Last April, Mechelle wrote about NC State's decision to select Kellie Harper to take over after Coach Yow's death.

So Harper will leave her job at Western Carolina and move across the state. In an ESPN.com column after the official announcement, I will write more about Harper and the challenges she faces. Suffice to say, it seems likely she will deal with backlash from some N.C. State alums and fans who feel Glance deserved at least a couple of years to show what she could do with the job if it was actually hers.

Now, she writes, Harper quickly finds a home at NC State

Understandably, it was hard for many of those who'd played for Yow (or for both Yow and Glance) to see another point of view. To do so felt irreverent to a figure so revered. However, to outsiders, it was more obvious that a change -- while unavoidably painful -- was needed. And that's what NC State's brain trust decided to do.

"I feel this staff brought in a great energy," Wolfpack sophomore Emili Tasler said. "They made this transition a lot easier than it could have been.