Ray Harper strolled out of the locker room Wednesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena sporting a red tie and holding his trademark Diet Coke. He sat down in a chair on his team’s bench with family and friends from his native Muhlenberg County all sitting in the first row right behind him.
It was a scene Western Kentucky fans knew well from Harper’s 4½ years as coach of the Hilltoppers. But things were different – this time he’d walked out of the visitors’ locker room and taken a seat on the visitors’ bench.
Harper returned to E.