[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Que “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day]
Today at 2:00 pm, Tennessee plays its final baseball game of 2011. It’s yet another losing season that ends without the hope of postseason play. The Vols are 24-29 heading into this afternoon’s finale, and just 6-23 in the SEC. It certainly hasn’t been the kind of year that Todd Raleigh had hoped for in his fourth season in Knoxville.
The news is expected to come down sometime on Sunday, with former Vol Chris Burke named as a possible frontrunner for the position, according to Jimmy Hyams. Burke is said to be finishing up his degree at Louisville so he will be eligible for the job.
Regardless of how much teams may struggle, it’s always difficult to see a coach lose his job. The writing is on the wall for Todd Raleigh, and he (and everyone else for that matter) knows it. Many will disagree with me, but I find it sad — not because I believe he should remain Tennessee’s baseball coach, but because his fate is sealed. Raleigh is nothing more than a helpless target at this point, and even though he performed horribly, I can empathize with a father and a husband who is about to get canned.
Athletic Director Mike Hamilton isn’t talking, but has previously gone on record with his expectations for the program. I still find it odd that the two aren’t communicating — at all. Raleigh told Mike Strange, he hasn’t had a conversation with Hamilton since December.
“I haven’t talked to (athletic director) Mike (Hamilton) since the Christmas party,” Raleigh said. “So I don’t know how to answer that question.
“If you listen to talk radio, that’s what they say. But nobody’s said a word to me.”
“My wife called me and said it was on the radio,” Raleigh said. “It’s not a good way to find out, obviously.”
“I can handle it. It’s no big deal. But I hate to have the players on the team worry about something like that. . . . It shouldn’t happen.”
“But I’ve had no conversation with Mike since the Christmas party.”
In the end, the reality is that Tennessee baseball under Todd Raleigh’s leadership has been nauseating. The Vols had three losing seasons and failed to make the post season during his four years as coach. Tennessee’s record of 41-78 in the Southeastern Conference is so far under .500 that I might need a calculator to count just how far in the red that falls (37 games).
Tennessee’s performance during the Raleigh era:
- 2008 Tennessee 27-29 (12-18 SEC), 6th East
- 2009 Tennessee 26-29 (11-19 SEC), 6th East
- 2010 Tennessee 30-26 (12-18 SEC), 5th East
- 2011 Tennessee 24-29 (6-23 SEC), 6th East [* with one game remaining]
The Times Free Press wrote that among Raleigh’s most noteworthy accomplishments is the fact he was the “least” guilty of the three coaches named in the letter of allegations that UT received from the NCAA.
But at this point, taking shots at Raleigh is like shooting fish in a barrel; there isn’t much sport to it.
The question now is whether Tennessee will open up the pocketbook and hire a proven winner? Mike Hamilton has a recent track record of doing just the opposite in hopes of discovering an up-and-comer. That worked with Pearl. It didn’t work with Raleigh, however, and the jury is still out on Dooley and Martin.
John Adams offers solid advice on this issue.
Hamilton has proved he can fire a College World Series coach. But can he hire one?
It’s not complicated. You just ask “How much will it take?” to enough proven coaches until one of them says “yes.”
Those wanting a list of potential candidates, check out vol66’s thread in the baseball forum. He’s put together (and plans to update) a very informative initial list of names, including: Dave Serrano (Cal State Fullerton), Mike Bell (Oklahoma assistant), Dan McDonnell (Louisville), Tim Esmay (Arizona State), Jim Schlossnagle (TCU), and former Vol Chris Burke, among others.
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5 responses to “The end of the Todd Raleigh era”
this whole ‘era’ is a catastrophe that shouldn’t have happened. i remember when i read of raleigh’s hiring and looked up his record, i thought to myself, ‘surely somebody knows something that the rest of us don’t.’ nope. raleigh turned out to be the mediocrity his record indicated. put him at the head of a team in the southeastern conference (where all sports are taken as serious as a heart attack), and you get what you got. i admit that i’ve had zero confidence in raleigh’s coaching ability. i’ll also admit that i have zero confidence in hamilton’s qualification to hire a coach, of anything.
I hope TN makes the right decision this time. College baseball is becoming bigger and bigger. It’s time Tennessee became a bigtime player!
With the right leadership, I don’t see any reason why Tennessee shouldn’t consistently have one of the top programs in the league.
Mike Hamilton needs to be fired first . How can any one expect a good coach to be hired when Mike Hamilton is doing the hiring?
Amen to that…if hammy does fire CTR, then he needs to be fired, too; let a new AD hire the new baseball coach.