According to GVX, Tennessee officials have confirmed that the school has hired former Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley to be its new head football coach. A press conference to announce the hiring is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. tonight.
Vol fans are scrambling, just trying to figure out who this guy is. In three seasons at La. Tech, Dooley (whose name I keep mistyping as "Dookey" for some reason), went 17-20, a record that might be a bit deceiving in light of Tech's habit of playing much better teams. He does apparently come highly recommended and apparently has a great record as a recruiter, so there are some immediate positives.
Maybe this wasn't the "splash" hire for which Vol fans were hoping, but that by no means means that he's destined to fail. This may have already become cliche in this super-fast Twitter world, but Bruce Pearl wasn't exactly a splash hire, either, and he's become one of the most beloved coaches on campus ever in just a few short years. Yes, football's different, especially at Tennessee, but you know what? This could end up being another fantastic hire that just takes us all by surprise. Regardless, the man is our coach, and he and the team need our support. Count me in.
Join us for the press conference at 9:00 p.m. EST so we can get a good look at our new coach.
Welcome to Tennessee, coach Dooley.