Robert Gillespie hired as new RB Coach

[DelawareVolfan]

Get over the loss of Jay Graham. Great Player, Solid position coach but went about 0 -37 in trying to get a decent running back to Knoxville!

I am not saying Gillespie turns everything around but he has had success is several spots. Lets get Jalen Hurd!!!

I agree. Anytime you can pick up an elite recruiter who has also had a lot of success as a position coach, you do it.

 

[RichRollin]

Why are your feelings hurt and what have I cried about? Your the one crying like you just gave it up to another guy then kicked you out of his house when he was done using and abusing you. I like Hubbs and Ainge both and they both are very solid when it comes to info. But former players are part of the clique and are privileged to a little more true inside info. You will be ok though you will find that guy who lets you stay over. GL sweetheart!

So are you insinuating that former players told Ainge that Graham is "scared" of hard work? That is really hard for me to believe, but that's just me. It would also be interesting to see what other former players feel about Ainge putting Graham on blast. I don't see a real professional like Terry Fair doing something like that when he was on the radio. In fact there are several ex Vols in various sports who cover several sports. Can't remember any of them publicly crucifying their fellow alumni.

On the flip side, Hubbs' story of Graham being the lone leftover makes sense. Being that Graham had experienced that before. You think what you want and I'll do the same....fair enough?

 

[hadl]

Great news. GBO!

 

[Orange_Crush]

There's not much any defense can do against Da'Rick and Hunter when they are both hot. Wilcox was a very good defensive coordinator also. When you played Fooley's teams later in the year, they are worse than they were in week one. Butch had to roll his previously 4-8 team into Neyland during week 2. After that, Butch won a championship, and Dooley went 5-7. Your football ignorance is scary.

It was also a UC team in the middle of a rebuild. Copying in two posts I made in another thread for perspective on the UC team that CBJ ingerited, when it was posited that he inherited the same team that had gone 7-0 in conf the year before and should have continued the success.

He wasn't left a team that just went 7-0 in conference. He was left a fairly decimated team the year after, one that he had to rebuild.

Quote:
One thing that has been overlooked by nearly everyone in regards to UC's issues this season (CBJ's first at UC) is the general lack of experience and depth, on both sides of the ball. The thing that separates good programs from the great is depth, particularly up front on both lines. The bottom line is that UC doesn't have much in the way of depth on the offensive and defensive lines.

Quote:
Kelly recruited better than Dantonio did before him, very few people can really argue the point when talking of classes taken in their totality. But Kelly really sucked at recruiting defense, particularly defensive line players. He had a lot of success early on with the gifts he was given on the defensive line. His first roster was stacked on the defensive line, Angelo Craig, Anthony Hoke, Adam Hoppel, Terrill Byrd and Lemonte Nelms formed the core of that first unit. As those guys began to graduate he needed to find play makers on the D-Line so he flipped Connor Barwin from TE to DE, which worked out pretty well for all parties. But switching players became a case where Brian Kelly became infatuated with his own abilities. He believed that he could find defensive difference makers on his roster, so he for all intents and purposes stopped recruiting defensive linemen. In Kelly's last two classes he recruited a total of 14 DL prospects, just four in his last class, of which 7 remain on the D-Line and only 1, Jordan Stepp, is a part of the rotation currently. The remainder have either left the team, or moved over to the offensive line where they aren't providing much in the way of depth or help. That is a terrible attrition rate for a position group. Compounding the problem is the fact that most of Kelly's D-Line recruits were long term projects that need a few more years in the weight room before they can help out in a meaningful way. To sum up Kelly thought that the best way forward was to try to continue to make difference making defensive linemen like he did with Barwin instead of going out there are looking for them. As a result he reached on a lot of players who were borderline BCS recruits thinking he could coach and train them up to get them to perform at a high level. Needless to say that was an ill fated strategy, one that Jones has had to pick up the pieces of, with the predictably terrible results.

Depth on the Lines, Why It Is An Issue now - Down The Drive

Quote:

Throughout my postmortum on the Bowl-less campaign of 2010 a couple of themes have begun to make their presence know. First among them is the stunning lack of general depth on the roster, while this deficit is visible at all positions, it is along the lines, both offensive and defensive where this issue came to bear most emphatically.

Quote:
The biggest issue with the defensive line last year, in my opinion at least, was a catastrophic lack of depth, and that was something that became apparent pretty early in the season.

Quote:
But where Kelly knew, in great detail, what he wanted from his offensive guys, he was pretty much clueless when it came to evaluating defensive talent, particularly along the defensive line. Kelly isn't a defensive coach, or at least he hadn't been in two decades when he walked onto campus. So it shouldn't be that surprising that he was out of his depth when it came to evaluating and projecting defensive talent. What Kelly had done for most of his tenure at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan was to just recruit frames. He would get these tall, lean, athletic kids lock them in the weight room wait for a couple of years then stick them on the defensive line and expect results. The truth of the matter is that you can only get away with that for so long. There are mitigating factors, like having multiple defensive coordinators and a change in scheme that constantly shifted what the coaches were looking for in a prospect. The bottom line though is that Kelly reached on a lot of defensive line prospects, he certainly didn't recruit that position group at a BCS level. He reached on a lot of kids, most of whom are likely to be back ups at best going forward.

Quote:
By the end of the year the lack of talent and depth was just too much. The defensive line was absolutely gassed by the end of the year. We all saw it live, but just for a refresh here is Jordan Todman running roughshod over a battered and broken UC defensive line.

Grading The Defensive Line - Down The Drive

 

[jasonvol18]

So are you insinuating that former players told Ainge that Graham is "scared" of hard work? That is really hard for me to believe, but that's just me. It would also be interesting to see what other former players feel about Ainge putting Graham on blast. I don't see a real professional like Terry Fair doing something like that when he was on the radio. In fact there are several ex Vols in various sports who cover several sports. Can't remember any of them publicly crucifying their fellow alumni.

On the flip side, Hubbs' story of Graham being the lone leftover makes sense. Being that Graham had experienced that before. You think what you want and I'll do the same....fair enough?

Absolutely, you were the one who attacked me not the other way around. But it does look like Graham is scared off by hardwork. Jones works alot of hrs a day, unlike Spurrier and Dooley. That is something thats no secret. Now Fisher I have no idea. Ainge hosts a radio show and probably says some things for ratings and to keep listeners. I have no problem with what Ainge said. But if Graham doesnt want to work 80+ hrs a week then he definitely needed to move on. CBJ needs tireless workers to match what he does so I definitely have no problem with Graham moving on and getting a guy who is a tireless worker and wants to be there. Gillespie actually has had better results than Graham as far as results and improvements on the field and couldnt do any worse in bringing in elite RB's than Graham. It could only get better and should help us in recruiting in FL.

 

[Burger]

I'm not a big fan of Ainge going off on Graham on the radio. But that's just my opinion. Especially when his theory wasn't very solid to say the least. He's also been over emotional/over dramatized situations several times...I would think to up his ratings. Him claiming Graham "quit" because he was "scared" of hard work is laughable IMO. Graham worked as hard if not harder than anyone on this staff this year in recruiting. D-1 coaching and recruiting is just that...hard work.

Do you really think other former players called Ainge up and said Graham is scared, which is what Ainge kept screaming on the radio? Do you think Hubbs DOESN'T know ex-players? Again, JMO...but Hubbs story of him not being comfortable being the lone leftover makes a lot of sense to me. Especially being that Graham has experienced this scenario before. Ainge on the other hand, sounded butthurt and out for blood like many on this site. I mean step back and think about it...scared of hard work, LOL. An ex D-1 and NFL football player with several years of D-1 coaching scared of hard work. Come on man...you're smarter than that, I've read your posts.

Ainge took the theory that fit his butthurt agenda and ran with it.

I don't blame either Butch or Graham. I always agreed with ya that Ainge being butt hurt. Football is a business like I said in other threads. Graham has to deal with the hand he has, or he can find a new job. Which is what he did. I understand how both Butch and Jay would feel. Butch tried to keep him and that's what counts.

The only thing that Ainge really did was lose his emotions on the air. It's unprofessional, but it doesn't make him suck worse than Hubbs. Both of these men are great at their jobs despite age and maturity differences.

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy conversing with you.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Congrats on hiring Gillespie. Met his Mom; a very nice lady. I think he will make you a good RB coach. CBJ is putting a nice staff together.

 

[KBVol]

I think nag as in, "a broken down old horse that isn't good for much except feeding."

Idiot.

 

[Orange_Crush]

Idiot.

Eh? I was only explaining. Not agreeing. Or did I miss the source of the vitriol?

 

[Escape Goat]

You're ok

Better than a convicted sex offender

But he is one of those too.

 

[RichRollin]

I don't blame either Butch or Graham. I always agreed with ya that Ainge being butt hurt. Football is a business like I said in other threads. Graham has to deal with the hand he has, or he can find a new job. Which is what he did. I understand how both Butch and Jay would feel. Butch tried to keep him and that's what counts.

The only thing that Ainge really did was lose his emotions on the air. It's unprofessional, but it doesn't make him suck worse than Hubbs. Both of these men are great at their jobs despite age and maturity differences.

Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy conversing with you.

See I'm with you on that. I don't blame Jones, Graham, Hart, etc. either. Personally I think he made a business decision. I'm not buying into the stupid conspiracy theories people have drawn up. Nor am I gonna bash him for leaving. That's the point of my entire rant. He's gone, c-ya...not mad, not glad. It is what it is.

 

[RichRollin]

Absolutely, you were the one who attacked me not the other way around. But it does look like Graham is scared off by hardwork. Jones works alot of hrs a day, unlike Spurrier and Dooley. That is something thats no secret. Now Fisher I have no idea. Ainge hosts a radio show and probably says some things for ratings and to keep listeners. I have no problem with what Ainge said. But if Graham doesnt want to work 80+ hrs a week then he definitely needed to move on. CBJ needs tireless workers to match what he does so I definitely have no problem with Graham moving on and getting a guy who is a tireless worker and wants to be there. Gillespie actually has had better results than Graham as far as results and improvements on the field and couldnt do any worse in bringing in elite RB's than Graham. It could only get better and should help us in recruiting in FL.

I'm not comparing Graham and Gillespie, not trying to blame anyone for Graham leaving. IMO it was a business decision and that's gonna be the way I continue to look at it. If you know for sure that Ex players told Ainge he was scared of hard work...well I feel confident that you don't know that. All Graham knows is hard work. Leaving for a less demanding job for the same/ more money isn't being afraid of hard work...it's called being smart. Would you take less work for more money? Yes you would and you know you would.

On the flip side...I've been a part of a management overhaul at a jobsite. It didn't take me long until I was gone and didn't look back. It wasn't that I was afraid of work, things just were not right. It was a business decision. Let's leave it at that.

 

[BigTXVolFan]

Maybe I missed it somewhere but anybody have any info on Coach G's Salary? And if he is making over 300 which he made at WVU, why did we not offer Jay over 300 and keep a former player in the family!

 

[vol_in_ar]

Maybe I missed it somewhere but anybody have any info on Coach G's Salary? And if he is making over 300 which he made at WVU, why did we not offer Jay over 300 and keep a former player in the family!

all part of Hart's master plan to remove any trace of Tennessee legacy or tradition from "The Hill"

 

[NMVol]

You guys need to lighten up. CBJ is not the man who brought Graham back to Knox Vegas.

 

[jim pique]

sir:welcome to the Tennessee Big Orange country. football team.we all hope you and your family are treated well by all who are here and those who are on Volnation. success5 has followed you ;so may it still.again,welcome to spring in the Smokies!

 

[photovol]

Gillespie is from Mississippi isn't he? Maybe he will give us a presence in Mississppi recruiting.....wonder how long he'll be at UT?

 

[FiremedicVOL127]

Great hire very pleased with this upgrade!!! I loved CJG and wish him luck but this is a improvement for UT!! IMO

 

[MVPolice]

After reading as much as I could find, it seems to me that these two are even swaps. The pros and cons seem to fairly equal for the two. However, we lose the recruiting foundation with certain players by losing Graham. Maybe Gillespie can make up the difference with them. Still, I look foward to the day when our coaching turnover doesnt keep us playing catch up.

 

[terrypedigo]

Rather have a Gator who wants to be here than a "so called" VFL who does not.

Me to man you know he knows the state of Florida, run billy boy run back home and turn some of those gator boys in to VOLS.

 

[Webbvol32]

Me to man you know he knows the state of Florida, run billy boy run back home and turn some of those gator boys in to VOLS.

WebbVol approves this message. Great RB coach in a spread O and knows the Fla recruits&coaches. Go Vols!
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[Vol$4Life]

Agree. Jay who?

Who who? I don't even remember his first name

 

[Volnut]

At the end of the day, after getting spurned by both Tee Martin and Jay Graham, I think we would up with better coaches at each position.
hmy:

 

[Weezer]

Is there a reason people think coaches only recruit for their positions? Everyone who claims Jay failed at recruiting needs to look at the two 4star receivers UT signed as he was listed as their primary recruiter. I wouldn't call that a failure.

 

[UT_Tix79]

Might want to check how many kids who he recruited are still in school...

According to WV, something like 75% of his recruits never made it to school, or played less than 1 year