Here’s a Point (NCAA baggage coaches)

[BigOrangeGiant]

Going to attempt to explain this the best I can.

Not interviewing someone because they have had NCAA issues in the past is kind of stupid.

I mean, when we hired Pruitt, we had no idea that he would get into any NCAA trouble. So that just proves that just because you’ve not had NCAA trouble in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t have NCAA issues in the future. Every coach has a chance of getting into NCAA issues. There’s always gonna be a risk. Therefore, I’ve never really understood the philosophy behind staying away from people who have had NCAA trouble, especially if they are winners (like Freeze, Kiffin, Chadwell, etc)

Pruitt had no history of NCAA violations yet he still put us in one of the worst positions our program has ever seen from that perspective.

So again, my point is, why rule someone out for some baggage that they have from prior stops?
Why in the world would you not look at Chadwell or Freeze or someone like that? Ole Miss, Liberty, and CCU have obviously forgiven them for their past.

 

[BigOrangeGiant]

Kiffin story from 2011

 

[RhodesVol]

Going to attempt to explain this the best I can.

Not interviewing someone because they have had NCAA issues in the past is kind of stupid.

I mean, when we hired Pruitt, we had no idea that he would get into any NCAA trouble. So that just proves that just because you’ve not had NCAA trouble in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t have NCAA issues in the future. Every coach has a chance of getting into NCAA issues. There’s always gonna be a risk. Therefore, I’ve never really understood the philosophy behind staying away from people who have had NCAA trouble, especially if they are winners (like Freeze, Kiffin, Chadwell, etc)

Pruitt had no history of NCAA violations yet he still put us in one of the worst positions our program has ever seen from that perspective.

So again, my point is, why rule someone out for some baggage that they have from prior stops?
Why in the world would you not look at Chadwell or Freeze or someone like that? Ole Miss, Liberty, and CCU have obviously forgiven them for their past.

I think the fear of past NCAA issues at this point is as much a perception issue with respect to how the NCAA themselves will view UT from a sanctions standpoint. If we look contrite in our decision to eschew a Freeze, then they may not be as heavy handed with us when they dole out the ultimate punishment - or decide to accept some sort of self imposed sanctions - whereas they could see a brazen hire and drop the hammer on us.

That said, I don't think Kiffin's problem is necessarily NCAA baggage as much as it is that our moneyed brass on the Hill resents Kiffin for how he acted when he was here the firs time. He chose to disregard a lot of the tradition that was UT at the time, back when it was still unquestionably a top 10 job. Tennessee seems somewhat unique to me in the fact that several of our big money boosters played football here, and they really venerate a lot of the traditions. You have to think, Big Jim Haslam was a captain for Neyland. They may have made some bone headed decisions over the years, and earned well deserved ire for those decisions, but the Haslams are about as VFL as they come.

I think the fans are much more willing to forgive Kiffin for his immaturity and foibles than some of these guys are. Ergin, Thornton, Anderson, Haslam and the like have big egos.

 

[tnvolfan16]

how bad can the NCAA really drop the hammer if we hire Freeze? they are not giving the death penalty, they are not giving a television ban, lets say they give a 3 year bowl ban, what bowl are you missing out on in the next three years? really? they can only take away so many scholarships. money, so what? if he is the guy, you hire him and tell the NCAA or the SEC that the day Will Wade and Bruce Pearl are banished with show causes they deserve for their part in the FBI probe, that is when they can talk to us about morals of coaching hires. do you honestly think if nick saban wanted to hire freeze for his OC, he would care what the SEC office thought? If you dont think freeze is a candidate because he cant coach, then fine, but that is the only reason to disqualify him

 

[DWright39]

If Dykes is hired they might as well give UT the death penalty.

 

[RhodesVol]

how bad can the NCAA really drop the hammer if we hire Freeze? they are not giving the death penalty, they are not giving a television ban, lets say they give a 3 year bowl ban, what bowl are you missing out on in the next three years? really? they can only take away so many scholarships. money, so what? if he is the guy, you hire him and tell the NCAA or the SEC that the day Will Wade and Bruce Pearl are banished with show causes they deserve for their part in the FBI probe, that is when they can talk to us about morals of coaching hires. do you honestly think if nick saban wanted to hire freeze for his OC, he would care what the SEC office thought? If you dont think freeze is a candidate because he cant coach, then fine, but that is the only reason to disqualify him

I fully support that logic, and I don't disagree with you. Oh, we can't go to the Duke's Mayo Bowl? So what? If I were the coach, I would tell my team "don't give a damn about Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, we're here to win championships," and go to work. Likewise, what they cut three scholarships a year for three years? As if we haven't been taking 2-3 flyers on guys each class that were never going to produce anyway over the past decade. I get it, but I think the administration has made it clear that they are willing to work with the NCAA. That has proven to be a mistake everywhere people have tried it, but this is UT, so we will do the illogical and expect synchronicity.

 

[RhodesVol]

If Dykes is hired they might as well give UT the death penalty.

It's as much a self imposed sanction as an interim year of Kevin Steel would be. I agree.

 

[Perspective]

Going to attempt to explain this the best I can.

Not interviewing someone because they have had NCAA issues in the past is kind of stupid.

I mean, when we hired Pruitt, we had no idea that he would get into any NCAA trouble. So that just proves that just because you’ve not had NCAA trouble in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t have NCAA issues in the future. Every coach has a chance of getting into NCAA issues. There’s always gonna be a risk. Therefore, I’ve never really understood the philosophy behind staying away from people who have had NCAA trouble, especially if they are winners (like Freeze, Kiffin, Chadwell, etc)

Pruitt had no history of NCAA violations yet he still put us in one of the worst positions our program has ever seen from that perspective.

So again, my point is, why rule someone out for some baggage that they have from prior stops?
Why in the world would you not look at Chadwell or Freeze or someone like that? Ole Miss, Liberty, and CCU have obviously forgiven them for their past.

You’re right, Pruitt was just the fall guy, not the mastermind. Our culture, SEC culture, is to cheat. Pruitt managing that more would have made him more complicit- either way he’s out if he doesn’t win.

 

[VolArmy74]

We are also firing a coach for cause. When asked specifically about Freeze Boyd said it would be hypocritical to do that and then hire any coach with prior NCAA issues.

 

[Raydawg]

Freeze didn’t get charged with a thing at OM. The main reason they wouldn’t leave OM alone is because Freeze got into it with Mike Sheridan of the ncaa one day he was in Oxford interviewing people. From that day forward they wanted to nail Freeze. But they didn’t.

 

[VolArmy74]

Freeze didn’t get charged with a thing at OM. The main reason they wouldn’t leave OM alone is because Freeze got into it with Mike Sheridan of the ncaa one day he was in Oxford interviewing people. From that day forward they wanted to nail Freeze. But they didn’t.

He ended up getting "failure to monitor" and a 2 game suspension. He was happy with that and chose not to appeal.

 

[Raydawg]

He ended up getting "failure to monitor" and a 2 game suspension. He was happy with that and chose not to appeal.

I don’t remember any game he didn’t coach in. When the dust settled he didn’t get anything. Not even a show cause. He got extremely lucky. It helped OM when they ended finding out about the hookers and got him to resign. And there was never any pay for play proven.

 

[chrismc1000]

Going to attempt to explain this the best I can.

Not interviewing someone because they have had NCAA issues in the past is kind of stupid.

I mean, when we hired Pruitt, we had no idea that he would get into any NCAA trouble. So that just proves that just because you’ve not had NCAA trouble in the past, doesn’t mean you can’t have NCAA issues in the future. Every coach has a chance of getting into NCAA issues. There’s always gonna be a risk. Therefore, I’ve never really understood the philosophy behind staying away from people who have had NCAA trouble, especially if they are winners (like Freeze, Kiffin, Chadwell, etc)

Pruitt had no history of NCAA violations yet he still put us in one of the worst positions our program has ever seen from that perspective.

So again, my point is, why rule someone out for some baggage that they have from prior stops?
Why in the world would you not look at Chadwell or Freeze or someone like that? Ole Miss, Liberty, and CCU have obviously forgiven them for their past.

Dude you know how many hundreds of rules there is from the NCAA (which is a criminal union which I won't go into), to stay clean would require over 30 assistance checking and rechecked every move you make. It'll happen eventually no matter how small or large it is every coach has a NCAA violation. He'll under CJP we had several minor and then what's currently going on. It's damn near impossible to break any of them.

 

[VolsFan-TX]

We are also firing a coach for cause. When asked specifically about Freeze Boyd said it would be hypocritical to do that and then hire any coach with prior NCAA issues.

The problem with the Boyd statement and the multiple mentions of integrity is that the level or significance of ncaa issues was never discussed. We have coaches in other sports at UT right now that have reported ncaa issues. They are not significant, but they did happen. When I watched the press conference, many statements appeared to be made to appease the ncaa. The significance and number of issues as well as the offender’s intent are important when determining whether a person can be trusted. Simply having an ncaa issue or two in the past should not automatically disqualify any coach as almost every school self-reports issues each year. To me, I would ask a potential hire about their past history, lessons learned, or reactive actions taken, and strategy to ensure they and their staff operate in compliance with the expectations. Mistakes may have been made in the past, but a potential candidate could have been punished and learned from those mistakes. Having a well thought-out plan for compliance would be important if I was conducting the interviews.

 

[Rynovol]

Eh, Freeze hasn't had issues revealed at Liberty, nor Kiffin at Ole Miss either. Most likely, they both realized how under the microscope they are now and have learned to work more quietly in the gray areas.

All college coaches work in the gray areas: some in the deepest darkest black. Maybe I just have this forgiving nature, and believe any of these guys can be reformed...except Franklin. Once a turd, always a turd. I would hire Freeze or Kiffin in a heartbeat.