A friend of mine who is an ex RB for the Miami Canes called me this morning to ask me what the he#$ is going on with Tennessee coaching search and to give me a little ribbing. He was the starting RB in 79-81 when Jim Kelly was QB and Mark Richt was backup during the days. He is very good friends with former Canes Jim Kelly, Mark Richt, Jim Burt, Otis Anderson, etc..and he is tickled to death with Mark Richt being back with the Canes.
Anyway, he said something to me that stuck in my mind. He told me it doesn't matter who the coach is that players win games not coaches. He told me during the Canes dominance back in the days, Miami was getting all the South Florida kids and 4 star and 5 star players left and right. When they got Al Golden, the recruiting pretty much stopped especially getting the top kids out of South Florida with mainly them going to FSU and Florida. Now that Richt is back, Canes are getting 4 and 5 star players again and Richt is putting a fence around South Florida and hence, Miami is winning again and it's because the players not just because Mark Richt is a great coach all of a sudden.
His point to me was as he asked me, why not give Tee Martin a shot? He told me "you know Tee is going to recruit well especially at Tennessee and start getting 4 and 5 star players left and right and I'm sure he will build a great staff because his contacts". He told me "Miami has never had the money, facilities and fan support as Tennessee has but we are now winning again because we are now getting the players again because Richt is a great recruiter and the players are making Mark look great right now". He told me it makes no sense at all why Tennessee doesn't at least speak with Tee and gauge interest because in his mind Tee is all orange and would do his best to right the ship and as long as Tee signs the players he will win at Tennessee with the tools he has to work with!
