CULLOWHEE, N.C. ? Kellie Harper was announced Thursday as the new Head Coach at North Carolina State University.

“Kellie has done an outstanding job as head coach of the Lady Catamounts,” said Athletic Director Chip Smith. “Her accomplishments at Western Carolina University have been exceptional and her contributions have gone far beyond the basketball court as an ambassador for the University. Kellie has a tremendous future in coaching and we cannot thank her and her staff enough for what they have done for Catamount Athletics. We wish her much success at North Carolina State University.”

“The search now begins for her successor; we will not set a timetable for making this decision,” Smith said. “Kellie and the young women she has coached have built traditions of quality, sportsmanship and success in both athletics and academics. It is a respected program that will continue to excel and we will move deliberately to select a person who will ensure those traditions continue.”

Harper spent five seasons at Western Carolina, and is coming off a 2009 Southern Conference Tournament victory and trip to the NCAA Tournament. It was the second time in school history for both.

The 2008-09 Lady Catamounts ended the season with a record of 21-12, the third-straight 20-win season for the club under the direction of Harper. In her five years, she directed Western Carolina to four post-season appearances - two in the NCAA and two in the WNIT - and amassed a career record of 97-65. She leaves Western Carolina as the second-winningest coach in school history.

Harper becomes the second former Lady Catamount head coach currently in the Atlantic Coast Conference, joining Beth Dunkenberger who is at Virginia Tech. Dunkenberger led WCU to a 65-50 record in four seasons, its first 20-win season in 24 years back in 2002-03.