Mizzou WBB’s Kellie Harper makes third addition to her coaching staff
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou women's basketball coach Kellie Harper now has three assistant coaches on staff for the 2025-26 campaign, after announcing that another one of her former players will be coming to Columbia, on Friday.
Liza Fruendt, who previously played for Harper at Missouri State and worked on her staff at Tennessee for three years, is the newest member of the Tiger women's basketball coaching staff. She will come to Columbia after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Illinois.
"Liza has infectious energy and passion for the game," Harper said in a press release. "She cares deeply about student-athletes and builds bonds on and off the court. After working together, she is comfortable in our system and knows what it takes to build a successful program. Liza is a person of high character and a rising star in this profession."
In the season that Fruendt spent with the Fighting Illini, she helped coach the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, after posting a 22-10 overall record.
She also saw success with Harper during her time at Tennessee. She helped Coach Harper get the Vols to back-to-back Sweet 16's, in 2022 and 2023, and produced their fourth-straight WNBA first-round draft pick.
Fruendt joined Tennessee's staff as the director of recruiting operations prior to the 2021-22 campaign and, according to Harper, played a big role in the Lady Vols landing the No. 6 transfer class in the nation in 2023. She also worked on the 2022 class that included No. 4-rated Rickea Jackson, No. 12 Jasmine Powell and No. 16 Jasmine Franklin along with No. 35-ranked Kaniya Boyd.
After serving in that recruiting role for two years, Fruendt was elevated for an assistant coach for the Lady Vols.
Prior to her time in Rocky Top, she served as a graduate assistant with the women's basketball program at Kansas City.
Fruendt was a standout player for Harper at Missouri State, as she was named to the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) All-Freshman Team, All-MVC First Team (2017, 2018) and MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team (2017, 2018).
