Raleigh, NC (My Sportsbook) - North Carolina State named Kellie Harper as its new head women's
basketball coach, replacing the late legendary Kay Yow, who passed away in 2008 at age 66 after a long battle with breast cancer.
Harper has served as the head coach at Western Carolina for the past five years and becomes only the third head coach in Wolfpack women's basketball history.
"This marks a beginning of an exciting new era for Wolfpack women's basketball," said school athletic director Lee Fowler. "Our beloved Kay Yow built a program with rich tradition, and I believe that Kellie Harper is the person to build on that legacy and move our program into the future."
Harper, 31, signed a five-year contract with a base salary of $247,000. She led WCU to three consecutive Southern Conference finals and won its second tourney title this past season. She also won the 2007 Southern Conference Coach of the Year.
The former Kellie Jolly also played on three national championship teams with Tennessee under Pat Summit, earning 1999 honorable mention All-American honors.
"North Carolina is getting a young and rising star in the game in Coach Kelly Jolly Harper," Summit said. "I am proud for Kellie. I expect she will do a great job in a very competitive conference -- she has what it takes to be successful."
Yow, who remains one of the most well-known women's basketball coaches of all- time, amassed 737 career wins during her 38-year Hall-of-Fame coaching career, which included four years at Elon College, and led the United States women's basketball team to a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She led the Wolfpack to the 1998 Final Four and became the fifth women's coach to be inducted into the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Her teams made 20 NCAA Tournaments, 11 trips to the Sweet 16 and a trip to the Elite Eight and Final Four. She won five ACC regular-season championships, four conference tournament titles and compiled 21 20-win seasons.
She was a well-respected coach and individual for her expertise on the court and her determination during her lengthy battle with cancer.
