Did Wilcox leaving hurt UT more than Kiffin leaving?

[dsimplified]

Comparing last year's defense to this year's is apples and oranges.

Last year, with Bray out, Vols' offense was pathetic, really pathetic. Get a couple of scores up on them and the game was over. Like Fulmer did so many times against inferior SEC teams, folks like LSU and Alabama got ahead, sat on the ball and basically ran the clock out so as not to embarrass further the opposition. Concurrently, with UT's offense so anemic, it didn't matter that the defense played "bend but don't break" and stayed on the field forever giving up drive after drive with no chance of a turnover or big play on defense.

That's why Dooley really didn't care that Wilcox left. Dooley wanted a big play defense so that his big play offense would get plenty of opportunites. Get some 3 and outs on defense, force a turnover at the expense of giving up more big plays. But get UT's offense on the field. Obviously getting one big play for every 10 you give up ain't gonna work, but that was the idea.

Wilcox's defensive philosohy doesn't fit with a high powered, up tempo offense.

You could compare it to the Saints when they had Greg Williams as DC. He didn't have the numbers as a top defense but created turnovers which helped the Saints offense that much more. I think that was similar to what Dooley wanted in the beginning. But when you don't create the turnovers and get any stops on 3rd down it kills the whole philosophy. It turns into trying to stop the bleeding.

 

[Bjorn_Yesterday]

It's funny that most people said Wilcox was not a good coach when he was here. Now he is missed. Man i hope we win soon

I don't miss him.

 

[dsimplified]

I dont understand why Wilcox would rather coach at Washington than here, anyone have any idea what made him make the jump?

Obviously something changed when Wilcox passed on the Texas DC job and took UWash DC job the next year. Those two jobs aren't even close in my opinion even if UWash is closer to his home. A couple years from now he could have been the next head coach in waiting like Muschamp while getting paid top coordinator money. So he either seen the writing on the wall or didn't like coaching under Dooley. Or both, that's my guess.

 

[orangesox]

Wilcox leaving is the best thing that has happened to UT in quite a while.

If Wilcox doesn't leave then our defense would be much better, we probably have 2 more wins this season and Dooley isn't on the hot seat.

We don't end up with an opporunity to hire a big time coach like a Jon Gruden if Wilcox doesn't leave.

Blessing in disguise IMO

We haven't hired a big time coach like Gruden yet. With the way the last few years have gone for UT, that unfortunately still seems like a pipe dream.

 

[Aday25]

Kiffin is notrious and left a stain on UT football history...Wilcox leaving most likely will cost Dooley's Job; hopefully starting a new era of UT football. I don't think theres much comparision. Kiffin leaving not only destroyed a football program but lead to one of the worst eras of UT football. Wilcox jumped off the sinking ship.

 

[zqvol]

I dont understand why Wilcox would rather coach at Washington than here, anyone have any idea what made him make the jump?

You ever lived 2500 miles from Knoxville. Some people just want to get closer to home, and Wilcox is from the west coast.

 

[Roustabout]

UT should have fired Dooley after the UK game and promoted Wilcox. This guy will be a head coach soon.