The firing of Kellie Harper has sparked allegations of sexism from one reader.
The Lady Vols have brought in a new basketball coach, Kim Caldwell, but some of my readers are still clinging to the memory of the former coach, Kellie Harper.
Duke, however, is enthusiastic about the hiring of another West Virginia native. He shares, “Like you, I was impressed with Kim Caldwell’s presser. I am also from West Virginia. I went to West Virginia State University. They were part of the WVIAC, as was Glenville State. I’m impressed with what she did at Glenville. That’s no small thing.”
Reflecting on Caldwell’s interview, I responded, “No setup, but it did elicit a good response. I asked if she thought her system – full-court pressure and an up-tempo, 3-point offense – would have to be modified when she moved up to a higher level of basketball. Her answer: ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think we could do it here.’ I like her confidence and believe her style of play should be highly entertaining. But the players Harper left behind won’t all be a good fit for Caldwell’s system. Transfers are needed.”
David weighed in, stating, “I agree that Harper should have been removed and in fact should never have been given the position to start with. Like many Vol fans, I liked her from a personal standpoint and so much wanted her to do well. It was not to be. Call me an old softie, but I prefer referring to Kellie Harper’s departure as ‘Relieved’ of her responsibilities rather than being ‘Fired’. She deserves as much respect as possible.” To which I replied, “If you want to feel better about this, tell yourself: ‘Kellie Harper won the lottery.’ Her buyout was more than $2 million.”
Joe expressed his thoughts, stating, “I wasn’t a Harper fan, too many histrionics on the sideline, but firing her the day her buyout drops by $1 mill. That’s pretty low for a relatively successful coach and an alum who won three championships as a player. No story there?” My response was, “Low? It’s good business. Hasn’t Tennessee paid out enough money to fired coaches through the years? As I just mentioned, she received more than $2 million in severance. If she had been fired a day sooner, she would have received more than $3 million.”
Jim offered a perspective on gender dynamics, remarking, “The thing that’s interesting about athletic director Danny White and Kellie Harper is how the male coach keeps his job yet the female gets fired.” To which I countered, “What a creative take. Thanks for making a point that was overlooked by my huge contingent of literary contributors. They will be so jealous when they read this.”
Lastly, Mike expressed his disagreement on another matter, stating, “I disagree with your reader who still refers to the University of Memphis as Memphis State. I will always call it ‘Tiger High’ or ‘THS’.” My response? “I thought Memphis had outgrown that unflattering nickname. Wonder if that’s why the Big 12 hasn’t been receptive to adding Memphis to its ever-growing conference.”
