou Athletics introduced Kellie Harper as the fifth women’s basketball head coach in a packed to the brim Mizzou Arena practice gym on Monday. Between the opening statements, initial intro and breakout questions, Harper and athletic director Laird Veatch talked for a while. Here are the top things we learned from the first impressions of Coach Harper as a Tiger.

Why Kellie Harper?

The press conference kicked off with some words from Veatch along with Mike Williams, part of the Board of Curators.

Both speakers said the search went extremely smoothly, and that they got the correct candidate for the role.

“We had an incredibly deep pool. We were aligned with leadership from the very beginning and I was really, really pleased with the process from beginning to end,” Veatch said.

It’s not hard to see why. Starting at the beginning, Harper won three national titles during her time as a player under Pat Summitt. She was an integral part of those championship wins, averaging 7+ points and 4+ assists in her final three seasons.

“It’s like instant credibility,” Veatch said. “When you’re a player or a recruit and you’re looking at a coach, there is a difference when a coach has done it and done it not only themselves, but surrounded by others, and they played for…one of the best coaches of all time.”

Harper was eventually hired to her first head coaching job at the age of 27 at Western Carolina. She has held four separate coaching positions, taking each of those schools to the NCAA Tournament. This included a recent stint at her alma mater, taking the Tennessee to a pair of Sweet Sixteens.

One of the real things that stood out was that experience, particularly like you mentioned in the SEC,” Veatch said. “You cannot find anybody to say things bad about her.. And we tried, right? You know, when you call around, you do all your homework and due diligence, and it’s remarkable how well super respected she is in this league.”

Why Mizzou?

On the flipside, what brought Harper back to coaching after a year off working in TV with the SEC Network? There’s plenty of factors that went into the decision, but for Harper, it came down to a gut feeling.

“At the end of the day, I’m a basketball coach, and I knew that I needed to be back on the sidelines,” Harper said. “I know that there are still players out there that I can have a positive impact on, and I knew if I had the right opportunity, that I wanted to get back into coaching, and I wanted to be able to make that impact. And when Missouri called, I knew really, really quickly that this was the perfect, perfect fit for me. I’m honored to have a passion for this program, that I have to be able to lead this program.”

The year away from coaching not only made her realize that coaching was her true passion, but that she gushed at the idea of returning to the sidelines close to her roots. The Springfield, MO native said she would’ve entertained other job offers, but the flagship university in her home state felt like the best option, she said. Plus, MU’s willingness to invest in its women’s basketball program means that Harper — in theory, at least — has the resources to build a winning program at Mizzou.

“I’m just so happy,” Harper said. “I’m just cheesing because I just feel really good about what I know we’re going to be able to do here. Sometimes, it’s hard to put into words. But when you know it’s right, it’s just right.”

Kellie Harper poses with MU athletic director Laird Veatch (right) as she is introduced as MU’s new head women’s basketball coach on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Mizzou Arena. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M)

Meet the Staff

Of course, it’s not just Harper who’s new to Columbia. She has brought along three assistant coaches listed below (with their most previous job):

Jennifer Sullivan (Florida Atlantic Head Coach)

Kenzie Kostas (Missouri State Assistant Coach)

Liza Fruendt (Illinois Assistant Coach)

All three of these coaches previously served under Harper at either MO State or Tennessee. In fact, both Kostas and Fruendt played under Harper with the Lady Bears. Between the three of them they have 30 years of coaching experience, with plenty of stops and winning history.

“One of the things [Pat Summitt said] was surround yourself with good people,” Harper said. “You can be so much more successful when you’re around people that are going to elevate you. And that’s what this staff does. One, I trust them completely. Two, [they are] really good at what they do, and they’re not one dimensional. They are all very good on the court, they’re very good in the office, and they’re very good recruiters. Y’all, I hit a Grand Slam with my staff. And that’s who I wanted, those three sitting right there.”

Recruiting vs. Returners

So, what does the team look like in the first year under Harper? For one, there are still plenty of players left. Four Mizzou originals who can have a major impact as upperclassmen include Ashton Judd, Grace Slaughter, Abbey Schreacke and Averi Kroenke. All of these players are getting ready for their 3rd/4th year as a Tiger, and will be the ones leading the charge in this new era.

“[Our returners] is our number one goal,” Harper said. “I’m super excited about who we have here, and then we know we’ve got to address some needs on the court.”

Like Harper said, there are plenty of areas of needs for the Tigers this offseason. Currently Mizzou has SEVEN open roster spots, which must be filled in the portal later this month. Between the lack of experienced bigs and a need for extra point guards, expect Harper to bring in a plethora of players from a wide array of backgrounds.

“We’re really excited about who we think we can bring in, in terms of talent,” Harper said. They’re going to be great people, great teammates, and hopefully be elite competitors.”

The link to the full press conference is available here: