Some of you need to calm down with wanting to fire coaches. One of the biggest problems with the football program right now is lack of stability. Hiring new coaches every year. Each one with different schemes, expectations, and their own way of doing things. It makes it hard for players to find direction and improve when every year the direction and goals change. Here is an example.
One year its Dooley and his coordinators telling the players to put on weight. They need them as big as possible. The next year it's Butch and his coordinators wanting more athleticism.
I know I've seen it on here people ask what's the point of keeping horrible coaches. What did this coaching staff do that was so horrible? Well they lost to Vanderbilt. I hate losing to Vanderbilt as much as anyone but let's look at the obstacles this coaching staff was handed.
I will start with the Offense. TN lost a starting QB and almost all the Receivers. We were a very good passing team the year before. It was basically the entire offense we needed to replace. We returned a very talented and experienced O-line. While this O-line is very talented and are tremendous pass blockers for whatever reason they have NEVER been able to come together as a group and run block very well. This was a problem that started long before our current coaches got to TN. While I hoped they could fix it, in one year they couldn't. Mix that with new QB's and WR's that struggled to hook up whether it was accuracy issues or route running, probably a combination of the two with all the inexperience on the field. Needless to say the offense struggled.
Now on to the defense. This defense struggled horribly Dooley's last year going from a 4-3 to 3-4 defense. They struggled with the scheme and tackling. This year switching back from a 3-4 to a 4-3 again they struggled with placement and tackling. This makes at least 2 different coaching staffs that have not been able to put them in the right position and get them to securely tackle. You have to start to wonder if it might be the players. It could be speed or it could be football instincts. Another possibility is that it is the constant changing of coaches and schemes. Whatever it is I wish these players nothing but the best but so far they have not been able to execute and finish plays no matter who the coach is.
This leads me to my next issue CULTURE. This is the one area that I have seen major improvement in. These players seem to love Butch Jones. They buy into what he is doing and his corny slogans. Bottom line they love the man and will follow him anywhere. Look at our recruiting list coming off of multiple disappointing seasons and that should tell you everything you need to know. The grades are up. I definitely think the effort was up this year. I do believe he has the culture of the program on the right track. This to me is one of the most important issues. The X's and O's are important but a winning culture of effort and accountability are way more important in my opinion. If players work hard in the off-season and execute (whatever the game plan) during the season the rest will work itself out.
Anyway, I like the rest of you questioned his X's and O's throughout the season. I believe that is a very valid argument, and there has probably never been a coach who lost a game and did not have that questioned. It's part of the game. With that said do I think that this team will work harder then any team the past decade this off-season. I think we will see major improvement. Will it show up in the win/loss column? I don't know. We have a long way to go. From my understanding the locker room was a mess under Dooley. The main thing is this team and the recruits seem to believe in Butch Jones, so I am throwing my support behind him 100%. Will he be the next General Neyland or even Philip Fulmer? I don't know, but the culture change alone in the locker room should buy him AT LEAST another 3 years to turn this program around. If he is given that, I feel very confident that he will leave this program in much better shape then when he took the reigns.
