Like Mike Hamilton said on Friday night, the last 66 hours have been a whirlwind. But the dust has settled and Tennessee officially has a new Head Football Coach.
Derek Dooley, the 41-year-old son of Georgia legend Vince Dooley, was introduced by Athletic Director Mike Hamilton during a Monday night press conference and the VolNation faithful have responded with mixed reviews.
It’s clear the community is still shaken by the bombshell Lane Kiffin dropped on Tuesday night, and Kiffin’s comments on The Jim Rome Show only serve to pour salt on a wound that hasn’t had much time to heal.
“The recruits weren’t coming to UT to wear the yellow uniform, they were coming to play for this coaching staff,” Kiffin said on Friday.
With these events still fresh in their mind and desperately wanting someone to rally around, everyone watched to see if Derek Dooley, a name most had never heard of before today, could ‘win the press conference’.
While I’m not willing to concede that Dooley won the presser, I think it’s safe to say he survived it.
Let’s be honest, fresh off of a 4-8 record last season, Derek Dooley isn’t exactly what Tennessee fans had in mind when they posted of ‘a mystery candidate‘. However, a good portion of fans appear to have rallied behind Tennessee’s new coach, regardless of his name or his background. Most seem willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for now.
During his speech Dooley dazzled fans when he spoke of Tennessee traditions, game maxims, and how much he respects General Neyland, Johnny Majors, and Phillip Fulmer — coaches who built this program.
But like him or not, in the end, Dooley won’t be judged on his press conference. He will be judged by his success (or lack thereof) in the win column. Ultimately, that success will depend on how well he can compete head to head with the Nick Sabans and the Urban Meyers on the field and in the living room.
Tidbits:
- Hamilton said Dooley was offered the job today around 4pm.
- The first contact between the two was reported to be a text message. Think it went something like this? (H/T ericpatterson1)
Hammy: wld u lik 2 b hc @ TN
Dooley: yes… i <3 tn. luv 2 b thr Hammy: gr8 c u soon
- Am I the only one to find it odd for a coach to use terms like ‘organizational structure’ to describe recruiting?