Leaked Emails Reveal How Tennessee Fans Melted Down In Hilarious Fashion After WBB Coach’s Firing
University of Tennessee athletic director Danny White chose to fire head women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper in April after five seasons. Although the decision was not entirely unexpected, it did not go over well with a subset of Volunteers fans.
They sent White some quite irate emails to vent their anger, and they did not hold back!
Tennessee hired Harper, 47, in 2019. The pandemic ended her first year of play, but she rebounded well enough to win 21 games in her four regular seasons.
But in the NCAA Tournament, the Vols lost a lot of games.
- 2020/21: 17-8, lost in the Second Round
- 2021/22: 25-9, lost in the Sweet Sixteen
- 2022/23: 25-12, lost in the Sweet Sixteen
- 2023/24: 20-13, lost in the Second Round
Harper’s early-round exit from this previous year served as the main impetus for his removal.Every year, Tennessee hopes to contend for a national championship. The Elite Eight is the only thing that will do!
Consequently, White made the decision to fire Harper and bring on Kim Caldwell. The latter had great success at Glenville State in Division-II basketball before leading Marshall to the NCAA Tournament the previous season.
It would be an understatement to say that the recruiting and firing processes were controversial..
Some Tennessee fans were furious!
There was an extremely vocal group who reached out to White to express their disappointment. Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel obtained some of the emails through an FOIA request. They are wild!
A fan that identified as Ted told White to “rot in hell” and called him a “sleeze ball.”
An unnamed fan said that “The great pat summit would be rolling in her grave!” He or she proceeded to call White an unkind pair of expletives and hopes that he “gets nothing but backlash.”
An older fan named John expressed his desire for the Tennessee women’s basketball team to lose 20 straight games the following season and expressed his hope that every player on the squad will transfer. White is accountable in this sense.
Maybe they’ll let you leave after that. You will finally get paid in full for your cheap (expletive) HEAD. You are a backstabbing (expletive); UT deserves better.
If I live long enough to see you (expletive) fired, I pray you never pass away.
— John to Danny White via email
White is said to have heeded “bad advice from donors and the wannabe coaches that complain in the News Sentinel,” according to Belinda. He was charged by an 84-year-old priest (!!) of having high expectations.
One of Tony’s classmates from 1970 sent perhaps the funniest email. He called Danny White “Mike,” the name of his brother.
The Mike White program is now on… Prove yourself, as you are the expert. God, Mike, this is now your responsibility. Mike, you ought not to have fired her.
— Tony, to Danny White via email
Ronald referred to White’s decision to fire Harper as “brainless” and “Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!” Linda felt “really embarrassed.” Jim thinks she ought to have had ten whole years to develop the program. He desired for White to offer her ten years!
The whole Sparks report contains further emails. They’re all quite good. It seems as though the comments on Tennessee’s discussion boards took a different turn and were directed towards
