We ran off a coach who never had a loss like this one

[BernardKingGOAT]

Bill Battle. He was gone after a 6-5 season. We never got boat raced his entire career, which was better than anyone save Neyland, Dickey, Majors and Fulmer. Not including Heupel, he was better than everyone else. We have always had a tough fan base. Thank God social media wasn't available back then

 

[GAV4L]

So are you suggesting that we rally the fans and run Huepel off?

 

[DaddyChad]

So are you suggesting that we rally the fans and run Huepel off?

I’m thinking he’s saying our fans can be irrational. Maybe I’m wrong

 

[GAV4L]

I’m thinking he’s saying our fans can be irrational. Maybe I’m wrong

haha got it. That makes sense.

I wasn't sure exactly what he was alluding to..sorry OP if that wasn't what you were suggesting!

 

[IndianaVol]

Lort, help us...

 

[utvolpj]

He took a solid program and ran it into the ground. Literally the opposite of what Heupel has done

 

[General Jack]

I wasn’t around for Battle but my understanding is that there was an unmistakable downward trajectory under his watch, primarily with talent. He earned what he got.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I’m thinking he’s saying our fans can be irrational. Maybe I’m wrong

Not sure how anyone could read that any differently. Dickey, Majors and Fulmer are all head coaches with disgusting, "boat race" losses in their record. Battle never had one, but lost to North Texas St., which is similar to losing to Northern Illinois.........

 

[brockytop]

Bill Battle. He was gone after a 6-5 season. We never got boat raced his entire career, which was better than anyone save Neyland, Dickey, Majors and Fulmer. Not including Heupel, he was better than everyone else. We have always had a tough fan base. Thank God social media wasn't available back then

FYI: Battle was fired WITHOUT social media so I don’t see that would’ve been an issue.

 

[SDV]

He was fired the same year that I was born. 1976. 48 years ago. And we are still talking about this? lol

 

[GAV4L]

Not sure how anyone could read that any differently. Dickey, Majors and Fulmer are all head coaches with disgusting, "boat race" losses in their record. Battle never had one, but lost to North Texas St., which is similar to losing to Northern Illinois.........

For me, personally, the thread title was what confused me.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

He took a solid program and ran it into the ground. Literally the opposite of what Heupel has done

I specifically said I wasn't comparing him to Heupel. Did you not get the point?

Take a moment

 

[utvolpj]

I specifically said I wasn't comparing him to Heupel. Did you not get the point?

Take a moment

We never got boat raced but the program was almost dead and buried. Yeah i can see how one game's outcome is more important when compared to the health and future of the program

Not sure you thought this one thru

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

FYI: Battle was fired WITHOUT social media so I don’t see that would’ve been an issue.

My point about our fan base

 

[GAV4L]

He was fired the same year that I was born. 1976. 48 years ago. And we are still talking about this? lol

His point was that Vol fans have been tough on coaches for a long time, way before social media

 

[GAV4L]

OP I think tweaking the thread title might clear up some confusion about your point. As I mentioned, I was confused by what you mean but after reading through the thread it seems like the lede was buried in the last two sentences of your post...

 

[Golfprovol]

Bill Battle. He was gone after a 6-5 season. We never got boat raced his entire career, which was better than anyone save Neyland, Dickey, Majors and Fulmer. Not including Heupel, he was better than everyone else. We have always had a tough fan base. Thank God social media wasn't available back then

Well based on this logic, Bama should have canned Saban in 2007 when he lost to ULM.

Battle record - bad losses included
1973 8-4, lost to Bama 42-21
1974 7-3-2, lost to Auburn 21-0. Bama 28-6
1975 7-5, lost to Bama 30-7. No bowl game
1976 6-5 No terrible losses , no bowl game

 

[GAV4L]

Well based on this logic, Bama should have canned Saban in 2007 when he lost to ULM.

Battle record - bad losses included
1973 8-4, lost to Bama 42-21
1974 7-3-2, lost to Auburn 21-0. Bama 28-6
1975 7-5, lost to Bama 30-7. No bowl game
1976 6-5 No terrible losses , no bowl game

His point was our fans have always been harsh on coaches, not that we should call for Heupel or even a coach like Battle to get fired.

 

[utvolpj]

His point was that Vol fans have been tough on coaches for a long time, way before social media

He was killing the program. It was a straight line decline from 11-1 to 6-5. He was them replaced with a UT hero coming off a national title

Really struggling with how ut fans were unreasonable in this scenario

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

We never got boat raced but the program was almost dead and buried. Yeah i can see how one game's outcome is more important when compared to the health and future of the program

Not sure you thought this one thru

Oh, I thought it through. We should have hired Majors from Iowa State. We didn't. The guy was freaking 28 years old when he got the job. If he would have been given some edicts as to making changes, he might have succeeded. My point is that this fan base ran him off, without social media

 

[utvolpj]

Oh, I thought it through. We should have hired Majors from Iowa State. We didn't. The guy was freaking 28 years old when he got the job. If he would have been given some edicts as to making changes, he might have succeeded. My point is that this fan base ran him off, without social media

He was run off because he was failing miserably as a coach. He was running it straight into the ground

 

[DuckInAPen]

He was fired the same year that I was born. 1976. 48 years ago. And we are still talking about this? lol

Hey, man, I'm all for still talking about this -- if that ain't the recent past, then you and I are old men

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

He was run off because he was failing miserably as a coach. He was running it straight into the ground

Ok. Were you around back then

 

[Tenacjim]

Not sure how anyone could read that any differently. Dickey, Majors and Fulmer are all head coaches with disgusting, "boat race" losses in their record. Battle never had one, but lost to North Texas St., which is similar to losing to Northern Illinois.........

Not like BB was an unlucky victim in a bunch of one score games. Along with losing to North Texas, he lost to Vandy, Kentucky & Duke as the team did a slide across his tenure in going from 11-1 to 6-5 and ultimately to 4-7 Majors first year after he finished is “unbuilding job”. Nice guy but nothing “irrational” about cutting him loose.

Well based on this logic, Bama should have canned Saban in 2007 when he lost to ULM.

Battle record - bad losses included
1973 8-4, lost to Bama 42-21
1974 7-3-2, lost to Auburn 21-0. Bama 28-6
1975 7-5, lost to Bama 30-7. No bowl game
1976 6-5 No terrible losses , no bowl game

Also lost to Ole Miss 23-6 in 1975.

25 points is “boat raced” but 23, 22, 21 isn’t? Especially given the offenses of the era, those all pretty much felt like “non-competitive beatdowns” at the time they were administered.

 

[utvolpj]

Ok. Were you around back then

My parents were in school at UT then and bought their season tickets in 72. Dad still sits in the same seats today. It's also pretty easy to see the straight downhill slide of his record.

I'm well versed