My Breakdown of Potential Coaches

#1
zidanefan

zidanefan

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#1
Why not? Nothing else to do besides lament the Vandy loss. A lot of these I've heard mentioned, others are dream hires. So, here goes...

Gruden: YAY! Probably the first choice. Not necessarily a sure thing in the college ranks, but he'd be a rockstar hire that would draw top recruits, and I think he would win.

Golden: NAY! Underwhelming. He's not accomplished at the college level. A bit o' winning at Temple, 38-45 overall, 0-1 in bowls. Don't even know why he'd be considered.

Strong: JURY'S OUT. He's done well at Louisville, but not as well as Petrino did. Don't think he's proven enough to be UT's HC.

Petrino: YAY! The guy can win... and he doesn't even need top recruiting classes to do it. I think he would win huge at UT. We would just need an uber-friendly contract in case he pulled any of his old BS.

Fisher: NAY! Jimbo, that is. Is a phenomenal recruiter and has tons o' talent piled up at FSU. That begs the question: why doesn't he own the ACC? Not proven enough, IMO.

Shaw: YAY! He wins, and he recruits well. Come on down to TN. If Harbough won't leave SF, give me Shaw all day.

Mora: YAY! He's winning - just beat USC and secured Pac-12 South in his first year there. Has the HC experience in the NFL - seems to be acclimating himself to the college game well.

Smart: NAY! Another Saban "up and comer" with no HC experience. Anything more need be said?

Taggart: JURY'S OUT. I think I'd be okay with this from an X's and O's standpoint. He wins at a bad program, and beats teams he's not supposed to. That's good. The bad, or at least unknown, is the recruiting side. Is anyone excited about playing for the WKU coach?

Peterson: YAY! Oh hell yes... but it's a total pipe dream.

Patterson: YAY! Record of 115-34, recruiting ties to Texas? Sounds good. I confess I haven't watched much of TCU, but I think he'd be a good hire.

Tuberville: NAY! Wasn't excited before he started slapping his GA's around on the sidelines.

Franklin: JURY'S OUT. I don't think he's proven enough. Having said that, what he's doing at Vandy is impressive, both on the recruiting trail and on the field.

I've probably missed a few I'll catch when I'm not dog-tired. Feel free to call me an idiot, add/argue for your guy, or just pass this thread by and let it pass into oblivion.
 
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#4
#4
Al Golden took over one of the worst programs in the country and turned them into a bowl team. He's legit. When Charlie Strong took over Louisville they were a complete mess, unlike Petrino who took over an above average program from John L Smith. Strong would do wonders here.
 
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#5
#5
Shaw is a Stanford alumnus coaching at Stanford and about to get a big raise, not going to happen.

Petrino, no. Tennessee, maybe more than any job in the SEC or country is one where the Football coach is the absolute face of the University, Knoxville, and a good portion of the state. Neyland, Majors, Fulmer, etc. I think UT is just one of those rare jobs where you can't sell your soul to win. Too many contract leaks to fill just to cover your butt on that one anyways.

Mora, dad coached at Western KY for years. Throw cash at him and see if it sticks.

Patterson, doubt he'll leave TCU after he got them to the big time. Throw cash and see if it sticks.

Peterson or Gruden, not happening.

At this point with the underwhelming wish list we've been presented with I'd rather take a flyer. I would take promoting Jay Graham over all but 4 of those guys on the list. UT alum, easy contract to get done, disciplined and demanding coach, good recruiter who can sell UT, will have some flexibility with fanbase. Really you have nothing to lose at this point, maybe just getting back to basics with a UT guy is all we have really needed. Also on experience thing, a good coach is a good coach, sometimes you just have to give a guy the chance to prove himself.
 
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#7
#7
I don't understand the hate of Golden. He is a solid coach and great recruiter. He is going to do great things wherever he stays/lands. He has just been in two horrible situations--Temple and Miamigate.
 
#8
#8
DocVol said:
I don't understand the hate of Golden. He is a solid coach and great recruiter. He is going to do great things wherever he stays/lands. He has just been in two horrible situations--Temple and Miamigate.
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Dooley won 8 s at a lower school, too. How is Golden a great recruiter? From Miami he should be able to shout from his front porch to recruit.
Also, he can't even win with those big recruits. He is the worst candidate on the list, save for Smart.
 
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#9
#9
Panthro said:
Dooley won 8 s at a lower school, too. How is Golden a great recruiter? From Miami he should be able to shout from his front porch to recruit.
Also, he can't even win with those big recruits. He is the worst candidate on the list, save for Smart.
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Time will only tell. But he will be successful whenever he is put in a better situation.

Recruiting to the U right now is very difficult considering the NCAA investigation and uncertainty. It's not like it once was...
 
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#11
#11
DocVol said:
I don't understand the hate of Golden. He is a solid coach and great recruiter. He is going to do great things wherever he stays/lands. He has just been in two horrible situations--Temple and Miamigate.
Click to expand...

You still solid on Gruden, right?
 
#12
#12
ELMAGNIFICO said:
At this point with the underwhelming wish list we've been presented with I'd rather take a flyer. I would take promoting Jay Graham over all but 4 of those guys on the list. UT alum, easy contract to get done, disciplined and demanding coach, good recruiter who can sell UT, will have some flexibility with fanbase. Really you have nothing to lose at this point, maybe just getting back to basics with a UT guy is all we have really needed. Also on experience thing, a good coach is a good coach, sometimes you just have to give a guy the chance to prove himself.
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Good lord no.
 
#13
#13
ELMAGNIFICO said:
At this point with the underwhelming wish list we've been presented with I'd rather take a flyer. I would take promoting Jay Graham over all but 4 of those guys on the list. UT alum, easy contract to get done, disciplined and demanding coach, good recruiter who can sell UT, will have some flexibility with fanbase. Really you have nothing to lose at this point, maybe just getting back to basics with a UT guy is all we have really needed. Also on experience thing, a good coach is a good coach, sometimes you just have to give a guy the chance to prove himself.
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Agreed until this point. Does UT need a UT alum who's never been a HC? No. Love Graham, but no way I'd name him anything more than interim for UK.

DocVol said:
Time will only tell. But he will be successful whenever he is put in a better situation.

Recruiting to the U right now is very difficult considering the NCAA investigation and uncertainty. It's not like it once was...
Click to expand...

Recruting should be difficult at USC, too, given their situation, yet Kiffin has five 5-stars committed. And he's likely going to go 7-5 this year.

You may be right about Golden, I just don't want to be the team that takes that chance.
 
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#14
#14
DocVol said:
Time will only tell. But he will be successful whenever he is put in a better situation.

Recruiting to the U right now is very difficult considering the NCAA investigation and uncertainty. It's not like it once was...
Click to expand...

Neither is UT. We need a proven coach this time around.
 
#15
#15
Panthro said:
Dooley won 8 s at a lower school, too. How is Golden a great recruiter? From Miami he should be able to shout from his front porch to recruit.
Also, he can't even win with those big recruits. He is the worst candidate on the list, save for Smart.
Click to expand...

Dooley had one year where he want 8-5 at a school that has historically been one of the better mid-major programs. He didn't actually improve the program at La Tech, so far as I can tell. It stayed about exactly where it was before he got there.

Whereas, Al Golden turned a doormat of a Temple program into a winner.
 
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#16
#16
DocVol said:
I don't understand the hate of Golden. He is a solid coach and great recruiter. He is going to do great things wherever he stays/lands. He has just been in two horrible situations--Temple and Miamigate.
Click to expand...

He has a losing record. The same was said of Derek Dooley when UT hired him, "It's Louisiana Tech, nobody wins at Louisiana Tech". Sonny Dykes proved that with a little coaching, Louisiana Tech can win. Al Golden is too much of a risk in my opinion. Tennessee has to be smart about this hire. We need a coach that can pull in rock star recruits OR can win more with less. Al Golden fits neither category. Bobby Petrino would have Tennessee competing like ND for the NC by year 3. Tennessee has little to lose with this guy. Structure his contract so that UT can't lose and I promise you, Tennessee will not regret it. The guy is a winner. We're not asking him to teach Sunday School class. We're asking him to win football games within the parameters of the NCAA guidelines.
 
#17
#17
According to everything I've heard from those who deal with him, Hart is cheap. The humiliating Vandy beatdown backed him into a corner he didn't want to be in. He and the boosters seem to have different wish lists. Boosters are talking Gruden, Patterson and a few other lofty names and potential dark horse candidates from the NFL.

A lot of donors believe that Hart's list looks something like this:

1. Smart
2. Everybody else (probably Strong, Tuberville and Golden)

Sadly, I think the job is Smart's to turn down. We will probably overpay him to come, and if he won't, we'll probably throw too much money at Strong. It's hard to get excited about that after all this program has been through.
 
#18
#18
I believe Gruden is out of the question. The only two coaches that really stick out to me are Petersen and Patterson. Out of the two I would probably go with Patterson because he has obviously played better competition. BUT if we do not get the hire we need to be successful for the next 4 years why not give Fulmer a contract? A contract like John L. Smith's at Arkansas (one year) untill we can find a new coach. Just food for thought
 
#19
#19
I'll get behind whoever we get, but the only ones I'd be immediately excited about start with "P" and end with "son". (All right, and Gruden...)
 
#20
#20
foreverorange24 said:
I believe Gruden is out of the question. The only two coaches that really stick out to me are Petersen and Patterson. Out of the two I would probably go with Patterson because he has obviously played better competition. BUT if we do not get the hire we need to be successful for the next 4 years why not give Fulmer a contract? A contract like John L. Smith's at Arkansas (one year) untill we can find a new coach. Just food for thought
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I'm with you. Peterson would be more fun over all, but Patterson has an SEC quality defensive mind. The right OC would make him the better choice.
 
#21
#21
LA Vol said:
According to everything I've heard from those who deal with him, Hart is cheap. The humiliating Vandy beatdown backed him into a corner he didn't want to be in. He and the boosters seem to have different wish lists. Boosters are talking Gruden, Patterson and a few other lofty names and potential dark horse candidates from the NFL.

A lot of donors believe that Hart's list looks something like this:

1. Smart
2. Everybody else (probably Strong, Tuberville and Golden)

Sadly, I think the job is Smart's to turn down. We will probably overpay him to come, and if he won't, we'll probably throw too much money at Strong. It's hard to get excited about that after all this program has been through.
Click to expand...

That's just f'ing scary, if true.
 
#22
#22
LA Vol said:
According to everything I've heard from those who deal with him, Hart is cheap. The humiliating Vandy beatdown backed him into a corner he didn't want to be in. He and the boosters seem to have different wish lists. Boosters are talking Gruden, Patterson and a few other lofty names and potential dark horse candidates from the NFL.

A lot of donors believe that Hart's list looks something like this:

1. Smart
2. Everybody else (probably Strong, Tuberville and Golden)

Sadly, I think the job is Smart's to turn down. We will probably overpay him to come, and if he won't, we'll probably throw too much money at Strong. It's hard to get excited about that after all this program has been through.
Click to expand...

After watching the presser, there's no way Smart is getting the job.
 
#23
#23
1. Gruden
2. Paterson
3. Peterson
4. Mora Jr.
5. Strong
6. Fisher

All would certainly be better than Dooley. I will dance in the street if we get any of the first 3. 4 through 6 are interchangeable honestly. I like Mora Jr. because of what he did to Kiffin last night. I like strong because it would make the folks in Florida sick. Below these guys you have to start talking about Tubs, Cut, and (god help me) Fulmer. I hope it doesn't come to that.
 
#25
#25
LA Vol said:
According to everything I've heard from those who deal with him, Hart is cheap. The humiliating Vandy beatdown backed him into a corner he didn't want to be in. He and the boosters seem to have different wish lists. Boosters are talking Gruden, Patterson and a few other lofty names and potential dark horse candidates from the NFL.

A lot of donors believe that Hart's list looks something like this:

1. Smart
2. Everybody else (probably Strong, Tuberville and Golden)

Sadly, I think the job is Smart's to turn down. We will probably overpay him to come, and if he won't, we'll probably throw too much money at Strong. It's hard to get excited about that after all this program has been through.
Click to expand...

Did you watch the press conference where Hart said HC experience is a must? That would rule Smart out. Thankfully.
 
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