Harper Introduced as NC State Coach

((HT: WRAL-TV))

N.C. State's new women's basketball coach Kellie Harper plans to start recruiting immediately.

“House-hunting – that’s on the back-burner right now,” Harper said during a news conference Thursday in which she was introduced to the Wolfpack community

Harper won three national championships during her playing days, as a guard at the University of Tennessee from 1996-98. In the past five seasons, Harper has guided Western Carolina to a pair of NCAA tournaments, two Southern Conference titles and a 97-65 record.

Harper will replace legendary coach Kay Yow, who died in January.

Yow, who was synonymous with the Wolfpack women, had pushed to have Stephanie Glance, her top assistant, named to the position. Instead, athletics director Lee Fowler launched the search that landed Harper.

“Our beloved Kay Yow built a program with rich tradition and I believe that Kellie Harper is the person to build on that legacy and move our program into the future,” Fowler said in a release.

Here's the entire press conference...


Stephanie Glance is understandably disappointed...
WRAL's Dane Huffman addresses the first Harper presser...

NC State Set To Hire A New Women's Basketball Coach

According to OSG sources in Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina State will hire Kellie Harper as the new women's basketball head coach for the Wolfpack.

NC State has called a press conference for 4:30pm eastern tomorrow to introduce Harper.

Harper has spent the last 5 seasons as head coach at Western Carolina were she has led the Catamounts to a pair of Southern Conference titles along with 2 NCAA tournament appearances.

Those sources also tell OSG Sports that Harper's hiring is not sitting well with some in the Wolfpack family including Kay Yow's brother Ronnie Yow who says her late sister wanted her top assistant, Stephanie Glance, to succeed her.

Ronnie Yow even produced a letter written by his late sister to NC State Chancellor James L. Oblinger and athletic director Lee Fowler 2 years ago expressing her wishes.

((Photo Courtesy: AP))

Dan Bowens has the story from our friends at WRAL-TV...
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