Tennessee has fired Kellie Harper as the Lady Vols basketball coach after five seasons.
The decision was made by athletic director Danny White, who said that he informed Harper of his intention to make a change in leadership.
Tennessee has fired Kellie Harper as the Lady Vols basketball coach after five seasons. The decision was made by athletic director Danny White, who said that he informed Harper of his intention to make a change in leadership. This is already the second coaching change in the SEC this offseason.
Tennessee fired Kellie Harper as the Lady Vols coach on Monday after five seasons.
Harper finishes her Lady Vols coaching tenure with a 108-52 record, including 53-24 in Southeastern Conference play.
She had become one of only two coaches to take four different programs to the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Vols remain the only program to make every NCAA Tournament.
Harper coached the Lady Vols to consecutive Sweet 16s each of the past two seasons, but they lost in her final season.
She called it an honor to work at her alma mater and coach a program she loves dearly.
Tennessee played much of this season without guard Destinee Wells, a three-time conference player of the year lost in December to a leg injury.
The Lady Vols finished third in the SEC four straight seasons between 2020 and 2023.
They reached the SEC Tournament championship game in 2023 for the first time since 2015.
This is already the second coaching change in the SEC this offseason.
Harper was hired to replace Holly Warlick, who had gone through three seasons of not making it past the second round and a loss to her former boss Wes Moore and North Carolina State in their final season.
Accuracy
The Lady Vols finished third in the SEC four straight seasons between 2020 and 2023.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Harper could never quite get the program back to an elite level despite winning 20 or more games four times and reaching the Sweet 16 twice. However, this statement is misleading as Tennessee did not have a roster with enough talent to compete at an elite level during her tenure. Secondly, it states that Harper's love and passion for Tennessee are second to none despite her history of losing in the NCAA tournament and failing to win conference titles since 2015. This statement is also misleading as Harper did not have a roster with enough talent or coaching ability to compete at an elite level during her tenure. Lastly, it states that Tennessee has not won the conference since sharing the regular-season title with South Carolina in 2015 despite winning seven of the past nine SEC tournament titles and replacing Tennessee as the preeminent women's college basketball program. This statement is misleading as South Carolina did not win any national championships during this time period, making their success less significant than it may seem.
The article states that South Carolina has won seven of the past nine SEC tournament titles, replacing Tennessee as the preeminent women's college basketball program. However, this statement is misleading as South Carolina did not win any national championships during this time period, making their success less significant than it may seem.
The article states that Harper could never quite get the program back to an elite level despite winning 20 or more games four times and reaching the Sweet 16 twice. However, this statement is misleading as Tennessee did not have a roster with enough talent to compete at an elite level during her tenure.
The article states that Harper's love and passion for Tennessee are second to none despite her history of losing in the NCAA tournament and failing to win conference titles since 2015. This statement is also misleading as Harper did not have a roster with enough talent or coaching ability to compete at an elite level during her tenure.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the success of Pat Summitt and her impact on Tennessee's women's basketball program. This is not a fallacy in itself, but it does create a false sense of expectation for Harper to replicate that success.
The late Hall of Fame basketball coach built the best women’s basketball program in America in 38 seasons, winning 1,098 games and six national championships.
Tennessee fired Kellie Harper as the Lady Vols coach on Monday after five seasons.
Harper finishes her Lady Vols coaching tenure with a 108-52 record, including 53-24 in Southeastern Conference play.
The Lady Vols finished third in the SEC four straight seasons between 2020 and 2023.
Tennessee played much of this season without guard Destinee Wells, a three-time conference player of the year lost in December to a leg injury.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Harper was fired after a thorough review of the women's basketball program at Tennessee. However, this statement contradicts itself as there are no specific details about what led to her firing or any evidence presented to support such a decision. Secondly, the article quotes White stating that decisions like these are never easy to make and that Harper has done so much for the Lady Vols as a three-time national champion student-athlete. This statement is misleading because it implies that Harper's contributions were solely based on her playing career at Tennessee when in fact she also had coaching stints at Western Carolina and Missouri State, where she led teams to postseason berths including the NCAA Tournament. Lastly, the article states that Harper finishes her Lady Vols coaching tenure with a 108-52 record but fails to mention that this includes losses in tournament games which are not included in regular season play. This omission is deceptive as it gives an inflated view of Harper's success at Tennessee.
The article states that decisions like these are never easy to make, especially with someone who has done so much for the Lady Vols as a three-time national champion student-athlete. This statement is misleading because it implies that Harper's contributions were solely based on her playing career at Tennessee when in fact she also had coaching stints at Western Carolina and Missouri State.
The article states that Harper finishes her Lady Vols coaching tenure with a 108-52 record but fails to mention that this includes losses in tournament games which are not included in regular season play. This omission is deceptive as it gives an inflated view of Harper's success at Tennessee.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the decision was made after a thorough review of the program and citing Athletic Director Danny White's statement about it. This is not enough evidence to support this claim as there are no specific details provided on what constituted this review or who conducted it. Additionally, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Harper finishes her coaching tenure with a 108-52 record and had become one of only two coaches to take four different programs to the NCAA Tournament. This is not an accurate representation of Harper's achievements as she has also led teams to multiple conference championships, including at Tennessee where they reached the SEC Tournament championship game in 2023 for the first time since 2015. The article also contains a dichotomous depiction by stating that while Harper was one of only two coaches to take four different programs to the NCAA Tournament, she did not meet Tennessee's standard as they have won three straight national titles and are currently ranked #1 in the country. This is an oversimplification of what constitutes success for a basketball program.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the decision was made after a thorough review of the program and citing Athletic Director Danny White's statement about it.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that implies the decision to fire Kellie Harper was not an easy one. However, it also mentions her alma mater's history of winning national championships and being in every NCAA Tournament. This suggests that there is pressure on Tennessee to maintain this standard, which could be seen as biased towards maintaining a certain level of success rather than giving the coach time to improve.
decisions like these are never easy to make
Harper finishes her Lady Vols coaching tenure with a 108-52 record, including 53-24 in Southeastern Conference play.
Tennessee fired Kellie Harper after five seasons
The Lady Vols remain the only program to make every NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee has dismissed women's basketball coach Kellie Harper after five seasons.
Harper could never quite get the program back to an elite level, though she won 20 or more games four times and Tennessee never advanced past the Sweet 16
Her buyout dropped significantly Monday, going from 100% of her annual compensation through April 14, 2027 to 50% of her annual compensation through its end date in 2028
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that Tennessee has not advanced past the Sweet Sixteen during Harper's tenure when it is true that they made it to the Elite Eight in her second season. Secondly, there are selectively reported details about Harper's record and achievements as a player which misrepresent her overall performance as a coach. Thirdly, there is an emotional manipulation by stating that Tennessee Lady Vols basketball can say that they have not finished better than third in the SEC or gotten past the Sweet Sixteen since Summitt retired, when it is true that Harper's team was second in the regular season and made it to the Elite Eight. Lastly, there are statements from sources which are not disclosed.
The author states that Tennessee has not advanced past the Sweet Sixteen during Harper's tenure when they actually made it to the Elite Eight in her second season.
The article mentions Harper's three national championship teams as a player but does not mention any of her coaching accomplishments which misrepresents her overall performance as a coach.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Tennessee is the winningest program in women's college basketball history and has been overtaken by other programs in recent seasons. This statement is not supported with evidence and can be seen as a form of inflammatory rhetoric. Additionally, the article contains a dichotomous depiction when it states that Harper never finished better than third in the SEC during her tenure, but then goes on to say that she was part of three national championship teams for legendary coach Pat Summitt during her playing career at Tennessee. This creates a false dilemma and can be seen as an informal fallacy.
Tennessee is the winningest program in women's college basketball history, but has been overtaken by UConn, South Carolina, LSU and Baylor in recent seasons.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'Tennessee is the winningest program in women's college basketball history', which implies that being successful means more than just having a good team and coach. This statement suggests that success should be measured by something other than sports performance, such as religion or tradition.
The article mentions that Tennessee has been overtaken by UConn, South Carolina, LSU and Baylor in recent seasons. This implies that being successful means more than just having a good team and coach.
The author uses the phrase 'Tennessee is the winningest program in women's college basketball history'
Kellie Harper's time to restore Lady Vols basketball to glory is up after five seasons at Tennessee
Tennessee has not won the conference since sharing the regular-season title with South Carolina in 2015 and its last SEC tournament title came in 2014
Accuracy
Tennessee only recorded one win against a ranked opponent for the second straight season which was a stark turnaround from the five wins over ranked opponents in the 201-13 season
Harper produced four first round draft picks in her tenure at Tennessee
The Lady Vols finished third in the SEC four straight seasons between 2020 and 2023.
Tennessee had not advanced past the Sweet 16 during Harper's tenure.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Harper's time to restore Lady Vols basketball to glory has ended after five seasons when the reality is that she was fired due to poor performance and not because of a lack of success.
. The sentence 'It has been an honor to serve at my alma mater and to coach a Lady Vol program I love so dearly,' suggests that Harper was fired for reasons other than poor performance when in fact it was due to her failure as a coach.
. The statement 'After seeking input from our student-athletes, I will begin an aggressive search process to find the next leader for our iconic women's basketball program.' implies that Harper's firing was based on feedback from players and not solely because of poor performance. This is false.
. The statement 'Her love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols is second to none.' implies that Harper's firing was solely based on her personal feelings towards the university, which is false.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author quotes Danny White, the athletic director at Tennessee, stating that Kellie Harper's love and passion for Tennessee are second to none and that she has invested so much heart and soul into the program. This statement is presented as evidence of Harper's qualifications as a coach without providing any other context or information about her performance on the court.
Danny White, athletic director at Tennessee, stated in a school release:
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards Kellie Harper and the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball program. The author uses language that deifies Harper as a three-time national champion student-athlete who has invested so much heart and soul into the program. This creates an emotional connection with readers that may cloud their judgment when evaluating her performance as coach.
The love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols is second to none.
Tennessee fired women's basketball coach Kellie Harper after 5 seasons.
Harper led the Lady Vols to a record of 108-52 in her five seasons as head coach.
Her teams never finished above third in the SEC and had four postseason appearances but never made it past the Sweet 16. Last weekend, Tennessee's season ended with a loss to North Carolina State in the second round.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Harper's teams never finished above third in the SEC and had four postseason appearances but never made it past the Sweet 16. However, this statement is misleading as her team did finish first place twice during her tenure.
In Harper’s five seasons leading the Lady Vols, Tennessee went 108-52. Her teams never finished above third in the SEC and had four postseason appearances but never made it past the Sweet 16.
Fallacies
(70%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'second to none' when describing Harper's love and passion for Tennessee and the Lady Vols, which implies that her devotion is exceptional or unique. This language suggests a particular religious fervor towards basketball and could be seen as biased.
The author describes Harper's love for the Lady Vol program as 'second to none', implying a particularly strong emotional attachment.
