Why was Jerry Green fired?

#26
#26
WA_Vol said:
I was thinking of his last season.
Getting beat in the first round of the NCAA tournament with a team of mostly seniors was not going to be acceptable.
He had not recruited well and did not leave Peterson many players to work with.
Not that Buzz would have developed them, but still.
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Ok. You did say "never" made it past the first round though. But, to your point on his final season, the monumental midseason collapse leading up to the 1st rd loss to UNC-Charlotte was epic. Starting 16-1, then finishing 6-10, and telling your fans to go to K-mart if they didn't like it, was sort of the straw that broke the camel's back.
 
#27
#27
There was also a rumor that he got wasted around the boosters during one of the pre-season tournaments (I am thinking Maui) which left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. I am not saying this is true of course, I just remember it being spoken about after he was canned. I still to this day don't and can't understand how they saw the Buzzer as a better choice.
 
#29
#29
Basically what everyone has said, and he was pretty much the "roll the ball on the court and let them play" type coach; meaning he didn't seem to do any coaching at all. Those teams succeeded by pure talent alone. It was nice we made the NCAAT 4 times in a row and won an SEC Chamionship (co-championship), but everyone knew he was a horrible coach.

I wasn't sad in the least when he was fired, though Buzz Peterson would make me weep the next 4 years. Peterson's tenure was even more frustrating, as he had the talent to make the NCAA 2 if not 3 of the years he was here; not to mention the dude could not talk.
 
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#31
#31
MothershipChip said:
There was also a rumor that he got wasted around the boosters during one of the pre-season tournaments (I am thinking Maui) which left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. I am not saying this is true of course, I just remember it being spoken about after he was canned. I still to this day don't and can't understand how they saw the Buzzer as a better choice.
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He should have got wasted before the game.:eek:lol:
 
#32
#32
101-40 iirc.

poochpunt3rddown said:
i've heard all kinds of crap. I used to hang out with one of the ex-players from green's tenure at ut. His opinion differed from that of other guys on the team at that time.

I've never seen it discussed on here that i remember and was curious to hear opinions, facts, rumors, all the good stuff....
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#34
#34
He had best talent UT has ever had & under achieved. Still can't get over how he let UNC beat us in the tournament when we dominated them entire game. Scoreless for 5 min end of game :eek:hmy:
 
#35
#35
WA_Vol said:
He inherited a good nucleus of players and never got any further then the first round of the NCAA tournament I believe. His last team lacked any leadership on the field and off. That's what I remember.
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No he made it to sweet 16 with greatest UT Team to walk floor IMo but went scoreless near end of game to unc. We could of walked to final 4 IMO
 
#38
#38
MothershipChip said:
There was also a rumor that he got wasted around the boosters during one of the pre-season tournaments (I am thinking Maui) which left a bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths. I am not saying this is true of course, I just remember it being spoken about after he was canned. I still to this day don't and can't understand how they saw the Buzzer as a better choice.
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Buzz took Tulsa to an N.I.T. championship. (2) Buzz had success at App. State. (3) Buzz had Dean Smith & Jordan call on his behalf.
 
#41
#41
VolsSportsFan said:
Basically what everyone has said, and he was pretty much the "roll the ball on the court and let them play" type coach; meaning he didn't seem to do any coaching at all. Those teams succeeded by pure talent alone. It was nice we made the NCAAT 4 times in a row and won an SEC Chamionship (co-championship), but everyone knew he was a horrible coach.

I wasn't sad in the least when he was fired, though Buzz Peterson would make me weep the next 4 years. Peterson's tenure was even more frustrating, as he had the talent to make the NCAA 2 if not 3 of the years he was here; not to mention the dude could not talk.
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As bad as Buzz was, it hurt him when Terrence Woods and Harris Walker were dismissed for positive drug screens (I believe in his first year). Buzz was never really able to have good guards until Watson came as a freshman. Woods was a sharpshooter, and Walker was raw but could really handle the ball.

Buzz also might have saved his job if 2 UK and 2 Louisville games had ended differently. UT had late leads in all, and I think just one in 2003 might have helped us get in the NCAAT.
 
#43
#43
VolGee4 said:
As bad as Buzz was, it hurt him when Terrence Woods and Harris Walker were dismissed for positive drug screens (I believe in his first year). Buzz was never really able to have good guards until Watson came as a freshman. Woods was a sharpshooter, and Walker was raw but could really handle the ball.

Buzz also might have saved his job if 2 UK and 2 Louisville games had ended differently. UT had late leads in all, and I think just one in 2003 might have helped us get in the NCAAT.
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Buzz seemed to be the king of not being able to seal the deal on big games. He lost a home to UK and a home game to Florida when in both games he didn't have them foul when up 3 and the other team had the ball. Both times they came down, hit a 3, forced OT, and the Vols lost. It may have been more.

And that Louisville game his first year is one of the biggest collapses I've ever seen.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/embed/BhI85Q9Am8c[/youtube]
 
#44
#44
VolsSportsFan said:
Basically what everyone has said, and he was pretty much the "roll the ball on the court and let them play" type coach; meaning he didn't seem to do any coaching at all. Those teams succeeded by pure talent alone. It was nice we made the NCAAT 4 times in a row and won an SEC Chamionship (co-championship), but everyone knew he was a horrible coach.

I wasn't sad in the least when he was fired, though Buzz Peterson would make me weep the next 4 years. Peterson's tenure was even more frustrating, as he had the talent to make the NCAA 2 if not 3 of the years he was here; not to mention the dude could not talk.
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Heh. "Horrible" Green wins an SEC title and is 4-for-4 in trips to the Dance with one Swt16. The best post-season resume of any coach in UT's history save one.

Really bad coaches don't get those kind of results. 5-22 and losing by 60 in the conference tourney...there's your horrible.
 
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#45
#45
I don't have the reason, but I do remember watching his teams play. It was like watching a streetball team. No discipline, no order, no chemistry, no real "team" play. He was a great recruiter, but awful at the actual "coaching" aspect.
 
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#46
#46
VolsSportsFan said:
Buzz seemed to be the king of not being able to seal the deal on big games. He lost a home to UK and a home game to Florida when in both games he didn't have them foul when up 3 and the other team had the ball. Both times they came down, hit a 3, forced OT, and the Vols lost. It may have been more.

And that Louisville game his first year is one of the biggest collapses I've ever seen.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/embed/BhI85Q9Am8c[/youtube]
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I thought the 2004 loss to Louisville was worse. Tennessee was fighting tooth and nail and it seemed like they might win and faded out 65-62. I was at work listening and at I hit the wall with my fist when the game ended,really frustrating!
 
#47
#47
VolsSportsFan said:
Basically what everyone has said, and he was pretty much the "roll the ball on the court and let them play" type coach; meaning he didn't seem to do any coaching at all. Those teams succeeded by pure talent alone. It was nice we made the NCAAT 4 times in a row and won an SEC Chamionship (co-championship), but everyone knew he was a horrible coach.

I wasn't sad in the least when he was fired, though Buzz Peterson would make me weep the next 4 years. Peterson's tenure was even more frustrating, as he had the talent to make the NCAA 2 if not 3 of the years he was here; not to mention the dude could not talk.
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In the movie Hoosiers that was Jerry Green that Gene Hackman ran off the first day of practice.
 
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#49
#49
The 1999-2000 team that lost to North Carolina in the Sweet 16 is my all-time "what could have been?" moment in UT hoops history during my lifetime. Forget the Final Four: that team could have won it all. Consider this roster:

Ron Slay
Vincent Yarbrough
Tony Harris (I know, he never saw a shot he didn't like, but one of the quickest players with the ball I've ever seen. Could have been a poor man's Allen Iverson with proper coaching)
Isiah Victor (one of the most underrated Vols of all time)
C.J. Black
Jon Higgins
Marcus Haislip
Terrence Woods (3-point gunner off the bench)
Charles Hathaway (never developed, really, but a big, wide body to clog the paint and eat fouls)
Harris Walker
Vegas Davis (immortal simply because of his name)

Strongest roster, top to bottom, that UT has ever had. They absolutely waxed defending national champ UConn in the second round. Scored almost 80 points a game.
 
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#50
#50
OrangeBalls said:
I thought he referenced K-Mart. After a certain game he was asked by reporters about the fans discontent and he said that if people weren't happy they could just go to K-Mart instead of watching the Vols play.

He was a monumental jackass. How he could ever land not one, but two, high level Div I-A jobs is the real head scratcher. I'm sure Uncle Roy had a lot to do with it, but Green's personality just rubbed people the wrong way. I know Brandon Wharton thought he was a complete idiot and pretty much said so in an interview after his playing days were over.

The best line I can remember him using was the day he was hired. He said, "I wasn't the first choice, but I was THE choice." Good Lord.
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Thank you for getting the details correct, most accurate account of how it actually happened. I'm going crazy reading all the misinformation.
 
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