So your AD waited until absolute rock bottom before firing your coach, doesn't seem to have a plan in place, and according to most reports ran off the grand slam hire who was interested in the job. Don't worry...
Step 1: Say "Let's wait until he at least makes a hire before we start criticizing".
Okay. Now your AD has gone out and hired someone all right. He doesn't excite you. Maybe he has a history of losses to teams with lesser talent or he's been fired from another school previously. Based on his record, it doesn't seem likely that he's going to come in to the SEC and compete for championships anytime soon. Some fans are upset, but not you...
Step 2: Just say "We have to wait at least until he coaches a game for us, before we jump to any conclusions"
Okay, so it's midway through the first season. The team is getting decimated by our rivals as usual. There hasn't seemed to be much if any improvement from one game to the next. Meanwhile, recruiting is looking like it will finish outside the top 5 in the SEC yet again. Neyland Stadium looks emptier each week, but you don't care...
Step 3: Just say "We'll have to wait until the end of the season to evaluate all of it."
So, the seasons pass and TN makes slight improvements here or there. Maybe they even get up to 3rd in the East at some point. But you're still getting beat handily anytime you face one of your rivals. The losing streaks to Florida and Alabama are reaching historic proportions. Recruiting hasn't improved much. The fans who are left are grumbling a bit, but you know better...
Step 4: Just say "Once its been 4 years and our coach gets a full team of his guys, then we'll see what he can do."
Time passes and your coach hasn't improved any further. It's clear he's hit his ceiling and, meanwhile, even the lousy teams you used to beat have upgraded their coaches and talent level, while you've stayed stagnant. A string of super embarrassing losses leaves the stands nearly empty and the program an utter joke. The AD is forced to finally fire the coach (even though it seems he doesn't really want to). Most of the fanbase wonders how it got this bad. And they're worried about an AD who let the previous guy lose so much before he took action and they're worried about reports coming out about the search that suggest the AD doesn't know what he's doing and isn't going after the top candidates. But you're not worried, you're optimistic.
Step 5: Say "Let's wait until he at least makes a hire before we start criticizing".
Step 1: Say "Let's wait until he at least makes a hire before we start criticizing".
Okay. Now your AD has gone out and hired someone all right. He doesn't excite you. Maybe he has a history of losses to teams with lesser talent or he's been fired from another school previously. Based on his record, it doesn't seem likely that he's going to come in to the SEC and compete for championships anytime soon. Some fans are upset, but not you...
Step 2: Just say "We have to wait at least until he coaches a game for us, before we jump to any conclusions"
Okay, so it's midway through the first season. The team is getting decimated by our rivals as usual. There hasn't seemed to be much if any improvement from one game to the next. Meanwhile, recruiting is looking like it will finish outside the top 5 in the SEC yet again. Neyland Stadium looks emptier each week, but you don't care...
Step 3: Just say "We'll have to wait until the end of the season to evaluate all of it."
So, the seasons pass and TN makes slight improvements here or there. Maybe they even get up to 3rd in the East at some point. But you're still getting beat handily anytime you face one of your rivals. The losing streaks to Florida and Alabama are reaching historic proportions. Recruiting hasn't improved much. The fans who are left are grumbling a bit, but you know better...
Step 4: Just say "Once its been 4 years and our coach gets a full team of his guys, then we'll see what he can do."
Time passes and your coach hasn't improved any further. It's clear he's hit his ceiling and, meanwhile, even the lousy teams you used to beat have upgraded their coaches and talent level, while you've stayed stagnant. A string of super embarrassing losses leaves the stands nearly empty and the program an utter joke. The AD is forced to finally fire the coach (even though it seems he doesn't really want to). Most of the fanbase wonders how it got this bad. And they're worried about an AD who let the previous guy lose so much before he took action and they're worried about reports coming out about the search that suggest the AD doesn't know what he's doing and isn't going after the top candidates. But you're not worried, you're optimistic.
Step 5: Say "Let's wait until he at least makes a hire before we start criticizing".
