Elliott on not taking UT job.

[DaddyChad]

So he wanted the opportunity to "win now". IOW, wanted to walk into a loaded roster on a winning program.

What, he doesn't think he can build a winning program in 3-4 years?

Hmmm...

It has nothing to do with building a roster. It has everything to do with the administration and boosters continuing to screw up and meddle at every turn.

 

[Coddlecreek1]

Why Now ? No need to explain. It’s like in high school....”she could have been mine, but I didn’t ask her “ . Later Tony

 

[BondJamesBond]

What is the benefit of this article? Does it help Tony Elliot, no because now he seems not willing to work to build something special and is only willing to take a program that someone else has done the heavy lifting on. It doesn’t help the university as it puts Tony Elliot on the record saying he doesn’t believe the environment and support exists here for him to be successful. I am glad we got someone who is willing to take on this challenge.

It gets clicks. Nothing else matters.

 

[Volinnooga]

Embarrassing

If you mean it’s embarrassing for the Vols, I disagree. We all would love to stay at our current jobs until we can find that perfect opportunity to walk in somewhere else and win immediately. But guess what? Most places that can win immediately aren’t looking to hire! With that attitude, he will stay there forever. And that’s fine, it’s a good gig snd he’s comfortable and well liked there. But that’s a decision not based on anything embarrassing about Tennessee, but on his desire to remain comfortable and not take a leap of faith

I’m glad we got Coach Heupel instead. That’s not a slap at Elliott but a kudos to our current Bosch.

 

[MurphyVol]

UT is the place you step forward in your career at. The issue is we have been hiring guys not suited to the job. Kiffin was the best hire we have made but circumstances caused him to leave after one year here. Next best was Butch Jones who recruited well but was too arrogant to allow his beloved system to evolve while here.

We just need the right guy. Look at Bama before Saban. They went through many coaches before finding their guy. Everyone wants to drive an F1 car but most can’t handle the power nor pressure of pushing the vehicle to its limits to succeed. Is that the car’s fault or the driver? We have the resources to succeed, we have the fan support, we have the pedigree. We just need that person who embraces the pressure and is willing to do the work to get us back to winning. It’s going to take a lot of work but the right guy will be a legend here.

I'd love to believe you but the last "outside the family" hire to have sustained success was Dickey in the 1965-1969 era. There's no way we hire a coach with a NC under his belt without him being a hometown boy(Johnny). Phil, arguably the best HC since Neyland was a Dabo-type stroke of luck that was already on staff.

Hiring Saban, with an NC under his belt to a Bama program that was one year removed from a 10 win season is a far cry from hiring Josh Heupel, who has coached 30ish games at a mid-major to this dumpster fire.

I'm not down on Heupel, I'm actually surprised he took the job. I sincerely thought we'd have to settle for another coordinator or an FCS HC.

My point is I think Saban did exactly what Tony Eliott did. It's not like he took over Miss St. Bama had talent in the roster and was a sleeping giant.

 

[Keyser Soze]

So he’s waiting on the Bama or Ohio State job with the other 2 dozen coaches. If a coach isn’t willing to compete and prove himself he won’t do any better at those jobs!!!!

 

[ButchBettaBeGone]

Sounds like he doesn't want to work and have a team of all 5 stars and take credit for being the head coach. He wants to take over a program that is already successful and take credit....nah glad we passed. Doesn't have the mentality to be a real head coach. Pass...

 

[njvols]

Scott Frost??

Valid point, but at least JH has run a program before and we're not dealing with training wheels.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'd love to believe you but the last "outside the family" hire to have sustained success was Dickey in the 1965-1969 era. There's no way we hire a coach with a NC under his belt without him being a hometown boy(Johnny). Phil, arguably the best HC since Neyland was a Dabo-type stroke of luck that was already on staff.

Hiring Saban, with an NC under his belt to a Bama program that was one year removed from a 10 win season is a far cry from hiring Josh Heupel, who has coached 30ish games at a mid-major to this dumpster fire.

I'm not down on Heupel, I'm actually surprised he took the job. I sincerely thought we'd have to settle for another coordinator or an FCS HC.

My point is I think Saban did exactly what Tony Eliott did. It's not like he took over Miss St. Bama had talent in the roster and was a sleeping giant.

I think you mis-characterize Saban and consequently any comparison between Saban and Elliott.

First, you should have said that Saban did what Elliott would LIKE TO DO...because Elliott hasn't done anything yet, other than turn down an opportunity.

But second and most importantly, Saban--unlike Elliott--has self-confidence. He had self-confidence when he coached at Michigan State. He had self-confidence when he coached at LSU. He even had self-confidence while he was with Miami. And he had self-confidence when he took the Bama job. The same kind of self-confidence Tony Elliott seems to sorely lack.

Saban went to Bama because (a) he wasn't having as much fun in the NFL as he thought he would, while he and Terry realized they enjoyed college life much more, (b) Bama was throwing lots of $$ at him, (c) they promised him, by all accounts a control freak, an unusual level of control over all aspects of the program, and (d) it was a place where top-end success is ultimately possible.

I think Saban might have taken any job that met those four conditions. Even a place under conditions such as Tennessee faces right now. As long as those four conditions existed.

So what might superficially seem like similarities (Saban walked into a job set up for success; Elliott would like to walk into a job set up for success), hides very different personalities and motivations. It doesn't seem to be a very helpful comparison.

But I like and agree with you about Josh Heupel. Glad we have him aboard.

Go Vols!

 

[wmcovol]

I wasn’t excited about hiring a first time head coach again. I don’t know how Heupel will do but at least he has 3 years experience as a head coach. If we learn anything from Pruitt is that move from coordinator to head coach is a big step.

 

[tbh]

I don't blame the guy for being mature enough and self-aware enough to acknowledge his limitations and appetite for risk. It's better for all parties involved that he stayed at Clemson...UT avoided a (future) buyout and ended up with someone who has HC experience and doesn't have to learn head coaching on the job here, Elliot stayed in his comfort zone at a successful program and (I believe) got a raise or at least some goodwill points, and Clemson kept a solid staff member.

 

[MurphyVol]

I think you mis-characterize Saban and consequently any comparison between Saban and Elliott.

First, you should have said that Saban did what Elliott would LIKE TO DO...because Elliott hasn't done anything yet, other than turn down an opportunity.

But second and most importantly, Saban is totally unlike Elliott because he has self-confidence. He had self-confidence when he coached at Michigan State. He had self-confidence when he coached at LSU. He even had self-confidence while he was with Miami. And he had self-confidence when he took the Bama job. The same kind of self-confidence Tony Elliott seems to sorely lack.

Saban went to Bama because (a) he wasn't having as much fun in the NFL as he thought he would, (b) Bama was throwing lots of $$ at him, and (c) they promised him, by all accounts a control freak, an unusual level of control over all aspects of the program.

None of that sounds much like Tony Elliott, to me. I don't think it's a very useful comparison.

Saban and his agent sat down and did a multi-decade analysis of the NFL draft and found an amazingly high number of players came with a small radius around Louisiana. That made them target the LSU job.

Does it make Saban less confident that he didn't go after the Vandy job?

When I built my home, the exposed basement made the back 3 stories high. The best brick mason in town turned me down after explaining to me that he was passing on the job because he could brick 3 houses in the time it would take to do mine. Personally, I didn't think that was a loser mentally.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Saban and his agent sat down and did a multi-decade analysis of the NFL draft and found an amazingly high number of players came with a small radius around Louisiana. That made them target the LSU job.

Does it make Saban less confident that he didn't go after the Vandy job?

When I built my home, the exposed basement made the back 3 stories high. The best brick mason in town turned me down after explaining to me that he was passing on the job because he could brick 3 houses in the time it would take to do mine. Personally, I didn't think that was a loser mentally.

I don't think there's much utility in comparing the motivations of football coaches and brick masons. There's a bit of the gambler in any sports coach, the challenge to win while vying against another person who is also trying to win from the other sideline. The ego-stoking questions about being the best, breaking records, winning championships, etc. Totally different motivations. A mason's main motivation is making a profit on each job.

And anyway, completely off topic but #2, that seems a pretty weird conversation you had with that mason. Is he somehow required to charge the same amount for every house? If it was 3x as big a job, why wouldn't he just quote you a price 3x as much? Are you sure you're remembering that right?

Anyway, another bad comparison. Elliott-to-Saban didn't work for me, and Saban-to-brick mason didn't work for me, either.

 

[Volfan2012]

Glad he didn't come here seems to have some chicken in him.

 

[MurphyVol]

I don't think there's much utility in comparing the motivations of football coaches and brick masons. There's a bit of the gambler in any sports coach, the challenge to win while vying against another person who is also trying to win from the other sideline. The ego-stoking questions about being the best, breaking records, winning championships, etc. Totally different motivations.

And anyway, completely off topic but #2, that seems a pretty weird conversation. Is your brick mason required to charge the same amount for every house? If it's 3x as big a job, why wouldn't he just quote you a price 3x as much? I totally didn't get that.

Anyway, it is yet again not a very good comparison.

Perfect comparison, coaching football is a job and everyone should put themselves in the best position to be successful. Just like Saban targeting two of the easiest recruiting jobs in football.

For Heaven sakes, geniuses like Coach O and Les Miles have even won NCs at LSU.

 

[ptgrbn]

If he thinks he’ll luck into a gig where he can win immediately matriculating from an OC position, he may be waiting until stars burn out. Schools that have win now/win big opportunities don’t fill their vacancies with coordinators with no head coaching experience, even if their star is on the rise. Sorry Tony, you need to come back down to planet Earth

 

[MurphyVol]

If he thinks he’ll luck into a gig where he can win immediately matriculating from an OC position, he may be waiting until stars burn out. Schools that have win now/win big opportunities don’t fill their vacancies with coordinators with no head coaching experience, even if their star is on the rise. Sorry Tony, you need to come back down to planet Earth

It's rare but Kirby Smart is one example

 

[VolFanNC09]

I wouldn't give this story oxygen....lets be glad he didn't take it and be glad he realized this was too big of a job for him or this would have set us back several years.

It will be hard for him to walk into a great situation unless it is a smaller school. Given this article, I think going to smaller school first would be a good move for him instead of trying to take a P5 job as there aren't going to be a lot of great situations to walk into.

 

[Volbrando]

if it was that easy to find a "win now" right away job... the previous coaches might not have been fired

 

[tbh]

It's rare but Kirby Smart is one example

The case of Smart is even more impressive, between successfully making that transition to HC and managing to keep his beverage sales business running.

 

[swampfoxfan]

I'll take our ADs word for it, pee pee on elliot

 

[All Hail Da Shine]

How Elliot looks saying this bs.

 

[miket4god]

It sounds more like he didn’t think he’d have full support at the university, which is a legit concern. Everyone knows how dysfunctional we are. He didn’t really take a shot at UT.

to me it sounded more like the fanbase. When reports started coming out about him, a lot of fans didn't like the idea of hiring Elliot because he had never been a head coach before. I don't think it was the administration at all.

 

[beamerman]

So he wanted the opportunity to "win now". IOW, wanted to walk into a loaded roster on a winning program.

What, he doesn't think he can build a winning program in 3-4 years?

Hmmm...

Phil Fulmer understands that. Majors did not have an empty cupboard. Would Fulmer have taken the Tn job when Majors did? I think not.

 

[WilcoVolsFan]

“I wanna be in a situation where I can hunker down and really fully invest in the community. Fully invest in the institution. Fully invest in the program. Build something special.”


Well....eff you too Tony.

Whispers....you're the exact kind of fan he was referencing
“So just really, bottom line, an opportunity to win and win the right way and have the full support of everybody that touches that program,”