Official Jon Gruden Thread IX

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#340
#340
perico said:
I remember when Hog fans still thought Mitch Mustain would be a late round steal in the NFL draft SMS had this outrageous conspiracy theory about Mustain's mom, Nutt, and some reporter lady.
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Mustains mom was in nutts business along with broyles. Nutt did have a affair with a reporter from 40/29 news team
 
#342
#342
f77f00 said:
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or...."there is no spoon" - and by "spoon", I mean Dooley
 
#344
#344
volatil said:
Let me make this clear because I clouded the water. My friend who is on TOS texted me that there are some over there claiming hurdles cleared. I didn't make that clear and I apologize. TOS has not texted members. I am not a member. Sorry for any over excitement this caused.
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thismeans they killed the PIG
 
#346
#346
Maybe the halftime announcement is to not only break the news to Arky that he is AllVol, and make the suggestion that Arky follow Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Thin and avoid getting it handed to them by real SEC teams.
 
#347
#347
Sorry for link earlier.....forgot it was "insider"
Here's the story. More of the same but something else to read.

Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart, who has been on the ground in Knoxville for 13 months, sure thinks a lot of the Volunteers' coaching job. Did you hear him Sunday during the news conference in which he announced Derek Dooley's firing?

"This is a great place, a tremendous place. We have tradition. We have history. We have a brand that is still meaningful," Hart said in his preamble. "But we have a long way to go to get back to where we need to be. You can't put all of that on a coach; I don't care if his name is Vince Lombardi or Derek Dooley.

"We have an obligation as an administration to give our coaches the resources they need, the support they need, intrinsically and extrinsically, to get back to where we want to be. This will be a collective effort from a lot of people to have us take our rightful place in the Southeastern Conference and beyond."

That sums up where the boss thinks the job and program is. It's elevated speech, sure, but he's right in a lot of ways. Resources are the fuel for any coaching position, and Tennessee's coach has had -- and will have -- support from the administration. The facilities are sparkling, new and improving.

There's two job hazards: recruiting and relative competition. Unlike a lot of the teams with which the Vols compete, they don't have a built-in recruiting base. They have to get creative. Just showing up, like Phillip Fulmer did, doesn't work anymore. Not with the way Urban Meyer and Nick Saban sent the league's recruiting attitude into hyperdrive. Tennessee needs someone aggressive, someone willing to put in the time to research, recruit and develop. Dooley wasn't bad at it, but UT needs to do better.

As far as competition, the SEC is as cutthroat as it gets in the country. I remember in the spring when Dooley's predecessor, Lane Kiffin, told me how icy even some of the SEC meetings were during his year at UT. He told me Pac-12 coaches were generally fraternal -- hang out together, chat when they see each other -- but SEC coaches rarely even speak to one another, even when they're at the same events. It's far from casual.

A coach who understands that culture and way of life will be far ahead of someone who doesn't. The competition in the SEC extends to every part of the job and league. This is a harder gig than it was when Fulmer was in charge, which is why Fulmer was ultimately ushered out. Even the progress by Steve Spurrier at South Carolina demonstrates that some adaptability is required. It's not like the Gamecocks are running the Fun 'n' Gun.

This is a top-20 job, maybe even top-15. It could be elevated by the right person, but what sort of money will Tennessee have for its next coach?

Dooley will receive somewhere in the neighborhood of a $5 million buyout. That's on top of about $9 million worth of buyout money that went to Fulmer and a few other coaches fired in recent years.

Candidates

Here's Hart's answer when asked about the importance of previous head-coaching experience: "Critically important. I think it is very difficult to come into the Southeastern Conference without that being present. This league, it is a different world. … If you are a competitor and you want to prove your worth, come to the Southeastern Conference and Tennessee."

I'm reading between the lines a little bit here, but after hearing that, it would appear Hart is leaning …

(1) … away from coordinators

I can see why this would be avoiding risk for Hart, who is under a lot of pressure given the past two hires (both by Mike Hamilton). But I wouldn't completely close the door on a highly accomplished SEC coordinator such as Alabama's Kirby Smart.

Then again, given the fact that Hart was previously at Bama, he might already know Smart isn't interested. Common wisdom says Smart is, well, smart by collecting big paychecks and rings while waiting for Georgia's head-coaching job to open.

But Hart might not be as bullish on someone such as Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. His success as an assistant cannot be questioned, but he was a high school coach four seasons ago. There's risk involved in first-time head coach hires. Take Gene Chizik at Iowa State and his non-Cam Newton seasons at Auburn.

(2) … toward those with SEC experience

To me, this really elevates Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as a candidate. The Bulldogs could still win nine or 10 games and, in Starkville, that's gold. Imagine what Mullen could do with some resources. Mississippi State AD Scott Stricklin is doing the best he can, I believe, but it's inherently a difficult place at which to compete and win.

Mullen recruits well, coaches in-game well enough and has been very good at hiring defensive coaches.

ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden is a name that continues to surface, but he still seems like a reach because of his lack of experience on the college level, let alone in the SEC.

No offense to Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes, who I am sure will make someone a fine coach. But before joining Tennessee, Dooley also coached the Bulldogs, and I don't think Hart can appease fans by hiring someone away from that school again. Again, nothing wrong with that program, but I think the stigma is there.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher's name is beginning to come up, and he does have some SEC coaching experience, but those I've spoken with think Fisher is just leveraging his position for a raise.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe would be a safety-net choice, though he has experience in the league (as a former coach at Ole Miss and two-time assistant at Tennessee). Cutcliffe wouldn't do anything for the long-range future so much as put a bandage on what's happened since Fulmer -- and Cutcliffe, as OC -- was asked to leave.

If Hart exits the SEC stream of conscious, Cincinnati's Butch Jones would be a wise target. Kentucky is after him, too, but Tennessee would obviously be a better landing pad. Jones is 17-5 in the past two seasons and he grumbled recently about a lack of support in Cincinnati. That wouldn't be an issue in Knoxville if he went 17-5 in a season-plus.

The success of Jones' predecessors, Brian Kelly and Mark Dantonio, speaks well of Cincy as a coaching cradle.
 
#348
#348
Evening Grudenites. I have been busy today with honey do items. Having a weeknof for Thanksgiving is one nice benefit of being a teacher. Anyway I read the last few pages in VIII. I see where many need a Xanax or 3. So now we are in 9 so it is Gruden to Vols time.
 
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