List of Possible Replacements for Fulmer....
by bravesbeast1985 on Nov 4, 2008 2:49 AM EST
129 comments
Hey everyone, new time poster here, so was just going to get the ball rolling.....Major vols fan here btw, look foward to many good talks with yall in the future.
Just wanted to get the ball rolling on the suggestions for some replacements for Fulmer. I know that this is very early and that the process will take a while since Fulmer will be around for the remainder of the season. However, I also think that a coach should be put in take soon so that no hard hit will be put on recruiting or towards revenue for the end of the season.
Some things that make Tennessee still a top notch opening for some great coaching candidates are the resources that we have as far as establishing and maintaining a national powerhouse again, and the fact that our history shows we have always had the ability to get back to a wanted level after a time of brief futility.
As a result, I will get the ball rolling on the person I would love to see considered for the job: Lane Kiffin. He is the young offensive mind that would thrive in the SEC ala Urban Meyer, and can recruit because of the ability he showed to get what he needed while being at USC. He also seems to know how to manage and get what he wants out of his players, as he actually did a decent job with the Raiders considering all the crap he had to deal with. My feeling is that Kiffin would give us the best ability to get the athletes we would need to compete against the rest of the SEC elite, while also getting the most out of the players that he recruited.
Some other possibilites that may be considered would probably be the following: Mike Leach, Skip Holtz, and Chris Johnson. Obviously, I would love to get an innovative offensive mind at the helm, and I also think that Tennessee has the program in place to attract some of the bigger names in college football. We have the resources again in place to attract a very good name to get the job done going foward, and was just wondering where yall think we should look for our new coach.
Thoughts?
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My Fault.....
Not Chris Johnson, the Boise State head coach is Chris Peterson.
Hey
Welcome to RTT, bravesbeast1985. I like Leach because he’s got a good defense to go along with that offense and because he’s eccentric. That could be fun. I don’t know much about Kiffin yet, but I’m sure we’ll all be getting to know him and others quite well soon enough.
Go Vols!
My momma said....
That my dad heard on Finebaum, who is like the radio sports dude of Alabama, that it is a done deal that John Gruden is the new head coach. Keep in mind though that they are crazy Alabama fans. So can they really be trusted?
problem with NFL guys
The Bucs are a playoff team right now, so Gruden night not be available until late January. If Kiffen is the guy, you better have clauses out the ying-yang about him bolting for an open position in the NFL. I think Kiffen is going to hold out for the KC job. I’d add Jim Grobe at Wake, he’s done a lot with nothing so I’d like to see what he can do with UT’s resources.
I have heard this a lot
But i have to wonder why he would leave TT. He has slowly built a pretty good football team, lead by a ton of young talent. I just don’t see the advantage of him leaving a place that he pretty much built from ground up.
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
It seems to me too that the odds are low.
But I think this is more in the category of “wish list” than “probable replacement”. None of us have any clue what’s going to happen, so we’re expressing names of people we’d like to see.
"Why would he leave?"
I have heard that at TT he has been under- appreciated, paid and rated. Also, he is said to be somewhat of a loose cannon, who would have a season like this, then leave no matter what they offered, just for spite! (maybe you like that, maybe you don’t) These were things I was hearing about him before the coaching searches in relation to the Tony Franklin firing, as they worked together.
Of course this is just rumor, like everything else at this point. Enough zeroes/perks at the end of a contract can do strange things to ANY man in terms of staying or going.
I've also heard the same re: Leach being unhappy
But I hope they pick someone else.
"Florida didnt win their first SEC title until 1991 and now they think they invented football."
-Ron Zook
Quite contrary
He is universally liked in both Lubbock and at Tech. His contract wasn’t renewed because the AD, Gerald Meyers, knew this year would be pretty special. To do his contract in the offseason, then have what could be the best year in our history would just mean he’s dealing with the agent to re-do a deal they did in the summer. Nothing more to it. He’s been mentioned as a candidate at most major openings the last three or four years, and was really upset he didn’t get the Miami job. That’s as close as he’s come to leaving so far.
Is he unhappy? I don’t think anyone truly knows. He say’s all the right things, but all coaches say they love the school, the fans are the best, etc. etc. I do know his Mormon faith is a big deal to him and his family (he doesn’t talk much about it, but it is), so if there’s not an active Mormon community in Knoxville it could be an issue for him personally.
The only reason to leave at this point would be money. Koxville and Lubbock are very similar towns, so it would be comfortable for him. Tennessee probably could offer $500K more than we could. He’s already at $1.5mm and the new deal would likely be worth $2.5-3mm. Some will argue Tennessee is a better job, and traditionally, they’d be right. Today? Not so sure. He’d be pressured to win 10 games every year (something he has yet to do in 9 seasons in Lubbock) or he’d be run out of dodge after five years. But more kids grow up wanting to be a Volunteer than a Red Raider, I’m willing to bet. The question is, how many of them can really play?
But the recruiting challenges coaching at Tenn are much different. I’m not sure how many Tennessee-bred D-I athletes come out every year, but it likely pales in comparison to the number we get here in Texas. Our roster is 95% Texan. With each school only able to sign about 25-30 kids each season, we don’t have to win a lot of recruiting battles with Texas and OU to fill the roster with 4-star recruits. At Tenn, you have to almost recruit nationally – something he’s not really experienced at. Plus there is that pesky ACC with schools within shouting distance that you have to recruit against, as well.
I think, though, his ego is just big enough to think about trying to make a move to a defensive conference to see what the good folks in the SEC think about pinball football. If you’ve never seen our offense in person, it is absolute chaos in the secondary. Pretty cool, actually, but it doesn’t translate on TV as well. Think motion basketball on the girdiron. Defending this kind of offense requires discipline, not speed. Stay in your zone (it’s fun to watch a team try to man up. That’s when we hit 60 or 70) and don’t chase guys around. So I think it would work in the SEC pretty well.
The bigger question is could your fans/administration tolerate his goofiness. And he is one goofy cat. We’re kind of used to him by now, but it took a good four or five years before we “got it.”
If he leaves, we’ll be disappointed, but the reality is there are a ton of good coaches who preach the spread (we’d target Art Briles at Baylor, Dave Christensen at Mizzou, Todd Graham at Tulsa, et al). When he came along, he was the lone ranger (or lone pirate, whatever). The thing that makes him different is that our playbook, if you can call it that, is only about 10 pages long. We run the same 25 plays out of about 25 formations every week. That’s what drives D-coordinators nuts. It seems simple to stop, but nobody has proven they can, outside of an off night for the QB. I’m not sure how many times a year Tenn hits 35+ points in a game, but for us, it’s what we’re used to. You will think he’s a flake if he comes out your way, but you’ll grow to love him. Just like we did.
Muschamp is probably a better fit, but I think you guys are looking for a little offense, eh? Best of luck with whomever you hire!!
Dropped in from over at DoubleTNation…a sister site on SB Nation.
Dude
Great information. Thanks for stopping by and posting!
I’m thinking that a lot of folks on Rocky Top may welcome some eccentricity into what has become a bit of a stodgy institution. Bruce Pearl has shaken things up a bit and people love him.
Go Vols!
He's probably not alone
But as far as I’m concerned, he can stay yours. First, it would just seem weird, and second, ….I mean, I kind of hate saying this, but TTU was kind of the 3/4 player in the Big 12 South. That wasn’t good enough – comparatively – for Tennessee, so expecting him to jump ship AND get better seems like a stretch.
That being said, you may want to take steps to make sure he never finds out about the Vol Navy. :)
Yep
To win our division, you literally have to be a Top 5 team. That’s tough to do every year given the resources at OU and UT. There’s only room for so many dogs in the big house. Not that the SEC is any different at all.
Especially this year.
Big 12 South – best division in football, and nobody else is even on the radar. The best any other division has is 1, maybe 2 teams (each SEC division), and the 2 main conference-championship-hating conferences (PAC-10 and Big 10) have only 1 team each in the whole conference.
Needless to say, the rest of the country is just a bit jealous. ;-)
The stars
aligned just right for this season. It’s wild even by Big XII standards. I mean, the QB play is just sick! Every team, even Baylor (BAYLOR!!) has a stud QB. That kid is one of the fastest in all of college football and has a booming arm. There are no gimme’s except for Colorado, aTm, and Iowa State.
It's a good thing, too.
Let’s just say the SEC dropped the ball. Tenn, Auburn, LSU and even Georgia are all well below expectations. (Some further than others. {sniff} )
I have no animosity toward Auburn at all.
But they are having a down year. No sense in beating around that bush.
I think
You guys would probably be pretty excited to see what he could do. But the cool thing is, it doesn’t require a roster full of 4- and 5-star recruits to pull this off. The spread was originally created to counterbalance the obvious talent gap some schools have vs. the big boys. It worked for Tech and now A&M is our annual whipping boy (to their never ending consternation and angst, and to our eternal joy…it’s more fun stomping those guys than squeaking by UT).
Now that we DO have some quality in key positions (and our roster is chock full of very young guys who contribute a ton), we can line up and actually trade punches with the heavyweights. That’s a big change for us. Obviously, I’d prefer he stay. But if he goes, I do hope it’s to a traditional powerhouse like a UT or U-Dub. I’d have to be talked off a ledge if he bolts for Clemp-son.
awesome
very informative post, we do need offence, but with the rising SEC comp, we need Def as well
thanks for the post
Very true
But all the flashy and talented kids these days are playing the spread in HS and want to play the spread in college since there are a gazillion chances to get the ball.
But defense is a massive part of any team’s succes. Ask Tech. We rolled up 45+ per game for years, but gave up about the same on defense. Now, we are #10 against the run so teams can’t play keep away and we are in position to play for the MNC.
Mike Shula is available
What goes around, comes around….Remember that Vol nation and crybaby Fulmer. He got what he deserved..
If you're going to leave
smart alec comments about Phillip Fulmer on here after that press conference I really dont want to read it. please leave it somewhere else. He does not deserve any of that.
Anyway, I just dont know how Mike Leach would fit in around here. He just seems like a strange man to me lol. from some of things he has said on tv anyway.
Dustin
What Tennessee needs
I really think tennessee needs an established coach, not one that has only been offensive coordinator or qb coach or defensive coordinator. I would love to see either Lane Kiffen or Jon Gruden come in. I think it would increase the amount of high ranked recruits, I think right now we are number 7 but after all the crap with Fulmer leaving it might change rather quickly. I heard the Finebaum show where he said that about Gruden, he said they would have to get a high profile coach to bring the program back to what it use to be. I almost think they have to, because of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Les Miles just to name a few
Lane Kiffin
The more and more i think about him i think 5-15….I know it was Oakland but i would want a PROVEN head coach. Not someone who has only coached in one place and failed, miserably.
Jon Gruden. He’s a wild card. Im also not sure i would want to put the future of my program into the hands of someone who has spent the last 18 years in the NFL. I know i know he was a gradute assistant at UT but he was only there one year. Hardly enough to say he has ties to the University.
I don’t know. I like the names Butch Davis and Will Muschamp the best.
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
I've heard Davis being floated around occasionally
He has a tendency of outcoaching himself, though. Fantastic recruiter, though. I wouldn’t’ be opposed to a Davis-type, but he’s not at the top of my list.
A couple of additonal names to toss out there
Look, I’ve been driving the Brian Kelly bandwagon for a while and there’s no way I’m stopping now. He’s a younger, up-and-coming hire, but he’s quality. 148-54-2 record, back-to-back national DII titles, taking Central Michigan to their best performances ever in D-1A, and continuing the turnaround at Cincy that Mark Dantonio started. He’s quality, and I think he’d be willing to move.
Other than that, Gary Patterson at TCU might be available, too.
Great choice
Young, proven and he won’t cost you much. If he fails, then whats the hurt. At least you tried.
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
That's the thing
I don’t think he’d fail. If Tennessee doesn’t end up with Kelly, he’ll end up somewhere bigger than Cincinnati within the next 5 years, and I’m pretty sure he won’t fail there, either.
Honestly, I’m more than a little scared of him ending up at Auburn if the Tigers keep on blowing up.
FYI
Alabama had a chance to go get Urban Myer right before he went to Boise St. Just think about that for minute…
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
I think you mean Utah, not Boise State
but that doesn’t change your point. Sometimes, you never know who’s going to be the next great thing.
However, Meyer’s team would have been a little different at Bama. For all that it’s overdone, speed is a little easier to recruit in Florida. Meyer could have found plenty in Alabama, but the process would have been different.
Well, if he was able to get it at Utah
He would’ve likely been fine at Bama. That being said, the level of speed he has at Florida is 12 steps past absurd; I don’t think holding him to that standard is fair.
Hey, if you're trying to talk me into NOT wanting Brian Kelly
You’re doing a pretty bad job of it. ;)
Meyer in the West
would have been better. As it stands now, losing to Florida is essentially losing two SEC games because of the head-to-head. We wouldn’t have that problem if he were in the West.
Go Vols!
For the record
I’d still rather lose to Alabama than Florida. You know, as long as we’re choosing evils here.
Go Vols!
My List
1. John Gruden – He has all the tools to be an elite college HC: wants complete control, very energetic, would get along with college kids because he is younger. Some think that this is out of the question because he is “in love with the NFL.” However, he has previously stated that he wants to be a college coach after he is accomplished in the NFL, close friends say he is looking for the right college opprotunity, and he has been rumored at Tennessee for the last few years. Now, he has a Super Bowl under his belt and has been in the NFL for a long time now, this is the right opprotunity for him – his wife is from Dandrige, TN and graduated from UT, he was a grad assistant here, and they have a house 15 minutes from campus. So, this is the perfect fit for UT. I believe he would love to live here (mostly from the pressures of his wife), and who knows when this UT job will open up again.
I hear that he is the #1 choice of the Athletic Department too… Keep an eye on him
2. Mike Leach – OK, so his offense is so incredibly amazing that I would love to see it every Saturday in Fall at the University of Tennessee! He is weird, but very funny and laid back. I think he would be a fine fit in Tennessee.
3. Brian Kelly – I hear that he may be MORE energetic than Bruce Pearl… I can’t even imagine those two together, but I would likey
4. Lane Kiffin – He was NOT given any opprotunity at Oakland, no one should judge him by that. He had no say in any football operation, but he got the team on his side even after that.
DO NOT WANT LIST:
1. Kippy Brown (or whatever his name is): I don’t care if his religion is UT, I cannot accept that he sucks as O-Coodinator at the Detroit Lions. In no way would he be a head coach of any worth. Please God don’t let us hire him! I would petition UT to bring back Fulmer if he is hired.
2. Steve Sarkisian (or however you speel it): I can’t spell his name is the first reason. Next, he cannot get USC’s offense to click even with all the athletes they have… what makes you think that he could be a head coach?
3. Will Muschamp – I have a gut feeling about him that says he will be a really bad head coach. Imagine Bo Pelini on crack… He would get us penalized because he gets so fired up. Not ssaying that is a bad thing for a coordinator, but you don’t want someone getting fired up that is over the entire team (See Bo Pelini again).
Thoughts?
~>JDPhinFan<~
Help!!!
Brian kelly is the coach at Cincinatti, right?
If we had to choose?
wouldn’t we want guden or kiffen
Would they be interested in the job?
That’s the question I’ve always wondered. I’m not sold either of them would step back down into the college ranks, although I guess Kiffin is the more likely of the two. Kelly’s always seemed like a reachable goal, and we’ll see him at a major university within the next 5 years.
Also, I think Kelly would be more likely to stick around longer than Gruden / Kiffin.
Can i jump on that bandwagon?
I like Kelly a lot. He seems cut of the Bruce Pearl mold or if you want a football analogy, Jim Tressel, and maybe thats not the direction we should go for the football team, but I can’t keep him off my list of guys I’d want.
I don’t like the idea of Gruden. Just a gut reaction but he’s never really had to recruit or be a father figure the way a NCAA coach has to do, and I think Tennessee is going to prove to be a tougher place to recruit than we think. A lot of our talent comes from out of state (Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Texas just off the top of my head) and so for somebody like Gruden to come in and then have to compete with Beamer, Saban, Miles, Richt, Meyer, Butch Davis, Petrino and Nutt for recruits in our recruiting radius, that seems a lot to ask of a guy who hasn’t been a college head coach before.
Kiffin and Butch Davis would be 2 more guys that can recruit.
by Prometheus1185 on Nov 4, 2008 11:01 PM EST up reply actions
Why not a Tressel-type?
Seriously. (Ignore the massive BCS losses for the purposes of this discussion.) It’s hard to argue that Tressel hasn’t been successful. While the game style Tressel preaches is …well, considered slow, plodding, and conservative, ti’s not nearly as conservative as what we’ve seen recently. In addition, Tressel’s one heck of a motivator, and while I don’t know what kind of campus presence he has at Ohio State, I suspect he’s pretty much adored.
Also, remember Tressel came up through the DII ranks, too.
I added the tressel analogy later, what I meant was that maybe going with a guy who has succeeded at a smaller program or in IAA might not be the way for us to go for Football like it was for Basketball.
The more I think about it the more I think that that kind of thinking is going to lead us down the path to the dark side, Nebraska style. I think thats my biggest fear about Gruden is that he’ll turn out to be the next Bill Callahan.
I guess there is the possibility that whoever we hire could fail, but I feel more optimistic about going with a guy like Kelly, who has recruited and coached college athletes before, than a guy like Gruden who hasn’t.
by Prometheus1185 on Nov 5, 2008 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
REALLY?
I have also heard ther same thing about Gruden, his wife also cheered at Tennessee. Would like to hear some thoughts on when we will hear something, after season is over or maybe we will get a strong verbal during. Whatcha think people
When was the last time you
Heard of a coaching make this big of a decision and using where his wife went to school at as part of the equation? I would want a coach stronger than that!
Oh wait didn’t Saban say his wife hated Miami….
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
I think a good fit for Tenn
Would be a guy like Christensen at Mizzou (OC). He’s created quite a solid offense up there and they also like to run…might satisfy some of the old-school boosters who may not like the Ferari offense that is really just sandlot football. He’s a cool cat, young, very good recruiter, innovative, and likes to use the TE more than most spread coordinators do. I’m not sure if he has ties to the southeast, but if Leach leaves, he’s my first pick to come to Tech.
Hmmm....
So there is actually talk of Leach leaving even tho he’s doing wonderful this year. I read where they didnt do the contract extention he wanted
Correct
But it was nothing more than, a. wrapping up the fund raising for $25 mm expansion of the east side of our stadium, and b. the AD stating he felt this year would be special and wanted to do one deal. Not one in the summer and then a new one after the season. Of his salary, Tech is only on the hook for $300,000. The rest comes from donors. Since those donors have been passing the hat fast and furious for our stadium work (in an effort to have top-notch buildings). Now that that project is over, they turn their eyes to Leach. He may not sign it, but he will get a massive offer about 14 seconds after the final whistle blows on the 08 season.
But...
you guys really, really don’t want Leach. He’s weird, his defense is sketchy, the pirate thing is annoying, his buddy Trump is a moron, and he looks too much like Vince Gill. No, we’ll hang on to him and keep you guys from having to deal with all that. Us Texans are known for our friendliness and it’s our duty to do the right thing and keep you from having to deal with anything that may cause you trouble.
So, just move along and pretend you never heard of Leach. We’ll keep the lid on him so people don’t get freaked out by him. It will be tough, but it’s something we’re willing to do to keep Vounteer Nation from any undue stress. Thank you.
by Tech92 on Nov 4, 2008 8:09 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Fair enough
We’ll just send him a few pictures of the Vol Navy, tell him he can get his own ship if he comes to Knoxville, and call it a day. :)
Good point.
4 recs, and this post stays up top for a while so we can continue it.
by Hooper on Nov 4, 2008 9:59 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Dern, this is getting pretty cool....
Was just going to add I love the thought of the Mizzou coach coming to tennessee and having the availability of our resources to go with his talent as a coach. My first choice would definately be kiffin, as I think we could implement him sooner rather than later and get the ship going in the new direction it needs to be.
Kiffin
I think Kiffin would be a sexy hire, but the wrong hire. His offense is a bit vanilla and USC just had the horses to steamroll people. Not exceedingly creative at all. I also think he wants to be an NFL coach. He wouldn’t stay at Tenn any longer than it took for him to turn the program into a winner and get lots of pub doing it.
A school like Tennessee, who just removed a vanilla coach, needs to make the transition to the spread – pick your version. Get a solid D coordinator, or keep the one you’ve got. Offense will get the butts in the seats to actually stand up and make noise. Defense will get them to be proud of championships.
You think we need a spread transition?
Inability to spread the field wasn’t what killed the Vols this year – it was the predictability. Spreading it out isn’t going to make a difference if you call the same three plays over and over again.
(no offense intended ;) )
by Graysnail on Nov 5, 2008 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Was that a pun?
“No offense intended”?
Heck, that could be the theme for the Vols this year. +1 Rec to you, my good man!
Interesting thought
The spread is confusing in its simplicity. There are a minumum of 4 WRs in the pattern on every play, often 5 WRs with a TE or RB. It’s a ton of people to effectively cover even if you line up and run the same play three times in a row. Texas Tech is notorious for running very few unique plays per game. Most of the time, it’s the same handful of plays run out of a bunch of formations. The defensive alignment dictates each receivers route and those checks are made at the line.
I don’t know, it seems to work out okay for Tech, Tulsa, Mizzou, UT, Boise, et al : )
The dichotomy was intentional
I’ve done a lot of reading on the different implications of the spread (or in your application, the Airraid), and the wording there was intentional. At its core, it’s designed to take advantage of what the defense is giving you – this is why you were able to completely decimate Kansas a couple of weeks ago. My current theory is that the Airraid-type spread offenses are the passing counters to the triple option. Both are designed to take advantage of what the defense gives you – in the triple option’s case, it’s designed to force defenders into either a) choosing or b) facing a 1-on-2. When it’s run well, the defense is always wrong. Same thing with the TTU version of the spread.
It’s powerful when it’s executed right. However, do I think Tennessee would be able to execute it? Possibly, but I’m not tooooo confident in that.
My other concern – recruiting athletes for the spread. We’d be recruiting nationally for a spread offense that …well, a ton of other teams are running. What distinguishes Tennessee, and is that going to be enough to sway a 17-year old? Heck, I’ll be honest; if I was a 5-star WR who had a choice between a spread Tennessee and Florida, I’d go to UF in a heartbeat right now. I’m thinking there’s an advantage in counter-recruiting; go after the explosive RBs because that’s who our offense would feature. (And yes, I know I’m ignoring the Rich Rodriguez branch of the spread, but I don’t know who’s in that branch who would be available. No, Bill Stewart does not count.)
By the way, I highly, highly recommend checking out Smart Football if you want to learn about what the spread looks like. (And I’d kill for some more articles on the Airraid if you have ‘em, Tech; I’ve been trying to figure out a way to stop that offense for years.)
my advice
would be to quit worrying about the stars after the recruits name. It’s not necessary to have a roster of HS studs to run the spread. Just stock up on 3- and 4-star guys who can play. It makes life a lot simpler. Plus, it’s typically those same 5-star guys who end up arrested or in some other kind of trouble. No, not all of them, obviously. But look back at the athletes who are typically in trouble, and it’s typically the pampered stud.
Well, yes and no
It’s pretty possible to run a bad spread offense. The key line here is this: “If you have great athletes you can isolate them in space, but if you don’t then you’re just giving them one-on-one matchups they can’t win and asking your quarterback to play perfect or you can’t win.” If the spread architect is designing the offense to avoid this – and let’s be honest here, most of the people we’re talking about in this thread have figured it out – then yes, it doesn’t matter as much. The spread was originally an equalizer designed to allow teams with less talent the ability to compete on equal footing. More info on where I’m coming from is here.
On the other hand, a good teacher of the offense will be able to design his schemes for his talent – and be successful. So I certainly see where you’re coming from, but I’m a little hesitant to buy in immediately.
Sidenote on Leach
From the front page of Smart Football:
“It’s funny that even fans who only casually watch the game immediately realize that Texas Tech is not the same "spread” that is so in vogue across football (in fact, it is Texas’s offense that resembles that "spread"). It’s his brainchild."
Maybe I’m just fighting against the spread now, I don’t know.
Fight the spread. I'll fight Leach
I may be in the minority here and I don’t want to step on our Texas Tech guest’s guy (doing a helluva good job btw), but Leach and his spread doesn’t fit well with me in Knoxville. Leach is a sexy pick, but what has he accomplished since he joined Tech to warrant our wooing? His spread didn’t work against UTK while he coached at KY. Can he recuit on a national level? Could he recruit in Knoxville? With limited sholarships, the big schools recruiting Texas can’t get every star recruit in the area so he has plenty of talent to pick up. Ninety percent of his roster is from Texas. Does that show great recruiting skills? Don’t get me wrong. I love the guy’s offense. It’s fun to watch. I think he’s a great fit for Tech and I hope they continue to pound the conference. However, he’s coached 3 of the top 5 single season passers in history, but how many conference championships does he have to show for it? How many BCS bowls has he played in? We dumped an 8 win coach. Why get another one? I just don’t see the guy in orange. Offense fills seats so that may be a deciding factor. Now that the AD is looking to renegotiate his contract, he may be a lost cause anyway.
Isn't the difference . . .
. . . that Leach dumped his defensive coordinator last year after a bad loss to, who was it, Oklahoma State? My understanding is that he was focused exclusively on offense until this year, when he finally started giving some attention to defense as well. With some good results so far, I might add.
Go Vols!
That may be the case,
but one year of a good defense doesn’t really convince me that he’s totally committed to improving overall. I agree their defense is looking good. They have 8 upperclassmen starting on D. You’d expect them to be better than previous years. We’ll know more in the next two games. If we go after him and nab him, I’m 100% behind him. Until then, I stick to my opinion. I’d rather have a more balanced coach if possible. Did you hear that Santa?
You are correct
Leach is not known for his national recruiting ability. Tech really doesn’t have to worry about that just based on location. Like you and i both mentioned, you don’t need to win every recruiting battle because of the volume of D-I prospects in-state.
If Tenn is really interested in getting a lot of 5-star recruits, Leach is not the guy for that. The other big downside to Tech/Leach’s reputation is there are very few NFL guys that came out of our offense. That’s a big deal to a major recruit. They want to be a pro.
The argument could be made that he takes lesser talent and coaches the crap out of it to get to 8-9 wins a year. But it IS tough to win a conference championship in our respective conferences. Some (try about 10 combined) of the most storied programs in all of college football live in the SEC and Big XII.
If Tech wins one of our next three games, plus the bowl, it will be his first 10-win season at Tech. That’s something we down here in Texas have been starving for. Something about 10 wins…
Does anybody know
if Chavis is stayin or not? Has that even been discussed or are we waiting for the new head coach to make that decision? I really hope he stays, i love his defense.
Dustin
No word that I've heard.
I think that’ll depend on the next head coach. If the next guy is an offensive mind, he may very well keep Chavis (and if Chavis wants to stay, of course). A defensive coach will probably want his own D-coordinator.
What hooper said
I’ll add on to it by saying the next guy in may want to tread carefully if he’s getting rid of Chavis.
But that does remind me; think Trooper Taylor wants to come back as the OC?
It may also depend on Chavis.
After 20 years and this sudden turn of events, he may prefer to start fresh somewhere else.
Butch Davis
I like the Lane Kiffin idea, but he’s not a proven winner at the collegiate level. Neither is Jon Gruden for that matter. With the prestige of the program, we should only be looking at proven winners ala (dare I say) Steve Spurrier. My first choice would be Butch Davis from UNC. He’s won at Miami and at UNC, and he could recruit a lobster to jump into a pot of boiling water. He also has NFL experience that would be a helpful recruiting tool as well. He’s making 1.8 mil/year at UNC, I’m sure we could get him a lot cheaper than we’d get Kiffin or Gruden given their recent NFL experiences.
I have a friend who covers TCU football
He loves everything about Gary Patterson as a coach, but is concerned that he would have a tough time with the media spotlight in Knoxville.
I’m intrigued most by Patterson and Brian Kelly right now. That’s subject to change daily of course.
"Florida didnt win their first SEC title until 1991 and now they think they invented football."
-Ron Zook
I like the way you think
They’re my top two right now as well. I don’t know how Patterson would handle the media, but I suspect he’d have the same difficulties Kelly will.
Of course, if the News-Sentinel doesn’t put a hit out on them a week after they’re hired that may help too…
Patterson
He is an absolute horses a** as a person and is about as whiney as Spurrier. I think you would HATE putting up with him. There’s a reason he’s still at TCU.
You know what i love about the SEC....
We just had a paradigm shift happen in America, and all we really care about is “whos going to be our next coach” God i love college football!
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
by bammer on Nov 5, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
College football is my escape.
I get plenty enough of the real life stuff as it is. I like to step back once in a while and breathe a bit.
by Hooper on Nov 5, 2008 12:37 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
John Gruden
John Gruden, John Gruden, John Gruden these are my top 3 picks
Chucky as head coach!?
That is an interesting prospect but I agree with a post from above, “Tampa is in the playoff chase”. UT needs to get the ball rolling now and not with just a decision but working on keeping recruits and winning over some others.
Kiffin is the one
people say that gruden is there number one choice but its not so much the college’s choice who the coach will be as much as the coach they are trying to get and i think kiffin will be the one because i have heard from someone that keeps up with tennessee alot and there exact words were " Tennessees future head coach is not currently coaching a football team right now and he will be announced after the Kentucky game"
Remind me what Kiffin has achieved
I don’t understand why everyone is so high on Kiffin right now. Is it because he’s young, has a full head of hair, and is attractive? I hope that’s not the way we choose our coach.
I think a waiting period should be mandatory. I don’t think UT should be allowed to hire a coach for a couple of weeks. I’m nervous that we are going to just jump on the first bandwagon that looks good.
I’m not saying that Kiffin isn’t the right guy, either, but someone remind me again what he has actually accompished.
I will be disappointed if UT doesn’t exhaust all possible means in search of a coach.
Somene reassure me that this is all just fan knee-jerk reaction.
Absolutely there's knee-jerk reaction involved.
That’s one reason why schools spend money to have search firms help out; they’re removed from the situation and don’t have all the emotion to work through.
But since our little trappings won’t be of any influence, there’s no harm in having fun with it while it lasts. Once we gt a new coach, we can dial in on him. Until then, it’s fantasy-land.
I'm sure that Hamilton
didn’t just start thinking about this this week. He’s probably been window shopping for years.
Go Vols!
Forgot about something
I forgot that I had heard that Mike Hamilton keeps a top five coaches list for every sport in the event he has to make a replacement. I would love to know who’s on that list.
VolQuest has become almost unbearable recently because of all the fan speculation and all the various bandwagon-eers out there.
That makes sense.
Setting all emotions aside on this one, part of the AD’s job (at any school) is to be ready to handle the messy business. I would imagine that almost every AD in the country has such a list somewhere and continually revises it. Even the ADs at places like Florida State, where the line of succession is written in stone, likely has such a list in case of scandals, sudden deaths, tragedies, etc.
But like you, I’d love to see the hot list. There’s no way I’d publish it though; that’s a grenade I’m not willing to throw myself onto.
I’m also with you regarding speculation, but it’s unavoidable. We’re throat-deep in it ourselves here, only we’ve been able to do it without ANGRY CAPS-LOCK GUY endorsements so far. But waking up to a GVX story about Kiffin’s golfing adventures is just a bit much.
I’m patient; I can sit tight until the new coach is officially leaked to hype the press conference announced.
tennessee's next head coach
Tennessee has been known for “keeping it in the family” so im gonna throw our defensive coordinator john chavez in the mix. Hell, why not, our defense has been the best part of the team for the past few seasons.And since john chavez has been there ,can you tell me one time that the defense hasn’t been good.
For our safety...
If Chavis is promoted to head coach, I forsee mass pandomonium accompained with anger riots in which everything will be painted Orange in anger. With the firing (or resignment, whatever they want to cal it) if a fresh face doesn’t show up it won’t be good for us…
Awesome posts so far
I’m thoroughly enjoying reading everyone’s take on replacements. I have no opinion on who I want to see get the nod (I’m still a Fulmer guy for at least 3 more games). I hope the HC job in Knoxville is still sexy, but it’s up in the air now. I would like to pass this on to everyone.
The local ESPN radio DJs were talking to an Alabama beat writer and Alabama DC Kevin Steele’s name has been popping up down there. I know we’re looking for offensive guys, but this guy would be available. He’s got UTK ties (player/coach) and Chavis is his good friend. He’s coached under some legends in Osbourne and Bowden. The only problem is he looked God awful while coaching at Baylor, but it is Baylor. He also got choked out by Kevin Greene while with the Panthers. I don’t know what kind of offense he’d run or who he could bring, but he could possibly keep some recruits together. He has contributed greatly to the Tide’s recruiting efforts. Don’t be surprised if his name gets more attention as the process moves forward and more coaches decline our offers (Cutcliffe, Spurrier, Davis). I would like to see us get a coach who wants to be here and not just use UTK as a stepping stone. I don’t know much about the guy; just reporting.
I like that guy, Cryin' Jelly!
Fulmer still is my head coach, but Fryin’ Belly is a solid choice IMO.
About the stepping-stone thing . . .
. . . can’t the same thing be said of Bruce Pearl? Weren’t we worried about him using UT to climb the ladder?
Go Vols!
I hope UT Football hasn't fallen
to the level of UT Basketball a few years ago. Tell me it hasn’t. Lie if you have to.
CBP very well could use this as a stepping stone to the NBA or Boston College or Europe with Kobe and LeBron.
There's no doubt
Pearl is amazing. Beyond expectations. I love the guy. You bring up a good question. Were we worried about him using us as a stepping stone? I can’t answer for anyone else, but I didn’t care. I wanted someone to get UTK basketball out of the gutter. This example doesn’t hold water. We hadn’t steadily declined in the years leading up to Pearl. We had been down for some time. The football program, although in decline, still has life left in it. Tennessee, until now, was a football school. Basketball was an afterthought to most. We lucked out with Pearl. As for him possibly moving on, who’s to say this isn’t a stepping stone for Pearl? Is there an opening right now in college basketball that looks attractive? I don’t know of any. When the time comes, his phone will be ringing off the hook. He’s a spotlight genius. If he continues building up the program, who’s to say he’s not bolting. Despite its recent success, Tennessee is not a national basketball program and has never been one. Would he not deserve the chance to move on given the chance? He’s bigger than the program right now. He’ll need to continue to be compensated in line with other big name coaches or we may be back in the cellar if he does leave.
Any hire is a risk. I want a coach with staying power who can return us back to the glory days of the 90’s. If it takes a little searching beyond the coaches receiving the latest buzz, so be it. I love Muschamp’s fire, but he has no head coaching experience plus Clemson and Auburn could possibly slug it out for him. As for Kiffin, he’s looking to get an NFL job with his dad as DC. As for this NFL talk, I just don’t see it. Gruden likes his players game ready so do you think he’ll give up the Tampa job to coach kids? Cower just took a break. When he’s ready to return, at least five NFL teams will offer him a job. Let’s get off that wagon, guys. Someone suggested giving Chavis a try. Not my ideal choice, but it could serve a purpose and perhaps help heal some wounds. I doubt he’d do it, but it would give us time to evaluate talent and get the best guy out there and not rush into a decision. I wish people would quit demanding a spread offense coach to keep our recruits. Players come to schools because of the coaches; not the scheme. Ask Fulmer for help since he says he’s willing to do so. We’re going to lose recruits and we’ll probably gain others. It’ll be tough any way you slice it.
Here's a question
Would it have been better to be looking for a coach now or after last season? Or to make it clearer, now or after 1998? Is it easier to hire someone when the program is firing its coach or when it is firing on all cylinders? I’m not positive, but I’d think it’d be easier to get a better guy when your coach is retiring, truly stepping down, while the program is a clear winner than when the program is in turmoil.
If that’s an acceptable premise (and I think it’s up for argument), then having a stepping stone guy may not be such a bad thing.
Go Vols!
I'm not sure it matters much.
At this level, most coaches believe they can turn a program around or they can maintain success. The ego is pretty much a mandatory part of the job, and I think they look at it differently than we do.
Sorry Gruden Fans
For those of you speculating that Jon Gruden might be the next coach of the Vols, better check his name off your list and stop spreading those rumors, as the old coach shot them down this afternoon…Here’s the comments made and you can find them www.pewterreport.com
On Monday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden responded to the rumors linking him to the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee.
Gruden started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1986 under then-Volunteers head coach Johnny Majors. With his wife also being from Tennessee, Gruden was quickly rumored to be a potential replacement for Volunteers coach Philip Fulmer, who was recently fired. Gruden was asked if he had any interest in the position at Tennessee, and about the rumors linking him to the opening.
“No. I’ve said it from the beginning, this is the only job I’ve really ever wanted,” Gruden said. "As long as the Glazers will have me, I’ll be here. I have a lot of respect for Tennessee. I grew up down there a little bit, my wife is from there, but this is where I want to be. I can only make myself that clear.
“I don’t want to even start that. I’ve wanted to be in the NFL my whole life. This is something I’m really excited to do, and this is where I want to be. I’ll leave it at that.”
Gruden was then asked if he had been contacted regarding Tennessee’s head coaching position.
“I haven’t been contacted,” said Gruden. “I don’t get involved in speculation. I haven’t done a lot of reading on the internet stuff lately. I enjoy where I am. I’m eager to finish this season with the players that we have, and I’m excited.”
What about Mike Singletary?
He ain’t gonna last long in the NFL because the players don’t go for that type of coaching any more. He’s got 7 kids so he needs a big stadium to seat his whole family.
No...
You guys need to realize that very few NFL coaches EVER, and I mean EVER come down to the college ranks..It’s like a college coach going back to coach high school ball, doesn’t happen much..
The list put out there from wbir.com was very accurate IMO. The next coach stands a 99.9% chance of coming from the college ranks, somewhere throughout the country.
And I have a feeling it’s not going to be the most popular choice of the fans…Maybe, if they sign Lane Kiffin, I could see that being very popular over the course of the few months after the hire, once fans start to see who he is and where he’s come from…But aside from him, I don’t see this being a popular pick…I just don’t…
Let me rephrase
I should have said experienced, veteren coaches…Lane for one is still very young in terms of age, even at the college level where the avg. age is somewhere around 47-48 years old.
Make no mistake, Lane took the opportunity to join the Raiders for the money. I don’t blame him, and I’m sure he’ll turn out to be one heck of a coach. Remember, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden were both X-Raiders coaches who in the end were fired or let go…Myself, along with dozens of other experts feel Lane Kiffin is a very bright, intelligent coach who knows his stuff.
If the University could look to the ranks of the NFL to grab a coach, that would be the best choice for them IMO. NFL coaches, at least the successful ones, will never come back to the college ranks to coach. Other than Dave Wandstat, I can’t even think of anyone, and Wandstat was never a consistent winner in the NFL. Sure, there’s been guys like Saban who have tested the water in the NFL only to find out they aren’t as good as they thought, but make no mistake, the NFL is the big boys league, and any coach anywhere knows that…
But hopefully that addresses your question. Lane Kiffin jumped at the money. $4 million versus offensive coordinator money at USC was no comparison, and the distance was not that far (USC to Oakland).
i know what
lets try to get wyomings coach haha
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