Willie Taggart

#27
#27
VOLout8 said:
Hiring Gruden comes with risk, but it is monumentally less than hiring Willie. The 2 other coaches you mentioned were no longer sought after NFL coaches. Let's be real, if Gruden wanted to go back to the NFL he would have any number of teams interested. If he came to Tennessee he would be the best football coach in the state including with the Titans.

Gruden on the recruiting trail would give us an advantage that would take 5-6 years of BCS bowls for Willie to obtain.

Imagine you are the dad of a 5 star recruit in Texas.
"Hey son, some guy named Willie from Tennessee is calling." "Hey son, you know Jon Gruden from Monday Night Football, the guy who won the Super Bowl, he is on the phone." Pretty simple.
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I understand what you're saying, and in a lot of ways I don't disagree with you... My point is that all of that fades away if Gruden doesn't win.. The arguments you are making are the exact same arguments that people made about Monte Kiffin, and sure, initially it did excite a lot of recruits, but by the mid-point of the season there were PLENTY of fans including many on here who viewed Monte as a mediocre D-Coordinator for the SEC and an inferior D-Coordinator compared to Chavis... I obviously don't want to shift the subject to who is better Chavis or Monte, but to make the point that initially the sales pitch to the recruit is better if you're Gruden, but in 1-2 years that sales pitch shifts to, "the annoying MNF guy who needs a haircut and couldn't hack it in the NFL or at UT is calling you"
 
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#31
#31
GreatWhiteNorth said:
Please elaborate (yes I'm serious). I'm interested in your thoughts as to why not? Personally I'd be thrilled with Charlie Strong.
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Perhaps my concerns are unfounded. I suppose what is most important to fans are results. So If any minority coach can provide results, he will be loved and respected at the university.
 
#32
#32
VolsDeep said:
ha, No i wasn't. What did that guy say and why don't you want him?
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Wanted Taggart. Sounded stupid. Even the hosts cut him off and laughed.

I don't want him because UT isn't a training ground for BCS caliber coaches.
 
#33
#33
I LOVE the potential of Willie Taggart, but I don't see how you can put him ahead of Gruden and Strong.
 
#34
#34
Nerd-Vol said:
Perhaps my concerns are unfounded. I suppose what is most important to fans are results. So If any minority coach can provide results, he will be loved and respected at the university.
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Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like you are saying that as long as a minority coach wins, then we will look past the ugly fact that he is a minority. If so, then yes I think your concerns are unfounded and aren't representative of myself or of most vol fans I know....
 
#35
#35
VolsDeep said:
I understand what you're saying, and in a lot of ways I don't disagree with you... My point is that all of that fades away if Gruden doesn't win.. The arguments you are making are the exact same arguments that people made about Monte Kiffin, and sure, initially it did excite a lot of recruits, but by the mid-point of the season there were PLENTY of fans including many on here who viewed Monte as a mediocre D-Coordinator for the SEC and an inferior D-Coordinator compared to Chavis... I obviously don't want to shift the subject to who is better Chavis or Monte, but to make the point that initially the sales pitch to the recruit is better if you're Gruden, but in 1-2 years that sales pitch shifts to, "the annoying MNF guy who needs a haircut and couldn't hack it in the NFL or at UT is calling you"
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Like you said I don't disagree with a lot of what you said either. If Gruden loses then it would be a bad deal, and that Super Bowl ring would only be a paper weight to recruits. The point is Gruden is more likely to be a winner, than Taggart based on track record.

That 1-2 year window would give him a better chance to win because he would sign some excellent football players on the intial hype.
 
#36
#36
VolsDeep said:
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like you are saying that as long as a minority coach wins, then we will look past the ugly fact that he is a minority. If so, then yes I think your concerns are unfounded and aren't representative of myself or of most vol fans I know....
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I hope you are right.

Dude seems like he can coach.
 
#40
#40
VolsDeep said:
I feel like this guy has so much upside it's ridiculous... I realize that UT fans might be leery hiring a coach that isn't more "proven," but this guy isn't unproven in the same sense as Dooley. It was a stretch to consider Dooley's time at LA Tech a success, whereas to think that WKU, a team that was AWFUL just a few years ago, is now 12-2 in its last 14 games is very impressive.

On top of that, we wouldn't have to pay Gruden money to get him.. At the end of the day, it's a gamble no matter who we pick. TN is a unique place in the sense that we have super high expectations but don't have the same number of "gimme" recruits that other schools do.

What is everyone's thoughts on the guy?
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Who thought Dooleys time at LA tech was a success? I want to meet them I have some great beach front property to sell them in sevierville.
 
#42
#42
VolsDeep said:
I feel like this guy has so much upside it's ridiculous... I realize that UT fans might be leery hiring a coach that isn't more "proven," but this guy isn't unproven in the same sense as Dooley. It was a stretch to consider Dooley's time at LA Tech a success, whereas to think that WKU, a team that was AWFUL just a few years ago, is now 12-2 in its last 14 games is very impressive.

On top of that, we wouldn't have to pay Gruden money to get him.. At the end of the day, it's a gamble no matter who we pick. TN is a unique place in the sense that we have super high expectations but don't have the same number of "gimme" recruits that other schools do.

What is everyone's thoughts on the guy?
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Oh come on man...Damn
 
#45
#45
If we can't get a guy like Gruden, Petersen, Patterson, Stoops, or Gundy, then Taggart is my preferred next choice. I'd much rather have Taggart over a coordinator like Kirby Smart. Please no to Kirby Smart.
 
#46
#46
JoeKyleVol said:
If we can't get a guy like Gruden, Petersen, Patterson, Stoops, or Gundy, then Taggart is my preferred next choice. I'd much rather have Taggart over a coordinator like Kirby Smart. Please no to Kirby Smart.
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I agree with this, the difference is that I would actually rather have Petersen, Patterson, or Stoops over Gruden... I just don't think any of those 3 are options. We have to keep in mind that UT isn't the only college that will be hiring this year, and why Stoops is even mentioned in these discussions is beyond me... He can get to the national championship by winning 3-4 crucial games at OU, as opposed to 7-8 in the SEC... Nothing leads me to believe that he is going anywhere. He is as realistic of a choice as Lovie Smith.
 
#47
#47
I agree with OP. Gruden, Cowher, Stoops, Carroll, Petersen...are just not realistic. Of course we should reach out & try to get Gruden, but it ain't happening. The more realistic options are going to be guys like Willie Taggart, Kirby Smart & Sonny Dykes. Charlie Strong is realistic, but is still not guaranteed.
 
#48
#48
I am a WKU grad and still live in Bowling Green. The things that Taggart has done with WKU's program is astounding. The kids play hard for him, and he's one of the youngest coaches in America. someone will come knocking on his door when the season wraps up, I for one would take him as our new coach....assuming that we miss on Gruden and a few others.

I'd still prefer to see Doolz pull off an upset this weekend or next and come out of November undefeated. That's a stretch but I still have hope for Dooley. If he doesn't go at least 4-2 in the last 6 games, then a new hire will need to be made to appease the football gods and this fanbase.

7-5 final record, I'll support whatever decision is made, 6-6 or worse...then get the hell out.
8-4 or better, then let's give it another year with him.
 
#49
#49
spazzyvol said:
I am a WKU grad and still live in Bowling Green. The things that Taggart has done with WKU's program is astounding. The kids play hard for him, and he's one of the youngest coaches in America. someone will come knocking on his door when the season wraps up, I for one would take him as our new coach....assuming that we miss on Gruden and a few others.

I'd still prefer to see Doolz pull off an upset this weekend or next and come out of November undefeated. That's a stretch but I still have hope for Dooley. If he doesn't go at least 4-2 in the last 6 games, then a new hire will need to be made to appease the football gods and this fanbase.

7-5 final record, I'll support whatever decision is made, 6-6 or worse...then get the hell out.
8-4 or better, then let's give it another year with him.
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I hope WKU can keep Willie for a long time. He'll have a decent raise and extension come the end of the season (at least he should). There's no reason that he shouldn't be the highest paid coach in the Sun Belt after this season. The classes he's bringing in should ensure a stay in the upper echelon or the league for a while.
 
#50
#50
VolsDeep said:
I'm just not convinced that Gruden at $5mil is going to be a better Head Coach than Willie at $2-$3mil.... Obviously, I can understand why we would go with Gruden over Willie, I just feel like this guy has a lot of potential... Although it's also possible that he is Turner Gil 2.0
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People are concerned about the payout if Dooley is fired. Think about the size of the payout if we hire a $5 million/year failure like Gruden.
 
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