Everything Kellie Harper Said at Introductory Press Conference

COLUMBIA, Mo. — One day before her contract officially begins, Kellie Harper is set to be introduced as the new head coach of the Missouri Tigers women's basketball program.

She'll be joined by director of athletics Laird Veatch, University president Mun Choi and other university leadership in an introductory press conference at the practice gym at Mizzou Arena on Monday morning.

Harper becomes the fifth head coach in the program's history. It will also be the fifth team that Harper is the head coach of, and the second in the Southeastern Conference.

Joining her is a staff that Harper has assembled since officially being named head coach on March 18.

Mizzou Women's Basketball Coaching Staff:
Kellie Harper - head coach
Jennifer Sullivan - assistant
Liza Fruendt - assistant
Kenzie Kostas - assistant

Each of the three current assistants have previously worked with Harper at either Tennessee, Missouri State or both.

Jennifer Sullivan stepped down from the head coach role at Florida Atlantic to reunite with Harper after being on her staffs at both Missouri State and Tennessee.

Liza Fruendt, who played for Harper at Missouri State and was an assistant on her Tennessee, spent last season as an assistant on Illinois, helping coach the team on a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Kenzie Kostas, who also played for Harper at Missouri State, has spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Missouri State.

Harper was one of the top candidates in this coaching cycle with her resume of success and vast experience. We'll hear more on the hiring process, Harper's coaching philosiphy and more in the introductory press conference.

Follow the post below and refresh for updates from Harper's introductory press conference. Newest updates will be posted at the top.

Press Conference Updates

Head Coach Kellie Harper

On what made Missouri the right fit:

"I think I knew right off that this was the right fit. I just felt like the type of players that we're going to be able to recruit, we're going to get them, and we're going to be successful with them.

And I think we've got a great core returning and thrilled to work with them as well. Every box kept getting checked for me. I told a lot of people, when people talk to me to ask me about it; I'm just so happy. I feel like I'm walking around and like I'm just cheesing, because I just feel really good about what I know we're going to be able to do here. And sometimes it's hard to put into words when you know it's right, it's just right."

On her approach to player development, and how gratifying it is as a coach see her players have successful careers in the WNBA:

I think first off, when you're talking about player development, I think it's important that there's a lot of communication, that you're working together. Because if I think you need to do something as a player, and you're not on the same page, then how are we going to get there. So we have to work together to really develop a plan for your development and your success.

I'm very familiar with this team. I've obviously played against this team for several years, and then obviously was able to watch this team throughout the season, so I feel like I've got a pretty good handle of who they are, but I'm really excited about sitting down with each player and discussing, 'hey, where do you want to go? Here's where I want you to go, and let's find that sweet spot and here's how we're going to get there.'

My staff is incredible, incredible at player development, so we're going to have a holistic plan, strength, nutrition, just everything to help them be their best.

And yes, we have had, we've had the opportunity to coach some extremely talented players that are now playing in the WNBA, and not just playing, they're having a lot of success there. It's very rewarding as a coach, when you get to see players realize their dreams. And you know that's what you want as a coach, you want that relationship to be able to look at them and just just be happy. They're your family, your family. I'm looking forward to the same relationship with these ones."

On what the identity of the team will be:

"One of the things that I've always felt like we've done a good job of is taking advantage of our strengths as a team on the court. 'What are we good at? And let's do it.'

It's a little bit hard to define that right now. We're still building a roster, but that is overall kind of how we want to do things. We're going to be tough. We're going to enjoy the process. They better like it every day they walk in here, they better feel good about it, because they can walk right out if they don't. I love what I do, and they're not going to ruin it for me. I've already told them that I love it.

I want our fans to see the passion that our players will have. I think that will come through with how we play."

Her approach to rebuilding the roster:

We have a good core of returners that, that is our number one priority. They're really making up the core, the foundation. And I'm super excited about who we have here. And hen we know we've got to address some needs on the court. We're going to do that in the transfer portal. We have one young lady signed that signed with the program out of high school. So we're really excited about who we think we can bring in, in terms of talent, and, like I said, be able to address some of those things, they're going to be great people, great teammates, and hopefully elite competitors as well."

On what she's learned about building a team through the transfer portal:

"Building rosters has changed throughout the years. I've coached a very long time now, and I think you have to adjust with the times, and obviously now, with the transfer portal being such a big piece of athletics, you have to learn how not to just manage the portal, but then, how are we going to manage our team? How are we going to work together? I think the biggest thing is we all have a common goal, and we all put the team first, then we're all pulling in that direction. When you can get everyone pulling in the same direction, that's where you want to be. That's your sweet spot. But I think you have to do your research and recruiting process, your vision has to align with
these players, and they need to want to be here as much as we want them to be here."

On what the year away from coaching taught her:

"It's been interesting to really reflect. Have some self reflection this past year. It reminded me what I do love about coaching, and one of the things that I miss more than anything, well two things; the interactions with the players and interactions with my staff. I love people. I love fighting for something. I love teaching someone how to do something and seeing them go and do it. I love challenging a group and watching them figure it out. I love the puzzle that we have to figure out as a staff, I love that I missed it. The pace in athletics, it's crazy. We all know that. So I think I missed a little bit of that as well. I enjoyed my time off, but there's just so much about it that I missed, and I was able to look back and really have probably a different perspective on what's important, and I think that's one reason I'm so fired up.

On the three assistant coaches she's hired:

"So I played at the University of Tennessee for Pat Summit. Most people that follow women's basketball know that. And one of the things that she always said was 'surround yourself with good people.' She was a great speaker. That was her my signature line, I felt like, and it is so true. It is so true. You can be so much more successful when you're around people that are going to elevate you. And that's what the staff does.

One, I trust them completely. Two, they're really, really good, like, really good at what they do, and they're not one dimensional. They are all very good on court, they're all very good in the office, and they're very good recruiters. And so it was a no brainer. I hit a Grand Slam with my staff, and that's who I wanted, those three sitting right there. That's who I wanted with me on this journey."

On what she saw in Missouri while working as an analyst at the SEC Tournament:

"We had a really strong first half, right? We just weren't able to play for 41 and so I think details matter. I was impressed with the toughness and the fight that this team had all season long. We talked about this, there was some heartbreaking losses that could have gut punched the team so much if they quit, and they didn't quit, and that gave me a really good understanding of the type of character that we have on this team."

On what she learned playing under Pat Summitt:

"One, she was always very classy. So I when we walked in our office, I want to look the part. If we want to be elite, everything we need to do needs to be.

I think the other thing she was always very poised as a coach, and even as a young coach, I had my first head coaching job at age of 26 and as a young coach, I always felt like my team needed that from me, and so I try to give that to them even in a dire situation, in a timeout late, I want to be the coach that's giving them the confidence that they need to go out and complete the mission. And I felt like I was able to observe and learn that from her."

On what it means to be a player in a generation that paved the way for the rise of women's basketball:

"I think you're seeing so much excitement around our sport right now, and rightly so. I think you see some great basketball being played, and I think it means a lot to me, because obviously it's my sport, obviously I was a part of it, but there were so many people, even for me, that came before me, that gave me an opportunity, and I think that's what we're looking for. Just an opportunity to showcase what we can do. And that's really special. But this is a great time, a great time to really take advantage and grab hold of this trend. These are some really good basketball players. It's an elite sport, especially in the SEC. It couldn't be a better time to be a women's basketball player."

Opening Statement:

"This past year, as most of you know, I was not coaching. I did have an opportunity to do some work with the SEC Network. I loved it. I thought it was great work. But at the end of the day, I'm a basketball coach. And I knew that I needed to be back on the sidelines. It was a way for me to stay involved in SEC basketball in particular, and to put a coaching lens on the game. But it's not the same. I want to be there in the gym, one-on-one with our players, because that's a big piece of who I am.

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 the passion for this program that I have to be able to lead this program. So this place is very special, right? And when you talk about a place being special, it's because of the people. When you surround yourself with great people, you can do amazing things. I've had the opportunity to coach four different programs to the NCAA Tournament. I've coached multiple teams in Sweet 16 appearances. So I know what it takes to be elite. I know the challenges that you have to be successful at this level. It takes everyone. Everyone. So if you're here, you're everyone. It takes all of us pulling together in the right direction, in the same direction to be successful and to be elite.

That's coaches, players, support, staff, bands. Band, I mean, you gotta be on it, right? You gotta be loud at the appropriate times.

We have to pull together as one to be successful, women's basketball is really having a moment right now. There's a lot of upward trends for women's basketball, and we want to be a part of that. We want there to be an excitement and a buzz about our program and what we're doing. So when you see our team, we're going to compete with great enthusiasm, great love, great passion. And fans, we want you to love this team, because you know what? We're going to give you, everything that we have."

Athletics Director Laird Veatch

March 31, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri director of athletics introduces new women's basketball head coach Kellie Harper at the Mizzou Arena practice gym. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

"I also want to take a minute to thank Sophie Cunningham. While she's not here, we sure tried. We tried to work with her schedule to get her here to join us, but she was really essential throughout this process, and great advisor to me through it. And I just really appreciate it. Sophie, I've really enjoyed getting to know her as we've gone through this search."

"This was an incredibly smooth, very high-quality search throughout the entire process. I'd love to take credit for all that, really, if there's credit goes to (deputy athletics director) Marcy (Girton).

The reality of it is, it just went really well. We had an incredibly deep pool. It went really fast and smooth. We were aligned with leadership from the very beginning, and just, I was really, really pleased with the process from beginning to end.

This was really about, for us, ceasing a moment. We had an opportunity with what's going on in this country with women's basketball, to really seize the moment and take advantage of the attendance growth, the viewership growth, all the excitement around women's basketball. So it was really the right time for us to make a very strategic but responsible investment in this program.

In the end, however, we were just very fortunate to have a candidate of this caliber, not only available, but someone who really wants this job, and she was a fit from the very beginning. I think you'll find that as we move forward. And it's been reinforced to me since. The number of outreach I have received from people across this industry about how good of hire we made, I think we were really confident when we made it. We've become even more confident since.

Coach Harper, as it was mentioned, as a proven leader. She understands what it takes to win. She knows the standards and expectations that are required to truly build a championship level program. And she's demonstrated a true will to win, not only as a coach, but as a student athlete at the highest level in the SEC.

Her familiarity with Missouri was also a real big plus. Her time and experience in the state gives her strong recruiting ties, network connections throughout the state, throughout the region, and she made it clear in the process that she knows she can win at the highest level, starting with players in this region.

She has an incredible passion for coaching that became very clear from the first conversation. She's ready to jump back in and get after it, and she has a real passion for developing young people, especially elite players. One of the things that stood out to me as we were reviewing all the statistics in data, she's one of only three coaches all time produced four straight first-round picks. She knows what it takes to win at the highest level with the highest level of talented players.

And most importantly, to me, is she sees the opportunity in Mizzou. From the very beginning, coach Harper made it clear that she wanted this job. There were other jobs that were coming open, but she wanted to be here, and she saw the opportunity to be here and be successful here. I'm already incredibly confident that she's going to also fit amazingly well with the people and culture in Missouri. I'm just excited to support her and watch her as she grows and builds that program that competes for championships."

University President Mun Choi

"Their (the board of curators) hard work resulted in us hiring a truly outstanding leader. A leader who has SEC experience. A leader who won, as a player, three national championships. Doesn't a banner here sound really good? That's not a wish, that's an expectation."

"We can't wait to see your style of basketball, and I'm going to be here for your first practice, and as many practices as possible, and we're going to see many victories at Mizzou Arena."

Press Conference Updates

Head Coach Kellie Harper

Athletics Director Laird Veatch

University President Mun Choi

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