TheVolunteer002
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Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn on Tony Vitello leaving Tennessee:
“With Tony, he just called and said, ‘What do you think? Do you think I’m crazy?’” said Van Horn. “And I had a lot to say. But I said, ‘Bottom line, what do you want to do?’ I don’t think he was super happy with what was going on over there. I think it was more not about the University of Tennessee — it’s a great university. It was more about dealing with agents and dealing with all of that, trying to win, put a team on the field, and the stuff that we deal with. And I just said, ‘Hey, you’re 45 years old,’ or whatever he is (Vitello is 47). ‘If you want to take a shot at pro ball, here’s your shot. If it doesn’t work, you can always come back.’
“And that’s the way he felt. He called me the other day and he said, ‘Hey, by the way, our very first game, we play the Yankees. It’s the only game of the day, and they’re going to put us on Netflix.’ So he said, ‘Everybody will be watching.’ I said, ‘Hey, it’ll be a good memory for you, win or lose.’”
There’s been plenty of speculation that Vitello left Tennessee in part because he didn’t have the best relationship with Vols athletic director Danny White.
“I think for Tennessee fans, they were always hopeful that Tony would stay,” said On3’s Chris Low in October. “But being in the major leagues, that’s quite an opportunity for a college coach to get that type of opportunity and really be a pioneer. And I think over the last couple years, if you’re inside and sort of know what’s going on, this probably wasn’t just a complete surprise to a lot of people — certainly [people] close to the program — that there had not been what I would call the best relationships between Tony and Danny White, the Tennessee AD. And I think when you combine all of it — I don’t think it was just one thing — but when you combine all of it, what happened yesterday, happened.
“I think as people sort of think back through (the Vitello era), it now, and what it was like, there’s a lot of sadness,” continued Low. “I know, Danny White said it was a proud day. I disagree. It was a sad day, because I don’t think this had to happen. I think there was a way for this not to happen, and it happened. I think that’s what people are most upset, sad, and angry [about] — all the different emotions.”
Source: AtoZ Sports
“With Tony, he just called and said, ‘What do you think? Do you think I’m crazy?’” said Van Horn. “And I had a lot to say. But I said, ‘Bottom line, what do you want to do?’ I don’t think he was super happy with what was going on over there. I think it was more not about the University of Tennessee — it’s a great university. It was more about dealing with agents and dealing with all of that, trying to win, put a team on the field, and the stuff that we deal with. And I just said, ‘Hey, you’re 45 years old,’ or whatever he is (Vitello is 47). ‘If you want to take a shot at pro ball, here’s your shot. If it doesn’t work, you can always come back.’
“And that’s the way he felt. He called me the other day and he said, ‘Hey, by the way, our very first game, we play the Yankees. It’s the only game of the day, and they’re going to put us on Netflix.’ So he said, ‘Everybody will be watching.’ I said, ‘Hey, it’ll be a good memory for you, win or lose.’”
There’s been plenty of speculation that Vitello left Tennessee in part because he didn’t have the best relationship with Vols athletic director Danny White.
“I think for Tennessee fans, they were always hopeful that Tony would stay,” said On3’s Chris Low in October. “But being in the major leagues, that’s quite an opportunity for a college coach to get that type of opportunity and really be a pioneer. And I think over the last couple years, if you’re inside and sort of know what’s going on, this probably wasn’t just a complete surprise to a lot of people — certainly [people] close to the program — that there had not been what I would call the best relationships between Tony and Danny White, the Tennessee AD. And I think when you combine all of it — I don’t think it was just one thing — but when you combine all of it, what happened yesterday, happened.
“I think as people sort of think back through (the Vitello era), it now, and what it was like, there’s a lot of sadness,” continued Low. “I know, Danny White said it was a proud day. I disagree. It was a sad day, because I don’t think this had to happen. I think there was a way for this not to happen, and it happened. I think that’s what people are most upset, sad, and angry [about] — all the different emotions.”
Source: AtoZ Sports
