Former Lady Vols basketball coach Kellie Harper has been hired as the new Missouri coach, Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch announced Tuesday.
Harper, 47, will replace Robin Pingeton, who announced in February she would resign at the end of the season. Pingeton was 249-216 in 15 seasons and 14-18 this season.
“I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou,” Harper said in a school release. “Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program. Our family is excited to return to the state of Missouri. I look forward to working with our leadership and our student-athletes, building strong relationships throughout the community and winning championships in Columbia. The foundation is in place for success — and I can’t wait to get started.”
Harper, who was fired by Tennessee last April, was the coach at her alma mater for five seasons. She spent the 2024-25 season away from coaching and made regular appearances on SEC Network as a studio analyst.
“Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the ‘Will to Win’ necessary to succeed at the sport’s highest level,” Veath said. “She is nationally respected, and her experience in the SEC, her deep ties to the state of Missouri and her ability to recruit and develop championship-level players make her the ideal leader for our program.”
Harper is no stranger to Missouri. She coached at Missouri State from 2013-19 prior to being hired by the Lady Vols. She went 118-79 over her six seasons there, leading the Bears to NCAA tournament appearances in 2016 and 2019. Missouri State played in the WNIT in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Harper was named the MVC Coach of the Year and Kay Yow Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading the Bears to an upset over Iowa State to reach the NCAA Sweet 16.
Harper’s record at UT was 108-52 and 53-24 in SEC play. She led the Lady Vols to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023 for the first time since 2015 and 2016. Tennessee never finished below fourth in the SEC during Harper’s tenure.
Her first head coaching job was at Western Carolina, which made the NCAA tournament in her first and last seasons there. She spent four seasons as an assistant at Auburn and Chattanooga before getting hired at WCU.
