Coachery

[TheVolunteer002]

Your connection probably does have some athletic dept connections. I will say your connection is grasping at straws when asking about a list. Herman may or may not be one of the candidates interviewed or that will receive an interview. White doesn’t do leaks and keeps who he interviews very very private. He has a record of this. There are only a handful of people who knows who he has talked to and who he will interview moving forward.

For all we know, his connection may be in that small handful of people. Fact is, SF has been on the money for a couple of weeks now.

 

[ER Vol]

Been wavering all day.

I have to applaud you @Stoerner Fumbles, everything you said has been spot on. You are the best insider this board has ever seen. I have a couple of connections with some mid-level boosters, who I get information from and have given money for this new endeavor, however even they have no idea what is going to happen. They were told by Boyd to just trust them and when word got out about Fulmer, they totally believed him. A lot of them think Plowman and Boyd are the folks to led UT back in the right direction. One of them actually told Boyd "for gods sake don't ask my opinion about who to hire, a couple of bourbons in and we lose a game, I want to fire everyone". The only thing I have heard from them is that everything is being kept extremely close to the vest and a lot of old time folks who had connections in the AD office and above are now cut off. That is a wonderful thing, Time to move forward in a new direction.
I mean this board was awesome during the whole Gruden thing, despite what all the "insiders" said, including one pond animal who supposedly went to a great school (that is one thing I did actually know the answer to, ask me and I will tell you, I am sleepy, winding down and having a few drinks after another long Covid day and ready to chat).
Again thanks for all the information, you now go down as the only insider with any real info, kudos to you.

 

[thistime]

Stoerner, I know this is only speculation on my part and I posted it on another thread and it has had me thinking. Since this is going to be what everyone is hoping to be a BIG HIRE do you or your friend see them making the hire or agreeing on terms and then waiting to announce in the middle of next week for more media coverage on the national stage since the sports world will be consumed with the NFL for a day or two after the Championship games and before the media goes full bore Super Bowl . I think this might be a chance for the university to get some positive PR for a change as well as a chance to show we are serious about winning and serious about addressing any issue we will likely have after the investigation is done. I just think it make since on that front if they think they can keep it close to the vest that long.

 

[utvolford]

I have to applaud you @Stoerner Fumbles
I mean this board was awesome during the whole Gruden thing, despite what all the "insiders" said, including one pond animal who supposedly went to a great school (that is one thing I did actually know the answer to, ask me and I will tell you, I am sleepy, winding down and having a few drinks after another long Covid day and ready to chat).
Again thanks for all the information, you now go down as the only insider with any real info, kudos to you.

Do tell...

 

[Checker_the_Shire]

I have to applaud you @Stoerner Fumbles, everything you said has been spot on. You are the best insider this board has ever seen. I have a couple of connections with some mid-level boosters, who I get information from and have given money for this new endeavor, however even they have no idea what is going to happen. They were told by Boyd to just trust them and when word got out about Fulmer, they totally believed him. A lot of them think Plowman and Boyd are the folks to led UT back in the right direction. One of them actually told Boyd "for gods sake don't ask my opinion about who to hire, a couple of bourbons in and we lose a game, I want to fire everyone". The only thing I have heard from them is that everything is being kept extremely close to the vest and a lot of old time folks who had connections in the AD office and above are now cut off. That is a wonderful thing, Time to move forward in a new direction.
I mean this board was awesome during the whole Gruden thing, despite what all the "insiders" said, including one pond animal who supposedly went to a great school (that is one thing I did actually know the answer to, ask me and I will tell you, I am sleepy, winding down and having a few drinks after another long Covid day and ready to chat).
Again thanks for all the information, you now go down as the only insider with any real info, kudos to you.

I have the most important question to ask: What bourbon you drinking?

 

[NM4VOLS]

I’ve done my best to be the non-ambiguous guy. I’m about to shift a bit. Yesterday all the existing staff were reminded that the have NDA’s and that a coaching search is proprietary information. I’m sure this comes from the fact that the athletic department is gutted and there are no channels for discussing things with press. The last few pieces of news have made it to this board before they’ve gone to selected news outlets. The national sources that the university prefers are Feldman at CBS, and Lowe at ESPN. They’d like the news to go there first for maximum effect. Yesterday both were scooped by journalists reading the board. I have interrogated my friend three times today, and am stuck with a handful of magic beans. I don’t know enough to be of use. I think that will change as we get closer. So, I can share a few things I know, and one semi-cryptic answer that I think is helpful, but probably non-satisfactory. White arrives today. Will meet players. Will do press conference. Will talk to Steele. Will fly to meet a candidate, supposedly in a neutral location. I get the feeling we have a coach already from what I’ve heard. While UT could not walk the line of waiting for investigation results and officially looking for a coach, unofficially, they’ve been looking for awhile. In fact (here’s the cryptic part) My friend says White was recommended by our future coach. My friend was willing to share that we pursued five candidates, but not willing to share who. The five are impressive according to him. One is perceived as the top of the pyramid, and is probably the source of the big number discussed. I read that to be Campbell, but that’s a guess. I know, and previously stated that Frost has a relationship with the chancellor and spoke to her. I have no information that he’s the coach. Given Nebraska is his alma mater, that doesn’t make sense, but I have no information to rule it out. I mentioned that board buzz says we’ll hire a seated coach, past chancellor commentary would rule out Kiffin and Freeze, and that it would have to be someone experienced. He said there’s one candidate that is down the list that would be a “bend” of that criteria. Maybe that’s Kiffin. In the past I’ve asked the chance of Freeze, and he said “zero”. I know that the plan has contingencies down far below the chosen five. We will not be embarrassed by public rejection, a long search, or dumb moves. This is going to be tight and fast. My friend rated the odds at 90% that we currently have our guy, and it will be official by next week. On a slightly sad note, Tee and Jay have missed several job opportunities to hold the team together. They’ve received very little communication or support on what happens next. The two of them have been rock solid through this whole mess. Yesterday they saved two players from the portal based on rallying them around the White news. I’m sorry I’m pushing soft journalism today. I’ve tried to give good data before. I just don’t have the goods today. I’m not even confident that my conclusions are right from my guessing game this morning. Like I said, I think some things will loosen up, and I’ll hear more. One final note: My friend said the White family is like the Kennedy family of the NCAA. They’re royalty. Kevin White is one of the most respected names in a mature athletics. He was a hero at Notre Dame and Duke and served on the Olympics board. The integrity of that name will be very important. That’s very good news.

 

[NM4VOLS]

You said your friend said White was recommended by our future coach. In another thread you said Frost recommended our new AD to Donde. Is that correct. Our future coach (Frost) recommended our now new AD(White) to Donde.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

With hindsight I have this question now...I wonder why Fulmer saw Pruitt as a superior candidate to Kevin Steele or Mel Tucker? I can't imagine Pruitt interviewed all that well.

Did Phil perhaps see some of himself in Pruitt? It's interesting he didn't choose Steele given that Steele is an alum and an old friend.

He probably saw someone he thought he could control.

 

[rocytop2624]

Been wavering all day.

Can you tell them to bring Kiffin back?

 

[bleedorange9995]

There’s a top target, and five candidates. If making the list a figurative object is easier for you to handle, then do that. There is no literal list. They aren’t deciding who the targets are after getting approval from the team. I can state that with a great deal of confidence. I believe we have a coach, barring the inability to come to specific terms. I have more than one confirming source. I also know that they have a plan for what to do if things fall through, and what to do after that. As I said earlier, this search and hire will be tight and fast and free of embarrassment. It doesn’t begin today.

thank you for the insight! Do you think your friend is going to let you know about timeframe of the announcement of the new head coach?

 

[ER Vol]

I have the most important question to ask: What bourbon you drinking?

Ha, that wasn't me, I am more of a tequila guy. He usually drinks Breckenridge and Elijah Craig I think. I got him and of couple of the other guys a bottle of Old Fourth Distillery Bottled in Bond (local distillery here in Atlanta) for Christmas.

 

[ER Vol]

Do tell...

Gruden was never coming here to coach. The reason I know this is I asked him. Gruden was at a charity event I attended (his wife and her group were involved in a charity I was associated with) and after a couple of martinis I straight up asked him. He knew I went to UT from a conversation earlier in the night and he had said that he and his family loved UT. So I asked him. He said he was very flattered and again said how much he loves UT, however he said that if he ever coached again it would be in the Pros and have to be a perfect situation.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Some highlights from yesterday as conveyed by a friend. As always, take it with a grain of salt. I’m sure certain things were lost in translation. Some of this is even third or fourth hand, but all in the family. Everyone was told White likes keeping schedules and confidentiality. Yesterday they had a schedule, and kept none of it. They did a little better with confidentiality. Flight was late getting him. Sat on the ground for an hour waiting for fog. Bogged down with meeting the boosters at TYS airport. Bogged down meeting boosters before press conference. Bogged down by boondoggle at AD office. Barnes was a hit there, introducing himself as a “guy who works here”. Barnes got sodas for his kids and toured them around, and wouldn’t give them back. The older son is in high school, and it sounds like Barnes tried to rescue him from a miserable day. I’ve gotta say that Barnes has been more important in all this than you’d imagine. He’s been all class in talking about Fulmer. He’s highly supportive of the hire, and has been a PR machine for the school. White was reeling from all the chaos. Expected to have a quick quiet meeting with Steele and players, and there were people everywhere. He barely got out of the office to make the players meeting. Barnes was still hitting him with one-liners all the way out apparently, the best being the observation that Danny is “better looking than his brother”. Met players. This meeting was private. Prior to the meeting they were given an app, and then asked to vote on team leaders. There was supposed to be a second meeting with leaders, but that will now be tomorrow. Only highlights I heard were that White told them he worked for them now. He was going to work hard for them so they can focus on being a team. By the time White left, his (alleged) conversation with Elliott already leaked after having instructed everyone on confidentiality. I don’t know if he did talk to Elliott. White knows and trusts Elliott. Elliott knows Steele. Elliott was also an inch from being the UCF head coach. If he did talk to him, I’m not sure I read this as Elliott being an option, but I assume it’s possible. It would not follow anything I’ve heard in the past about the search. Subsequently they’ve brought on a firm to handle logistics, and try to protect confidentiality. The search firm was not hired for searching. While the day was chaotic, don’t read this as a messy political process. It’s not. Boyd and Plowman are handling this like professionals. They’re going to give White the space he needs to succeed. White did not take this job to boot lick boosters. It’s his plan, and it’ll be his hire. Boyd is herding cats on the booster front. He has a lot more sway than is being portrayed. He has money ready, and he’s set up a playing field for White to succeed. There is a contingent of boosters that is strongly connected to PF and the Pruitt hire who were not included in any of the conversations of the last three weeks. A new contingent of boosters has provided the support for hiring White and giving him cover to make the hire without having to talk to boosters. I get the feeling White had no idea just what he was getting into. While he knows this is “a great place”, he doesn’t know much about that great place, and was pretty overwhelmed. My friend’s impression is the same at the end of the day: We still have a target. We’re working on that target. We’ll like that target. He gets the feeling that White will have a plan, a message and a support structure before dropping a coach into the circus. He’s going to get this right. He believes support structure is essential. He’ll have a plan. Here are a few interesting observations: White is two things at once. He is a top level AD. The best. Not homegrown. That said, his dad is friends with Archie. They knew each other in New Orleans. Danny is friends with Eli from Ole Miss days. Kevin is close with Cutcliffe. Plowman knows Frost who loves White. This hire was made by smart people who are tired of watching people screw this up. Boyd is on the case. While this was a National candidate, it has the backing of key UT family. Plowman is on the case. White is on the case. They are a team. This is not the typical political backstabbing operation. They are tight. I think everything is going to progressively get quieter over the next few days. I realize everything I’ve written above is color commentary. I don’t have a coach prediction. I don’t know that I’ll have one before the hire. I thought there’d be more information day to day since that has been the case for the last few months. It may go the opposite way.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Thanks for the post. I can get on with my day now.

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Some highlights from yesterday as conveyed by a friend. As always, take it with a grain of salt. I’m sure certain things were lost in translation. Some of this is even third or fourth hand, but all in the family. Everyone was told White likes keeping schedules and confidentiality. Yesterday they had a schedule, and kept none of it. They did a little better with confidentiality. Flight was late getting him. Sat on the ground for an hour waiting for fog. Bogged down with meeting the boosters at TYS airport. Bogged down meeting boosters before press conference. Bogged down by boondoggle at AD office. Barnes was a hit there, introducing himself as a “guy who works here”. Barnes got sodas for his kids and toured them around, and wouldn’t give them back. The older son is in high school, and it sounds like Barnes tried to rescue him from a miserable day. I’ve gotta say that Barnes has been more important in all this than you’d imagine. He’s been all class in talking about Fulmer. He’s highly supportive of the hire, and has been a PR machine for the school. White was reeling from all the chaos. Expected to have a quick quiet meeting with Steele and players, and there were people everywhere. He barely got out of the office to make the players meeting. Barnes was still hitting him with one-liners all the way out apparently, the best being the observation that Danny is “better looking than his brother”. Met players. This meeting was private. Prior to the meeting they were given an app, and then asked to vote on team leaders. There was supposed to be a second meeting with leaders, but that will now be tomorrow. Only highlights I heard were that White told them he worked for them now. He was going to work hard for them so they can focus on being a team. By the time White left, his (alleged) conversation with Elliott already leaked after having instructed everyone on confidentiality. I don’t know if he did talk to Elliott. White knows and trusts Elliott. Elliott knows Steele. Elliott was also an inch from being the UCF head coach. If he did talk to him, I’m not sure I read this as Elliott being an option, but I assume it’s possible. It would not follow anything I’ve heard in the past about the search. Subsequently they’ve brought on a firm to handle logistics, and try to protect confidentiality. The search firm was not hired for searching. While the day was chaotic, don’t read this as a messy political process. It’s not. Boyd and Plowman are handling this like professionals. They’re going to give White the space he needs to succeed. White did not take this job to boot lick boosters. It’s his plan, and it’ll be his hire. Boyd is herding cats on the booster front. He has a lot more sway than is being portrayed. He has money ready, and he’s set up a playing field for White to succeed. There is a contingent of boosters that is strongly connected to PF and the Pruitt hire who were not included in any of the conversations of the last three weeks. A new contingent of boosters has provided the support for hiring White and giving him cover to make the hire without having to talk to boosters. I get the feeling White had no idea just what he was getting into. While he knows this is “a great place”, he doesn’t know much about that great place, and was pretty overwhelmed. My friend’s impression is the same at the end of the day: We still have a target. We’re working on that target. We’ll like that target. He gets the feeling that White will have a plan, a message and a support structure before dropping a coach into the circus. He’s going to get this right. He believes support structure is essential. He’ll have a plan. Here are a few interesting observations: White is two things at once. He is a top level AD. The best. Not homegrown. That said, his dad is friends with Archie. They knew each other in New Orleans. Danny is friends with Eli from Ole Miss days. Kevin is close with Cutcliffe. Plowman knows Frost who loves White. This hire was made by smart people who are tired of watching people screw this up. Boyd is on the case. While this was a National candidate, it has the backing of key UT family. Plowman is on the case. White is on the case. They are a team. This is not the typical political backstabbing operation. They are tight. I think everything is going to progressively get quieter over the next few days. I realize everything I’ve written above is color commentary. I don’t have a coach prediction. I don’t know that I’ll have one before the hire. I thought there’d be more information day to day since that has been the case for the last few months. It may go the opposite way.

tyfys

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

tyfys

Yesterday was no Shiloh, General...

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Yesterday was no Shiloh, General...

I'm not sure what this means! Shiloh was a victory yet a bloodbath.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

I'm not sure what this means! Shiloh was a victory yet a bloodbath.

Shelby Foote would say that about a day that wasn’t so bad.

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Shelby Foote would say that about a day that wasn’t so bad.

I just exhaled.

 

[kcvols1]

I'm not sure what this means! Shiloh was a victory yet a bloodbath.

Is your avi Grant or Sherman?

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Is your avi Grant or Sherman?

Grant. His nickname was "Unconditional Surrender" because of his initials, US

 

[kcvols1]

Some highlights from yesterday as conveyed by a friend. As always, take it with a grain of salt. I’m sure certain things were lost in translation. Some of this is even third or fourth hand, but all in the family. Everyone was told White likes keeping schedules and confidentiality. Yesterday they had a schedule, and kept none of it. They did a little better with confidentiality. Flight was late getting him. Sat on the ground for an hour waiting for fog. Bogged down with meeting the boosters at TYS airport. Bogged down meeting boosters before press conference. Bogged down by boondoggle at AD office. Barnes was a hit there, introducing himself as a “guy who works here”. Barnes got sodas for his kids and toured them around, and wouldn’t give them back. The older son is in high school, and it sounds like Barnes tried to rescue him from a miserable day. I’ve gotta say that Barnes has been more important in all this than you’d imagine. He’s been all class in talking about Fulmer. He’s highly supportive of the hire, and has been a PR machine for the school. White was reeling from all the chaos. Expected to have a quick quiet meeting with Steele and players, and there were people everywhere. He barely got out of the office to make the players meeting. Barnes was still hitting him with one-liners all the way out apparently, the best being the observation that Danny is “better looking than his brother”. Met players. This meeting was private. Prior to the meeting they were given an app, and then asked to vote on team leaders. There was supposed to be a second meeting with leaders, but that will now be tomorrow. Only highlights I heard were that White told them he worked for them now. He was going to work hard for them so they can focus on being a team. By the time White left, his (alleged) conversation with Elliott already leaked after having instructed everyone on confidentiality. I don’t know if he did talk to Elliott. White knows and trusts Elliott. Elliott knows Steele. Elliott was also an inch from being the UCF head coach. If he did talk to him, I’m not sure I read this as Elliott being an option, but I assume it’s possible. It would not follow anything I’ve heard in the past about the search. Subsequently they’ve brought on a firm to handle logistics, and try to protect confidentiality. The search firm was not hired for searching. While the day was chaotic, don’t read this as a messy political process. It’s not. Boyd and Plowman are handling this like professionals. They’re going to give White the space he needs to succeed. White did not take this job to boot lick boosters. It’s his plan, and it’ll be his hire. Boyd is herding cats on the booster front. He has a lot more sway than is being portrayed. He has money ready, and he’s set up a playing field for White to succeed. There is a contingent of boosters that is strongly connected to PF and the Pruitt hire who were not included in any of the conversations of the last three weeks. A new contingent of boosters has provided the support for hiring White and giving him cover to make the hire without having to talk to boosters. I get the feeling White had no idea just what he was getting into. While he knows this is “a great place”, he doesn’t know much about that great place, and was pretty overwhelmed. My friend’s impression is the same at the end of the day: We still have a target. We’re working on that target. We’ll like that target. He gets the feeling that White will have a plan, a message and a support structure before dropping a coach into the circus. He’s going to get this right. He believes support structure is essential. He’ll have a plan. Here are a few interesting observations: White is two things at once. He is a top level AD. The best. Not homegrown. That said, his dad is friends with Archie. They knew each other in New Orleans. Danny is friends with Eli from Ole Miss days. Kevin is close with Cutcliffe. Plowman knows Frost who loves White. This hire was made by smart people who are tired of watching people screw this up. Boyd is on the case. While this was a National candidate, it has the backing of key UT family. Plowman is on the case. White is on the case. They are a team. This is not the typical political backstabbing operation. They are tight. I think everything is going to progressively get quieter over the next few days. I realize everything I’ve written above is color commentary. I don’t have a coach prediction. I don’t know that I’ll have one before the hire. I thought there’d be more information day to day since that has been the case for the last few months. It may go the opposite way.

Thanks for this, but what a circus!

I can’t imagine the number of boosters that think they’ve bought influence with donations, because they’ve been allowed to think precisely this by previous administrations.

I’m enjoying the read, but I’m hoping they’re able to lock this down until they make a hire. I hope I hear about it from CLow first!

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

I just exhaled.

In fairness, Foote also watched “As The World Turns” religiously. He liked a little drama. But yesterday would’ve definitively been a “not Shiloh” day. People made decisions. They picked a tough general. Feet are moving in the same direction.

 

[Godfatha]

Grant. His nickname was "Unconditional Surrender" because of his initials, US

And his demand at Fort Donelson.

 

[Checker_the_Shire]

Ha, that wasn't me, I am more of a tequila guy. He usually drinks Breckenridge and Elijah Craig I think. I got him and of couple of the other guys a bottle of Old Fourth Distillery Bottled in Bond (local distillery here in Atlanta) for Christmas.

You need to check on Lost State Distillery in Bristol. Some of the best bourbon and gin I’ve ever had.