Mike Matthews to portal? [He’s staying]

[CNCVol88]

So no big deal they are leaving. Again weakest link.

Weakest link because they aren't being developed. It's a big deal they're leaving because if we had the right coach they'd be getting developed.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Which fired P4 coach who calls plays was available at the time? Heupel runs the offense but I’m interested to hear who was available at the time.

Sure, because absolutely NO OTHER CANDIDATE in the country was better qualified as an OC than Joey Halzle. You're making a pedantic argument and missing my point entirely. The point is OSU needed a coordinator and got the best guy available. We needed one and promoted an inexperienced nobody.

 

[CNCVol88]

Could our wide receivers be leaving because of Nico and lack of passing game?

Nah. Leacock and Webb pretty much confirmed on insta live it's our crappy WR coach that huepel refuses to kick to the curve.

 

[BIG SEXY]

80% of transfers go to a lower program.
10% go to an equal program
10% go to a better program.
Other tha MM how many of our transfers will end up at a program as good as Tennessee ?
One just signed with Appy State.

B

 

[Majors]

Weakest link because they aren't being developed. It's a big deal they're leaving because if we had the right coach they'd be getting developed.

Or they maxed out development. Works both ways. How does a coach develop lack of speed, eventually you reach your top speed and you are who you are.

 

[RockyTopTommy]

He was 35-34 and stepped down before being fired. Which part was NIL as he was there for 6 years. Majority of those losses before NIL took place.

He wasn't gonna be fired.. this has been reported since he left ucla that it was his decision.

 

[Majors]

Sure, because absolutely NO OTHER CANDIDATE in the country was better qualified as an OC than Joey Halzle. You're making a pedantic argument and missing my point entirely. The point is OSU needed a coordinator and got the best guy available. We needed one and promoted an inexperienced nobody.

Golesh and Hazel aren’t calling plays. They are eyes to the one who is. Your point was a blind one in believing OSU poached Kelly. So again, which coach was available?

 

[OHvol40]

Prediction next year UT'S record will be 7-5 because of a week offense.

7 Days without puns makes one weak.

 

[Majors]

He wasn't gonna be fired.. this has been reported since he left ucla that it was his decision.

That’s a nice report to save face on both sides. UCLA gains nothing by saying “he was about to be fired, so it was good for him stepping down”

 

[JFBanicki]

So we should hire Dooley back because he coached in the NFL for the Cowboys?

I remember Dooley having some pretty good offenses. His D allowing teams to score at will was his down fall

 

[GrizzlyVol]

Losing Matthews hurts...I'm not sure what's going on but it's not good...Heupel better get this or it'll spread...maybe they also realize our wr coach ain't much..or maybe they were the problem...who knows I just know it doesn't look good

 

[Vol865]

Wtf are we doing

 

[Majors]

Nah. Leacock and Webb pretty much confirmed on insta live it's our crappy WR coach that huepel refuses to kick to the curve.

Couldn’t be the coordinated tictok videos they make while being low on the depth chart.

 

[BP4Prez]

80% of transfers go to a lower program.
10% go to an equal program
10% go to a better program.
Other tha MM how many of our transfers will end up at a program as good as Tennessee ?
One just signed with Appy State.

B

None. Squirrel might end up at an equivalent or close to it (Auburn)

Good chance Matthews ultimately stays too from what it sounds like.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

A losing record in the NFL and a terrible last job at UCLA would be on par with Dooley. You said he had NFL experience and that was important

Dooley was never an NFL HEAD coach and he never coached a college team to a 46-7 record and the College national championship game. The two are not even in the same stratosphere!

 

[BowlBrother85]

Per VolQuest. there is a chance that Matthews might still return. We have to hope that this is just leverage for more NIL $$$$. This would be a disaster. I say, pay the guy whatever it takes.

 

[Sudden Impact]

I think you hit the nail on the head here. Matthews’ talent is obvious but there are reasons that he wasn’t getting playing time over less talented guys. Strange though that he would obviously be a favorite to start next year and decides to split. Either there is a major issue in the WR room or it’s a negotiating ploy like with Boo or there’s outside tampering with a big money offer. Any way you look at it, it’s a mess.

My opinion only but I said it right after the game Saturday. Something didn’t look right with the team. No excitement at all and they just looked like they weren’t interested. OSU was no doubt more talented but that doesn’t account for the malaise that I saw. Something just wasn’t right and all of this chaos may have been brewing in the background. Don’t know that we’ll ever know but there are signs of it.

Disgruntled employees or lay down. Not sure if it was triggered by one or a small group. The sidelines looked like most had a deer in the headlight look. There appears to be an undercurrent.
Nico running as much as he did was a nightmare for this team.
It is an assumption but $$$$$$ could be an underlying reason.
This is what happens when you give kids $$$$$ before they have a chance to earn it. What's more, a wide open portal with handlers presents itself with an issue.
Right now it is like driving down Main St @ a 100mph with no speed limits and without any stop signs or red lights.
In life, there has to be accountability, rules and limits. Without them you have chaos and confusion.

 

[Golfprovol]

Dooley was never an NFL HEAD coach and he never coached a college team to a 46-7 record and the College national championship game. The two are not even in the same stratosphere!

Interesting that you would cherrybpick his Oregon days and totally skip over the UCLA days even though they are much more recent

 

[I4Vols]

He wasn't gonna be fired.. this has been reported since he left ucla that it was his decision.

I think we'll see more of this Chip Kelly like down moving in the nest couple of years. Esp from older coaches not willing to hang it up, but not wanting the hassle of today's CFB turmoil.
Years of overpaid, under acheiving head coaches? Now all but a very few are not really the king, and even those are beholden to one or a couple big money NIL donors.

 

[Cartervol]

VN- our receivers suck and can’t get separation. We need better receivers

Also VN -omg all our receivers were allowed to leave in the portal. We didn’t do anything to keep them. The sky is falling.

And then VN- Boo and Mathews just used the portal to get more money. They ain’t loyal enough.

Meanwhile VN forgetting - the entire Defensive backfield turned over last year and got significantly better. While the same people on here were claiming we would only win 6-7 games.


VN is very entertaining

It's a fickle bunch..

 

[onevol74]

Duck these kids. I'm not renewing my season tickets bc I'm not paying these brats. I don't care as much as I used to bc of this nonsense. Scholarships were a huge thing to get. Nil, super conferences, stupid ass decisions for the playoffs. I don't watch the NFL ever. Ncaa is just nfl with brats.

This is beginning to look like we are only supporting a mercenary army for an insignificant cause. As a fan for more than 50 years I am thinking just how much money I have wasted and it is time to develop other interests.

 

[10seV4L]

I hate this mostly because of my Son. He’s a young boy who absolutely lives and breathes Tennessee sports.
He got a Vols baseball jersey for Christmas and has worn it for 3 days straight.
He watches videos over and over again of all the UT games.
He got a little basketball signed by Coach Barnes after a game at TBA and just lit up. I’ll never forget it.
Wears an old Adidas #8 jersey and plays football in the yard for hours on end. Sings Rocky Top when he scores
He was the only kid in his school who wore UT gear on spirit day and he wore every piece of gear he had.
I’ve seen him defend Tennessee to the point of almost fighting other boys.
We didn’t get to make a game this year, but hope to get up for a b-ball game and baseball in the spring. He has asked me 437 times when we’re going back.
Last year, we went to the UConn game. Drove 3 hours. Got there at first light and stayed til after dark because he “wanted to see it all.”
I’ve been a Tennessee fan for 40 years. I’ve watched the Vols win National Championships, have been in Neyland and TBA for some great, great wins. I’ve ridden with the Vols through the rough times, too.
But he doesn’t know any better. He couldn’t stay awake to watch the whole game the other night. When I told him the Vols couldn’t pull it out, he just got silent. I know it hurt.
Later that morning, he was back out there in that #8 jersey, scoring TDs in front of 102k fans.
How am I gonna explain all this to him?
We might be able to score tickets more easily if things keep going, so there’s a bright spot.
But it is absolutely going to suck to try to explain to him why the guys he looks up to have left Tennessee.
We are living in bizarro world.

Buddy, that hits hard. I feel the same way. I have a son who's on the spectrum and LOVES our Vols, bleeds orange bc his Dad does. He got an authentic Nike, all stitched Boo Carter jersey ($$$) for Christmas he has lived in since. He was electric when he opened it.
And now, for days I have wrung my hands over Boo considering leaving and having to explain that to my son, as well. I know the players are still kids themselves in a way, but they are playing with people's emotions with zero regard or remorse.
Fans aren't employees with professional attitudes towards sports. They're passionate fanatics. We, the fans support the players ability to go earn professionally with our fanaticism. However, the players are playing with fire, burning the candle from both ends.
If these kids just 'think' they get "hate-mail" and "thrown shade" now, they haven't seen anything yet. They are now cashing dollars supported by fanatic masses who invest both money and emotions into their part-time passion. The math sure doesn't look good for the future...

And before anyone says, "rep the team, not the player", I am well aware of the current landscape. But the logo doesn't make the plays, the player does...
That's my gripe and 2¢

 

[Willie Hutch]

So we should hire Dooley back because he coached in the NFL for the Cowboys?

Comparing Dooley to Chip Kelly is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read on here

 

[Majors]

Branch and Concepcion still haven't signed. CJH needs to get busy. There are lots of WRs in the portal but the rest are all 3 stars.

If Tennessee somehow pulled in both, those players in the portal were probably told to look elsewhere.

 

[Volontario]

Exactly. Practice habits could be terrible, film study could be bad. This whole MM thing reeks of drama queen attitude which would lead me to believe he doesn't put the work in. That would explain why he could not get on the field this year

Kinda like Hooker until Milton got hurt?