What If Wilcox Stayed?

#27
#27
NO WORRIES ON OFFENSE! CBJ has offense covered!! IMO he is also a Great HEAD Coach who is already good with x's and o's and born a natural leader. (CDD was really more suited to be an assistant!!).

For sure, Defense was better at Cinncinati than at Tennessee last year and with just switching back to a 4-3 new staff will make that side much improved. I especially like adding Thigpen (and also Martinez) as additions to a defensive staff that engineered a much improved Cinncinati defense last year. I think we will have good linebackers and a VERY much improved defensive backfield and Much better coaching on defense than last year.

SO, We will field a GREAT offense and a good defense with good defensive starters - just cannot afford too many injuries on defense. IMO, We could still benefit and give immediate playing time to a signee to come in for depth on our DLine.

IMO 8-4 this year with a bowl and a top 5 signing class in 2014.
 
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#28
#28
rebelpride96 said:
I found myself looking at our football teams Win-Loss record from last season today. 2012 Tennessee Volunteers football team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5-7. I watched every game in its entirety like everyone else, and we all know that record didn't prove what our talent level was. Close losses to Georgia, Miss st, USC, and MIZZOU all due to our new defensive scheme. If we had retained Wilcox we probably would've went, at the least, 8-4 IMO maybe even 10-2 with loses to Bama and Florida.

I know after 3 losing seasons with CDD we had to can him and that is understandable. However, I do think alot of coaches are only as good as their coordinators are. ex. (CPF). So my question is: Do you think we will be better off in three years with our current staff? Is coach Butch Jones an 'X's and O's' guy? Or is he more of mediator? And where do you think we'd be if we kept Wilcox? I know what's past is past, but I mean what else are we supposed to talk about in the off-season. lol.

Anyways, I hope CBJ is the guy! GBO! RISETOTHETOP!
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Wilcox stays = Nati and all 5 star recruits!
 
#29
#29
AJeray4TN said:
You rang?

justin-wilcox-9-27-12.gif
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Lol beat me to it.
 
#30
#30
rebelpride96 said:
I hope he is an X's and O's guy. I don't want us to start doing well. Lose a coordinator then have to start all over again. IMO to get a team to win there has to be consistency and that starts with the head coach. Good news is that he brought his entire staff from Cincy.
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Alot of errors here. First, you dont want us to start doing well because we will lose coordinators. Really? Saban has lost many assistants, some even to UT. I dont see Bama having to start over every year. Thats why it untimately falls on the HC. But losing a coordinator does not mean you have to start over.
 
#32
#32
volinga33 said:
Alot of errors here. First, you dont want us to start doing well because we will lose coordinators. Really? Saban has lost many assistants, some even to UT. I dont see Bama having to start over every year. Thats why it untimately falls on the HC. But losing a coordinator does not mean you have to start over.
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This. And Saban is the real DC, the other coaches just stand back and take notes...cept Sal. He stood back and snuck a snickers.
 
#33
#33
volinga33 said:
Alot of errors here. First, you dont want us to start doing well because we will lose coordinators. Really? Saban has lost many assistants, some even to UT. I dont see Bama having to start over every year. Thats why it untimately falls on the HC. But losing a coordinator does not mean you have to start over.
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Prretty sure he's saying that he wants a head coach with a good grasp on the Xs and Os without totally relying on the coordinators. He doesn't want to be doing well then lose the brains behind the operation. Kinda like Chizik lost Malzan. IMHO
 
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#34
#34
Wilcox and Sirmon jumped overboard the.SS Dooley before it hit the iceberg. Would've won minimum 3 more games IMHO compared vs buddy hacketts stupidity.
 
#35
#35
volinga33 said:
Alot of errors here. First, you dont want us to start doing well because we will lose coordinators. Really? Saban has lost many assistants, some even to UT. I dont see Bama having to start over every year. Thats why it untimately falls on the HC. But losing a coordinator does not mean you have to start over.
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You took one part out of context. I said I hope he is an 'x's and o's' coach, therefore, he would be more or less teaching his assistants what he wants to run rather than the other way around. If he's not, we better hope and pray he is better at hiring new coordinators than CDD was.
 
#36
#36
In 2011 under Wilcox, the UT defense ranked 37th with a very young defense. In 2012, with one more years experience, the defense ranked 110. They gave up almost twice the passing yards in 2012 compared to 2011. With the more experienced team, I think it's safe to say the Vols would have won at least 2-3 more games with Wilcox.
 
#37
#37
Dooley would still be here and our recruiting class would really suck. Good thing Wilcox left when he did.
 
#38
#38
Then Wilcox would have been looking for a new job this year. 1 assistant coach was never going to be the difference between Dooley winning or losing in the SEC. Just look at his career.
 
#39
#39
Unfortunately for Volnation and Dools, it was a perfect storm.....

1) The fan base (and major donors) wanted at least an 8+ win regular season and a bowl bid

2) Dools hired a Sabanite. He coached LBs and several were in the NFL. Plenty of machismo and bravado with this guy. Everyone drank the Sal water. Our LBs will be the envy of the east.

3) UT had the firepower on offense to hang with about anyone (assuming they played motivated and up to potential). Everyone knew this which only fueled anticipation. We believed we had 3 1st round draft picks in JH, CP and TB.

And then....

Answer to 1) UT blew out NC St and everyone thought we were back to being UT. Everything seemed to "click". Fan/donors aspirations were quickly fanned and people started talking about winning the east.

Answer to 2) Dooley's "Sabanite" turned out to be "UT Cryptonite". The new scheme never worked, players had to "think" instead of react - speed suffered, players out of position - huge scoring plays, etc. Offense couldn't compensate - see below...

Answer to 3) Offense scored enough on good teams to win (USC, UGA, Mizzo). Defense kept opponents in games. Hopes for a 50/50 season until the Mizzou game - then Dools totally blew it. Team felt betrayed, he folded....and they folded the next week against Vandy.

High expectations met with severe underachievement (particularly on D).

Sooooo, IMHO, had Wilcox stayed (and based on his defense's rank nationally in 2011). We would have avoided #2 and won 3-4 games. Dools would still be here saying cute things in the press, Wilcox would have been hired to be a DC and we'd be hearing about this great defensive mind....some guy named "Sal".
 
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#40
#40
rebelpride96 said:
I found myself looking at our football teams Win-Loss record from last season today. 2012 Tennessee Volunteers football team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5-7. I watched every game in its entirety like everyone else, and we all know that record didn't prove what our talent level was. Close losses to Georgia, Miss st, USC, and MIZZOU all due to our new defensive scheme. If we had retained Wilcox we probably would've went, at the least, 8-4 IMO maybe even 10-2 with loses to Bama and Florida.

I know after 3 losing seasons with CDD we had to can him and that is understandable. However, I do think alot of coaches are only as good as their coordinators are. ex. (CPF). So my question is: Do you think we will be better off in three years with our current staff? Is coach Butch Jones an 'X's and O's' guy? Or is he more of mediator? And where do you think we'd be if we kept Wilcox? I know what's past is past, but I mean what else are we supposed to talk about in the off-season. lol.

Anyways, I hope CBJ is the guy! GBO! RISETOTHETOP!
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Wilcox chose to leave. It's not like Dooley showed him the door. He wanted to go to Washington to coach with his college roommate. But yes...we will be much better on defense in large part because of the switch back to the 4-3. It will be a "think less and play faster" approach. I think we will be solid, but probably not spectacular on defense this year. GO VOLS!!!
 
#42
#42
VolFan4Life87 said:
Still lost to Kentucky with him here. Let's face it, teams under Dooley found ways to lose.
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You do remember the score was 10-7 right?? Our O, thier punter, and the refs blowing the fumble call(even after review) are all to blame for that loss before the D is. Which did its job.
 
#43
#43
Oskie Volum said:
You do remember the score was 10-7 right?? Our O, thier punter, and the refs blowing the fumble call(even after review) are all to blame for that loss before the D is. Which did its job.
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Oh I know and I don't doubt that we would've won 1 or 2 more games. The point though is that our team's mentality under Dooley has consistently been weak. They fold like lawn chairs when pressured. Football is a game for men not boys with attitudes on their sleeves. We had a lot of talent just the wrong general calling the shots, IMO. They still would've found ways to get deflated and lose..
 
#44
#44
VolFan4Life87 said:
Oh I know and I don't doubt that we would've won 1 or 2 more games. The point though is that our team's mentality under Dooley has consistently been weak. They fold like lawn chairs when pressured. Football is a game for men not boys with attitudes on their sleeves. We had a lot of talent just the wrong general calling the shots, IMO. They still would've found ways to get deflated and lose..
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I don't see it that way to be honest. I see how last season we were getting spanked by everyone in the 2nd half. This season we were taking games to the end. To me that was improvement. Baby steps.

I have a question for you...Have you ever taken over an office/business as the new head guy (ie manager) hired to fix it? I ask because in my experience someone who has would understand the difficulty of being the new mgr that's coming in. You are going to have employees that like you and are glad you are there because they hate how bad things have gotten. Then you have the ones that don't cause your new procedures will prevent them from stealing or actually having to do work, etc. UT IMHO has been in a mess and giving Dooley 3 yrs to get it done just isn't enough time. Now imagine taking over an office/company that is highly regulated like cfb is. Takes time is all I'm saying and if people don't learn to understand this imo we will be in the same boat in 3 yrs.
 
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#46
#46
Wilcox correctly assessed the potential under that fraud Dooley and got the heck out at the first reasonable opportunity. In hindsight that was the canary in the coal mine incident that told the true story.

Dooley was a huge fail.
 
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#47
#47
Oskie Volum said:
You do remember the score was 10-7 right?? Our O, thier punter, and the refs blowing the fumble call(even after review) are all to blame for that loss before the D is. Which did its job.
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They beat us with a wide receiver as their QB. Shameful...
 
#48
#48
If Wilcox stays, we would have won a couple of more, Mizzou, maybe Florida and or Vandy.

However, Wilcox & others leaving was a Dooley failure. He wasn't able to keep a staff, inspired no loyalty.

It is better Dooley is gone sooner rather than later.
 
#49
#49
ManningBerry#1 said:
They beat us with a wide receiver as their QB. Shameful...
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Yes, was a bad loss. However, that WR was a senior and had played for Tee in HS. He wasn't a total unknown to the QB position.

Chaney called the dumdum Wildcat play, flipping the field and turning a likely score into a fumble that was returned inside the RZ. Also, D did cause a fumble, refs blew the call.

Furthermore, Bray and Rogers were rumored to be arguing in the huddle and Bray drawing up plays down late in the game.

That loss was on the Offense, not the Defense.
 
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