Something else is going on here...

[SweetBlackMagic]

Maybe I'm biased, but I still believe that Tennessee was/is the best open job in college football. There are simply too many things to make it otherwise...tradition, facilities, stadium, salary and recruiting budgets, etc.

Bottom line...the head coach of LOUIS-FREAKING-VILLE should NEVER be turning down the head coaching job at UT. Never. Not even for money...just no way all around. We know UT could match whatever Louisville countered with, so it's not even just about money.

Now, I'm not all that disappointed we didn't get Strong. He's older than I thought he was and seems awkward dealing with the press. But unless he's the ultimate idealist or loyalist head coach EVER, he should not be declining the UT job.

So in my opinion, there is something else in play here that is the "back breaker" for these candidates. Something that Hart either can't or won't promise them, and I believe it has to do with the administration in some way. I have no idea what it could be, but that's the only thing that makes any sense at this point.

I fear we may be just like we have been the past three years for a very long time. This place has just turned into poison for some reason, and I just don't get.

And no...I don't think it's a smokescreen or ploy for somehow landing Gruden. I can understand everyone turning us down when Dooley was hired due to the timing of it all. But this time around, we should have only had to go to a handful of INTERESTED candidates before someone jumped at the chance.

Here's hoping Hart can still surprise us (in a good way) before it's over...

 

[bam15]

Different coaches have different motives. It appears that Strong is banking on winning more games in the near future and hoping that a better job will appear. He is getting a raise to comfortably win 9-10 games or more. When Texas or any other job opens in the short-term he expects his name to pop up.

 

[Ashevillevol]

All you have to do is look at our last 2 hires and this one now to see we obviously are not one of the top destinations in college football. It appears we aren't even in the top 50. People who are sticking with that assertion are also members of the flat earth society.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Tennessee is a final destination job. It's at the top of the heap traditionally, and it is not the kind of place where a reasonable person would go and expect to use as a springboard to land somewhere else. So, you really have to want to live your life in Knoxville and dedicate yourself to recruiting out of state talent to make it work here. Plus, you have to deal with high expectations. Plus, the last really good president of the University was probably Andy Holt. So, it's the perfect job for someone like Peyton (not ready yet), Tee (not ready yet), Fulmer (already been here), etc. I don't see how Tennessee is that big of a lure for someone who doesn't want to be here long term. So that's the challenge. They have to find someone who is an actual winner, who understands what it would be like to move a family to Knoxville, and who is not a mercenary.

 

[strongtower]

UT isn't the problem, it's admin by the way this search is going. If UT bothces up this next hire they will see the full wrath of depleted money, guaranteed.

 

[Wolfeman_Vol]

Yep, Cheek has been nothing but a problem for our entire athletics department since he's been here. I can't believe he's still at the job when he hasn't improved academics either. As an alum, you know what UT is on the academic side...if you're that sort you go to Vandy. You go to UT for the all around experience..they do have good academics, used to have top notch athletics (Women's B-ball, both track, baseball, football, swimming, etc). Now, with Cheek and the current BoT determined to make our university something it isn't and doesn't want to be, our athletic programs are SUFFERING mightily. I'm absolutely positive this is affecting the search for a coach. It falls onto Hart (whether he's doing a good job or not--he should have been conducting the precursor to this search at the beginning of NOVEMBER). He may be hamstrung, and he may not be competent. After all, he was fired by FSU for a reason, and I'm sure being awesome at his job wasn't one of them.

In the end, I think all of this falls back on the powers that be that control the Chancellor's office and the BoT. It's time to clean house and get back to being the UT that I'm proud of, instead of pretending to be a University of academic snobs (again, go to VANDY for that). Just my two lil ol' cents.

 

[orangepeopleeater]

I agree with Wolfeman ... by what I've read Cheek has his hands to much in the athletics program at UT. He was involved in the Strong negotiations. Could be they both were at Florida, but he is at UT as chancellor not the AD. He needs to leave the sports program to Hart. That is why Hart was brought here. To me, it has become more and more relevant that since Cheek has been at Tennessee the athletics programs have taken a nose dive. I'm not saying Hamilton and Hart are not part of the problem, but maybe Cheek needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

 

[ksushalovesthevols]

a close friend of mine played on the 98 championship team. he says it's the fact that no one wants to work for hart.

not necessarily my opinion, because i don't know and i don't claim to know. just sharing his, for what it's worth.

 

[Dekram]

Tennessee is a final destination job. It's at the top of the heap traditionally, and it is not the kind of place where a reasonable person would go and expect to use as a springboard to land somewhere else. So, you really have to want to live your life in Knoxville and dedicate yourself to recruiting out of state talent to make it work here. Plus, you have to deal with high expectations. Plus, the last really good president of the University was probably Andy Holt. So, it's the perfect job for someone like Peyton (not ready yet), Tee (not ready yet), Fulmer (already been here), etc. I don't see how Tennessee is that big of a lure for someone who doesn't want to be here long term. So that's the challenge. They have to find someone who is an actual winner, who understands what it would be like to move a family to Knoxville, and who is not a mercenary.

Its never been a top of the heap hire...we havent hired but 4 coaches in what the last 30 years. I posted a thread that the UT postion may not even be in the top 25 and got blasted...Well we just got turned down by the Ok State and Louisville coaches..... I think we are getting outside the 25 at this point dont ya think.

Also i think what else is going on is that Hart may not be a good salesperson and cant close the deal on these guys.

 

[WestTNVFL]

His name is Jimmy Cheek. There lies your problem if I had to guess

 

[gemlek]

the problem is that UT has become the taint of the SEC...the only thing below us is that turd-cutter known as Kentucky.

 

[GatorBill]

I think the problem is this:
1) Your search is being performed by a President and A.D. with no search firm involved.

Search Committees suck. But a search FIRM, a company that does your dirty work for you, contacting coaches to see who would be interested, gathering initial info, it invaluable.

You shake out a few names that people would have never thought about when you do that. And it only takes a couple days. Then you let the Pres/AD take over. But let the Search Firm deal with agents first.

2) Your pres and AD have control issues. See item #1.

You will never know which coaches may be interested that never stepped forward because they didnt want their names out.

My resume is sitting somewhere in the ADs office if he needs a quality head coach.

 

[GatorBill]

And I wouldnt take the Charlie Strong thing personal.

Chuck was passed over for head coaching jobs for many years. There were times that he was far more qualified for jobs than the person that was hired. There were times that an insider leaked back to him that he wasnt hired because of the color of his skin. There were times that he never even got an interview for a job.

His resume before he was hired at Louisville was impeccable. It was perfect. It was the resume' that that the mid majors should have been drooling over. He should have been at Cinci, UCF, a MAC school, a mid level Big Ten or SEC School. There is no reason for Charlie Strong to have been passed over so many times.

Louisville took a chance on him. They were the first team to offer him a head coaching job, and he is trying to reward them with his loyalty. Yes he is going to make more money because of this, but in the long run, it came down to returning the favor to the school that took a chance on him. Now he is taking a chance, and sticking with Louisville.

I would have loved him at UT, except for that 3rd game of the season each year. He would have kicked some major ass in Knoxville.

 

[Oskie Volum]

Tennessee is a final destination job. It's at the top of the heap traditionally, and it is not the kind of place where a reasonable person would go and expect to use as a springboard to land somewhere else. So, you really have to want to live your life in Knoxville and dedicate yourself to recruiting out of state talent to make it work here. Plus, you have to deal with high expectations. Plus, the last really good president of the University was probably Andy Holt. So, it's the perfect job for someone like Peyton (not ready yet), Tee (not ready yet), Fulmer (already been here), etc. I don't see how Tennessee is that big of a lure for someone who doesn't want to be here long term. So that's the challenge. They have to find someone who is an actual winner, who understands what it would be like to move a family to Knoxville, and who is not a mercenary.

Well said. And something I've tried to say for awhile as one of the reasons why I wanted to keep Dooley. I believe this was his dream job and he would have been here and then moved on to be AD when Peyton was ready (dream scenario I know). UGA wasn't his dream job IMO cause that's his dads legacy. Honestly I saw the respect he had for Ut due to its history and there was no bigger program for him.

People look at the likes of Patterson and Peterson as great coaches and I agree. But UT fans think that it just happen. They don't see what they built and how long it took to get all the pieces in place. Heck Patterson took over a solid situation from the franchione debacle. People forget things or just don't keep up with anything outside of thier bubble. Right now IMHO....we need to give the coach time and not expect it to be turned around in 3yrs. This is our MO right now and coach really wants to face this. Pretty simple to understand. Look at beamers first 6 yrs at va tech as an example.

I know I'm going to get bashed and bring it. But remember I was one of few that predicted us being in this current situation if we entered the coaching carousel this yr. To many "We are UT" people like everyone cares about that and Gruden lackys that fell for his PR campaign, and were willing to bring down the season to get him.

To the OP the underlying issue is pretty simple...we fired a guy who took over one of the biggest longstanding messes in CFb after 3 yrs. it's still not completely fixed though better. If you can't understand this then I really don't know what else to say. We being UT means nothing right now. Not until the foundation of this program is solid again. At the rate we are going who knows when that'll happen, so get comfortable with UT not being a desirable job. Won't happen until the fan base understands this. Majors dealt with it and obviously it has been passed down through the gene pool.

 

[vols-1]

Every coach is already making over a million a year. And With the new playoff deal every team has a chance at a NC now. So I don't really see a reason for a big name to leave their current job unless they have ties to TN.

 

[dukes_of_maggard]

UT isn't the problem, it's admin by the way this search is going. If UT bothces up this next hire they will see the full wrath of depleted money, guaranteed.

Uhhhh it's botched bruh