The real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly...

#26
#26
thagodfather said:
Calling them fools is a bit of a stretch, disrespectful, and foolish on your part.
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They disrespect the program when they throw in the towel simply because we didn't hire a coach they liked. That, in my book, is foolishness.

And I should clarify that I am talking about the fans who have now posted that it is over for Tennessee football, not those who had Gruden at the top of the list and yet still are positive toward our options. With the exception of a few moments, I never bought into the Gruden hype and thought he would come here. However, I did think that if UT got him, it would be a major victory for us. In that sense, you could say he was a the top of my list, but I thought he was just out of reach.
 
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#27
#27
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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NO. We KNEW that JG would automatically put UT recruiting in the top 10. AND--we figured he is smart enough to get Tennessee back where we belong. Ain't about no contest. Gruden is probably the smartest one we could get----that's all.
 
#28
#28
TUSKtimes said:
Bama would refuse to take NO for an answer.
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What ever.Just think about 1 thing.Be glad you guys don't have Rich Rod.Get down on your knees and thank GOD FOR GIVING U SABAN.You know Rich Rod had the job before Saban did.Alabama would be the wests version of Tennessee right now if Rich Rod had come.
 
#29
#29
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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Scrambled?
Boiled?
Poached?
Fried?
.......... but not Over Easy!
 
#32
#32
TUSKtimes said:
Bama would refuse to take NO for an answer.
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Exactly, and why all the fuss about the University giving an 18 million dollar concession if we are going to hire Golden, etc.?

UT will be taking a risk with anyone they hire, but Gruden was the closest to a sure thing. The argument that Gruden had not been a head coach at the college level is a weak argument. The NFL coaching gig is much tougher to get and more competitive. How many of these same people would think Nick Saban might have trouble coaching high school because he hasn't done it before?
 
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#33
#33
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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I wanted him because I thought he could steal recruits from the evil 3 and win a bunch of football games.
Pretty simple.
 
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#34
#34
if they hire golden or jimbo fisher, hopefully they don't hand them $5 million golden parachutes in their contract like dooley got.
 
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#35
#35
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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Good thoughts and probably true.
 
#36
#36
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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From day one I didn't want him and glad we didn't get him. By the way, I don't believe he was ever coming here anyway. ESPN-soft money, too good, and if he ever coaches again it will be the NFL.:thumbsup:
GO VOLS!
 
#38
#38
carolinaviking said:
I think the real reason so many wanted Gruden so badly was because getting him was a competition, a race, a game to be won. Everyone wanted him and since our program could not win on the field, many felt that winning the Gruden battle would show that Tennessee is still a winner, still an elite program. To lose him would only verify that mighty UT is that much closer to falling from the ranks of the elite. They put all their eggs in one basket, now where are they?
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Them eggs are all busted
 
#39
#39
oldsmokey67 said:
What ever.Just think about 1 thing.Be glad you guys don't have Rich Rod.Get down on your knees and thank GOD FOR GIVING U SABAN.You know Rich Rod had the job before Saban did.Alabama would be the wests version of Tennessee right now if Rich Rod had come.
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I agree with this 100%. I'm not one of the Bama fans that tries to convince everyone that Rodriguez was lowballed as smoke screen for Coach Saban either. Moore got lucky and I'm greatful for that. You guys will be better off without Gruden I believe.
 
#40
#40
I have never claimed to be an expert. I love football games and the Vols forever, but I don't claim to know the intricacies of coaching the sport....

That said, I've never understood the fascination / obsession with Gruden nor the belief that he was a sure thing as a coach. He won a Super Bowl....with someone else's players, against a team that he knew the ins and outs of the offense they were running. After winning the SB, his team went rapidly and steadily down the next several years, until he was fired for having losing teams.

He has never built a team from scratch, nor has he ever coached a successful college team. Sure, he has some face recognition and "street cred." But there is no objective evidence that he was a lock to be a great coach here, and a great coach is what we need to go against Saban, Spurrier, and Richt.
 
#41
#41
Gruden was the only game changer we had a shot at. Stoops nor Patterson is coming. Fisher, Strong, Fedora, Golden and the rest of the B-list are not going to beat the likes of Richt/Muschamp/Spurrier/Saban/Miles on the field or on the recruiting trail. We might get a coach who can take us from the bottom to the middle but we're probably going to have to wait a couple of years to find out if even that is a realistic expectation. Personally, I'd like to see them stay the course on the interim route and keep looking for the rock star. Maybe we get lucky on an out of work NFL guy if we keep our powder dry for another couple of months.
 
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#42
#42
VolGirlinMaryvill said:
That said, I've never understood the fascination / obsession with Gruden nor the belief that he was a sure thing as a coach. He won a Super Bowl....with someone else's players, against a team that he knew the ins and outs of the offense they were running. After winning the SB, his team went rapidly and steadily down the next several years, until he was fired for having losing teams.

He has never built a team from scratch, nor has he ever coached a successful college team. Sure, he has some face recognition and "street cred." But there is no objective evidence that he was a lock to be a great coach here, and a great coach is what we need to go against Saban, Spurrier, and Richt.
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You neglected to mention that Dungy was fired for going 9 - 7 with the team that Gruden won the Super Bowl with the very next year. I guess Dungy wasn't a very good coach either??? The NFL is a completely different game...you can't continue to get all the top players like the great college teams do. If you win the Super Bowl, you get LAST PICK. Let 'Bama try that for a few years and they will be scraping the bottom of the SEC.

So, your complaint against Gruden is that he won with the previous coach's players. Why didn't the great Dungy win with his own players instead of barely having a winning record and coming in 3rd in the NFC Central?

If Gruden isn't a good coach, why then are so many NFL teams trying to get him to be their coach?
 
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#43
#43
Gruden's main appeal to me was his likely effect on recruiting.

The college HC job is much different from the pro HC job. No one wants to hear it but there is no proof that he would have been great in college.

I pointed out earlier that Mike Sherman had a higher NFL winning % than Gruden. He failed badly at TAM. Weis was supposed to be ND's savior. It is rare that an NFL coach with any level of success takes a college HC job. Only Carroll that I know of has done it successfully.

Notably Saban, Petrino, Kiffin, and Spurrier were failures as NFL HC's.
 
#44
#44
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Gruden was the only game changer we had a shot at. Stoops nor Patterson is coming. Fisher, Strong, Fedora, Golden and the rest of the B-list are not going to beat the likes of Richt/Muschamp/Spurrier/Saban/Miles on the field or on the recruiting trail. We might get a coach who can take us from the bottom to the middle but we're probably going to have to wait a couple of years to find out if even that is a realistic expectation. Personally, I'd like to see them stay the course on the interim route and keep looking for the rock star. Maybe we get lucky on an out of work NFL guy if we keep our powder dry for another couple of months.
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OK.... I'm pretending that I am king (AD) for the day. ASSUMING UT really did put a $5+ million package out to Gruden with the hang up being staff salaries.... then my next move is obvious.

I go after whoever I believe is the best coach among the college coaches mentioned or an NFL coordinator. I offer up to around $4 million then use that $1-3 million that I saved to pay for the best assistants money can buy. I up the ante not for the HC but for the coordinators and position coaches. Instead of hiring the single best coach I can find for HC... I hire the best HC/OC/DC team in the game.

Hiring Gruden would have drained the pond. Hiring someone else leaves lots of room to hire great people around him.
 
#45
#45
sjt18 said:
Gruden's main appeal to me was his likely effect on recruiting.

The college HC job is much different from the pro HC job. No one wants to hear it but there is no proof that he would have been great in college.

I pointed out earlier that Mike Sherman had a higher NFL winning % than Gruden. He failed badly at TAM. Weis was supposed to be ND's savior. It is rare that an NFL coach with any level of success takes a college HC job. Only Carroll that I know of has done it successfully.

Notably Saban, Petrino, Kiffin, and Spurrier were failures as NFL HC's.
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Jim Mora Jr and Dan Devine did pretty well.
 
#46
#46
UTHorsey said:
I wanted him because he would be able to recruit like a boss. He would put together an impressive staff. He has a winning record in the NFL and has a superbowl ring.
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I have a Super Bowl ring I bought from jostens Last time the Cowboys won it all..ill dust it off and get to work
 
#47
#47
We wanted him because his wife was a cheerleader and would look good running around the track next summer.At least she would to us oldies......
 
#48
#48
Maybe we get lucky on an out of work NFL guy if we keep our powder dry for another couple of months

Andy Reid will be available in a few weeks. Want him?
 
#49
#49
Maybe we wanted him because we are
0-8 against UF
0-6 against bama
1-4 against UGA
1-4 against USCe

Maybe we are just sick of bringing a knife to a gun fight against these four.

Maybe we are sick of hearing "it will take 3-4 years" every year.

Maybe we would like to have our rivals "hate" our coach because he beats them for a change.

Maybe we would love to win the sec championship game for the first time since 1998.

I could go on and on as many of you could but it doesn't matter. Besides I have had plenty of eggs in Patterson's basket and I hope Hart feels the same way to at least pursue him. We'll see...
 
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#50
#50
We"re at the same place we were before we courted Gruden. Tennessee has done a terrible job managing and investing in it's Football Program, so we are next to last in the SEC and with very little talent. UT will have to under go a Major rebuilding process and that will take time to acheive. UT has no one to blame but itself and obviously doesn't do what the top SEC schools do to protect and grow their Football Program. College Football in the SEC is Huge Money Business and UT has failed football 101.......nothing more to say....it is what it is
 
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