Missouri State women's basketball coach Kellie (Jolly) Harper through the years

Wyatt D. Wheeler | News-Leader

Tennessee has reached out to Missouri State expressing interest in women's basketball coach Kellie Harper, MSU Athletics Director Kyle Moats confirmed to the News-Leader on Monday.

"The University of Tennessee has contacted me to inform me they have interest in speaking with Coach Harper about their women's head coaching position," Moats said in a statement to the News-Leader on Monday.

The news was first reported by Dan Lucy of KOLR10 in Springfield on Twitter on Monday afternoon.

Harper, a former point guard under Pat Summitt at Tennessee, won three national championships as a player in Knoxville.

The Lady Bears head coach just led Missouri State to its fourth NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in program history and first since 2001.

Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Harper is set to make $246,640 annually at Missouri State and is due a $100,000 retention bonus if she is the head coach come April 14. She signed a contract extension before the 2018-19 season that runs through the 2021-22 season.

At Tennessee, Harper — formerly Kellie Jolly — was on three national championship teams and was named honorable mention All-American as a senior in 1999.

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In her junior year, Harper led the Lady Vols to a perfect 39-0 record and a national championship while averaging 7.6 points and 3.8 assists per game. She also dropped a career-high 20 points in the national championship game against Louisiana Tech.

Harper set an NCAA championship record with 11 assists and dished out 20 in two games for All-Final Four honors in 1997 after returning from surgery.

She ended her career with 894 points and 452 assists.