How Much Interest Was There?

[Freak]

Do you buy this?

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said that there was plenty of interest in the Tennessee job when it became open.

“A short two weeks ago we began the process of turning the page for a new and bright future on Tennessee basketball,” Hamilton said. “Today is a successful culmination of those efforts. I must tell you that the interest in this job is nothing short of phenomenal. Our candidate pool was much more broad and deeper than was ever reported in the press. It was obvious from the outset that we had options that we could pursue.”

 

[checkerboard_charly]

hmmmmm...iffy.

i just dont see any big time names being interested. mosty mid majors i beleive.

 

[vols2345]

Not a chance.

 

[OWB]

I don't buy it.....but whatever. What's done is done.

 

[duckman398686]

who knows. it seems there was alot intersest for awhile. i thought we were gonna reel in knight there for awhile. i'm happy with pearl though. i'm just happy lebo was crossed off the list early on. :good:

 

[GAVol]

Why not? We were waving around a lot of money. Wouldn't surprise me if there were people at least checking us out for an opportunity to make a big check in a power conference.

 

[surrealvol]

I think I like Pearl. I believe he will get it done, if given a little time.

 

[toddbond007]

he should win the nit this year if nothin else

 

[Vol67]

smoke screen!

 

[USIEagles]

Why would a major coach at a major school make the move and why would UT be interested. UT made the right move in taking Pearl over say a Dana Altman that is Mr. Mediocre. And especially over someone like Knight that has nothing to lose if he is not successful. Pearl is a team player and will have both the administration as well as the other coaches at UT on his side and that is crucial.

I remember at USI the girls game was right before the mens game. Pearl would be out in the stands rooting on the womens team. He is pure class.

 

[kiddiedoc]

Originally posted by USIEagles@Mar 30, 2005 9:17 AM
Why would a major coach at a major school make the move?

I can list 1.5 million reasons why.

I really like what I'm hearing from Pearl, and I hope he will turn this steamer (and I do use the term with dual-meaning) around. However, when we offered to put the big bucks out on the table for "the right coach," and ended up spending just over half of that, it makes you wonder if Bruce was the administration's first choice.

Anyway, go Vols. And Bruce, you look great in an Orange tie.

 

[GVF]

I'm with you. That's a little strange. Saying we'll pay up to 1.5M, but settle with a total package of 800-850K. They had someone else in mind when they put those initial dollars out there. Be it BK or whoever they were trying to entice. Not that we ended up with a bad choice. He was obviously the best of the choices they had left. Does make you wonder who they intially went after offering the big money.

 

[USIEagles]

Bruce Pearl is the best choice and all of Vol nation will be saying the same thing in short time. All I know is what the rest of you know and Altman, Lutz, etc. are second fiddle to Pearl And that includes Bobby Knight.

 

[JohnsonCityVol]

UT got the best person that was available at the time. I'm sure a lot of mid-major coaches were interested in the possibility of taking the job to further their career more than bettering the program. Factor out those guys, and it probably only came down to 5 or 6 serious candidates.

 

[Randmyman]

Originally posted by vol_freak@Mar 29, 2005 10:22 PM
Do you buy this?

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said that there was plenty of interest in the Tennessee job when it became open.

“A short two weeks ago we began the process of turning the page for a new and bright future on Tennessee basketball,” Hamilton said. “Today is a successful culmination of those efforts. I must tell you that the interest in this job is nothing short of phenomenal. Our candidate pool was much more broad and deeper than was ever reported in the press. It was obvious from the outset that we had options that we could pursue.”

It will be very interesting to see what Pearl does. I came accross a few days ago, where they where annoucing the hiring of Buzz Peterson to TN. Everything sounds the same as today for Pearl, all the things he had done in the past, what kind of Coach he was. It was like they copied the same article and just changed names.

 

[USIEagles]

What had Buzz Peterson done? Pearl started and developed programs. He was not an assistant to a great program like say Quinn Synder, the current coach at Missouri. They go and and hire what they feel is the best coach, but the problem is he cannot.

Word I am hearing is if Pearl turned down the UT job he would have been a top candidate at Indiana and Missouri. So before you start thinking he was a fallback choice, consider next year he would have had more options assuming he took his UWM back to the tourney. And with 4/5 starters back I think that was a virtual lock.