We begin this edition of the War Room like I do every week with a couple of ground rules. Everything that is reported in the War Room must stay in the War Room. That is how this works. The information in War Room is detailed to the point that it does not need to be passed beyond the doors of this post. This is a special feature for subscribers only, which is why it is posted on the premium board. Posting here is the only way to ensure that the information is exclusive to The Big Orange Nation. Anyway the War Room will only work if everyone helps make it work…now on with the news.
It is official, Phillip Fulmer has more power than ever and might be the most powerful man on Tennessee’s campus. Fulmer went to University President John Petersen and asked for more money for his assistant coaches after he felt the pool that Mike Hamilton gave him to work with was to small. An even bigger show of power was the fact that he got the proposed attendance policy stopped dead in it’s tracks. He got that policy proposal stopped after it was publically endorsed by Pat Summitt, Mike Hamilton, and Buzz Peterson.
So if your on campus or affiliated with the University in some way and you want to get something done, then become friends with Phillip Fulmer because at two million plus a year and his length of tenure, he is swinging the biggest stick of anyone right now.
As for his assistant coaches, the plan is to name Trooper Taylor the assistant head coach for player development with John Chavis going to associate head coach. Taylor and Greg Adkins will get sizeable pay increases as will Randy Sanders. Every coach will get a bump, but those three will get the biggest. Also, I think there is going to be an option for multi-year contracts for assistant coaches and it is going to be interesting to see who takes them.
As for Fulmer’s current team, off-season workouts continue with morning runs twice a week as well as a regular workout schedule. The strength coaches indicate that they like where they are at this point, but would be happier if they could get healthier. At this point they have some 30 players who are not going through the regular team workout, but instead are doing some variation of the workout because of various injuries.
However, I am told two guys who are not being limited is quarterbacks Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge. Both guys are full go through all of the workouts that the team is doing.
It is early to say who jumps out at you to this point, but I know a guy that many are impressed with is Richie Gandy for a couple of reasons. Gandy continues to get stronger and set a new personal best in the power clean just last week, but they also like his toughness and leadership. Gandy is a guy who has long been a work in progress who has just continued to get better and he will enter spring with the first crack at being the starting center.
I know everyone has wondered about Cody Douglas and how he is doing. Douglas is back in Knoxville, back in school and working out harder than ever. It was clear in his note here on the Big Orange Nation that he was very much committed to football after the tragedy of losing his brother and all indications are that he is certainly living up to that commitment as he is working extremely hard.
The receivers and quarterbacks are doing some throwing as well as the quarterbacks get ready for a spring battle where essentially no one enters as a starter. It is going to be interesting to see how reps are divided up and how things will work in the spring and it is also going to be curious to me to see how the vote for captains go. Because I think there is a chance that Rick Clausen could be voted a captain and might not be the quarterback on the field and I could not tell you the last captain who was named and not a starter. It might not happen, but Clausen is very popular among his teammates and he could also win the starting job as well.
Speaking of injuries a bit ago, I found it interesting that CJ Fayton played with basically the same injury James Banks had in his knee and now Fayton has had surgery that will keep him out for just a few weeks instead of several months like it did Banks and Robert Meachem. It was certainly a different philosophy with Fayton compared to the two previous players with those injuries.
On the recruiting front, things are slow as you would imagine with coaches unable to call kids at this point, but Tennessee is sending out plenty of letters and mailings as well as gather and watch film of high school guys. It is a much better year in the state of South Carolina and I would expect the Vols to try and be much more active over there this year. It is also another good year in North Carolina and Dan Brooks certainly has had success there as well.
It would also make sense to see the Vols work California harder as well. Clausen, Simon, Toeiana, Mahelona are all looking at finishing up their careers this year which would only leave Ainge and Foster as “west coast” kids and I am sure that Tennessee does not want to lose that tie or pipeline of kids see that going that far from home has worked out well for many.
On the local scene, obviously the two kids at Alcoa as well as Lee Smith are SEC caliber players and will have the chance to size in that conference as well as other national programs. However, there is a guy to keep a bit of an eye at Christian Academy of Knoxville. Richard Harb is a left handed quarterback with a big time arm who even though he is only starting his second year as the starting quarterback might have a chance to be pretty heavily recruited. He has not drawn SEC interest yet, but he is one to keep any eye on.
Of course, the Vols are not going to be in the quarterback market unless Brent Schaeffer or Bo Hardegree transfers, then Tennessee would certainly evaluate a quarterback for depth purposes, but they won’t have a shot at signing a real top flight guy due to depth.
On the hoops front, Buzz Peterson and his status is obviously the big topic. I personally don’t think at this point any decision has been made nor do I feel like Mike Hamilton wants to make a change. Hamilton obviously is very hands on with the program right now. He and Buzz Peterson are talking daily and you can expect Hamilton will be at all the remaining games home and away starting with being in attendance in Oxford on Saturday.
Obviously, everyone is curious as to what is going on with Jamont Gordon. Gordon was recently quoted as saying he is interested in Florida. And that may be the case, but first everyone should wait and see how hard the Gators pursue him. David Lee is the only player leaving off of Florida's roster, and they are crowded in the backcourt, so before people panic over that one too much, they should wait and see if the Gators get serious about that thing.
Finally, on the Tony McDaniel watch, there is nothing new to report this week. McDaniel and his lawyer met with the University this past Monday. There was no news report according to the McDaniel side in this case. Up next is trying to get the charges reduced and remember that is critical for McDaniel’s return to the team. It is hard to see Fulmer keeping someone around who is facing felony charges. In the meantime, McDaniel is not allowed to participate in team functions. He can workout on his on, butcannot go through team things like morning runs and such.
Rob and I hope everyone has a great weekend and stay with us as we will continue to bring you the latest on the basketball front, the recruiting front, as well as get you ready for spring practice which starts three weeks or so.
This post was edited on 2/18 11:12 PM byBrent_Hubbsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0){document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
It is official, Phillip Fulmer has more power than ever and might be the most powerful man on Tennessee’s campus. Fulmer went to University President John Petersen and asked for more money for his assistant coaches after he felt the pool that Mike Hamilton gave him to work with was to small. An even bigger show of power was the fact that he got the proposed attendance policy stopped dead in it’s tracks. He got that policy proposal stopped after it was publically endorsed by Pat Summitt, Mike Hamilton, and Buzz Peterson.
So if your on campus or affiliated with the University in some way and you want to get something done, then become friends with Phillip Fulmer because at two million plus a year and his length of tenure, he is swinging the biggest stick of anyone right now.
As for his assistant coaches, the plan is to name Trooper Taylor the assistant head coach for player development with John Chavis going to associate head coach. Taylor and Greg Adkins will get sizeable pay increases as will Randy Sanders. Every coach will get a bump, but those three will get the biggest. Also, I think there is going to be an option for multi-year contracts for assistant coaches and it is going to be interesting to see who takes them.
As for Fulmer’s current team, off-season workouts continue with morning runs twice a week as well as a regular workout schedule. The strength coaches indicate that they like where they are at this point, but would be happier if they could get healthier. At this point they have some 30 players who are not going through the regular team workout, but instead are doing some variation of the workout because of various injuries.
However, I am told two guys who are not being limited is quarterbacks Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge. Both guys are full go through all of the workouts that the team is doing.
It is early to say who jumps out at you to this point, but I know a guy that many are impressed with is Richie Gandy for a couple of reasons. Gandy continues to get stronger and set a new personal best in the power clean just last week, but they also like his toughness and leadership. Gandy is a guy who has long been a work in progress who has just continued to get better and he will enter spring with the first crack at being the starting center.
I know everyone has wondered about Cody Douglas and how he is doing. Douglas is back in Knoxville, back in school and working out harder than ever. It was clear in his note here on the Big Orange Nation that he was very much committed to football after the tragedy of losing his brother and all indications are that he is certainly living up to that commitment as he is working extremely hard.
The receivers and quarterbacks are doing some throwing as well as the quarterbacks get ready for a spring battle where essentially no one enters as a starter. It is going to be interesting to see how reps are divided up and how things will work in the spring and it is also going to be curious to me to see how the vote for captains go. Because I think there is a chance that Rick Clausen could be voted a captain and might not be the quarterback on the field and I could not tell you the last captain who was named and not a starter. It might not happen, but Clausen is very popular among his teammates and he could also win the starting job as well.
Speaking of injuries a bit ago, I found it interesting that CJ Fayton played with basically the same injury James Banks had in his knee and now Fayton has had surgery that will keep him out for just a few weeks instead of several months like it did Banks and Robert Meachem. It was certainly a different philosophy with Fayton compared to the two previous players with those injuries.
On the recruiting front, things are slow as you would imagine with coaches unable to call kids at this point, but Tennessee is sending out plenty of letters and mailings as well as gather and watch film of high school guys. It is a much better year in the state of South Carolina and I would expect the Vols to try and be much more active over there this year. It is also another good year in North Carolina and Dan Brooks certainly has had success there as well.
It would also make sense to see the Vols work California harder as well. Clausen, Simon, Toeiana, Mahelona are all looking at finishing up their careers this year which would only leave Ainge and Foster as “west coast” kids and I am sure that Tennessee does not want to lose that tie or pipeline of kids see that going that far from home has worked out well for many.
On the local scene, obviously the two kids at Alcoa as well as Lee Smith are SEC caliber players and will have the chance to size in that conference as well as other national programs. However, there is a guy to keep a bit of an eye at Christian Academy of Knoxville. Richard Harb is a left handed quarterback with a big time arm who even though he is only starting his second year as the starting quarterback might have a chance to be pretty heavily recruited. He has not drawn SEC interest yet, but he is one to keep any eye on.
Of course, the Vols are not going to be in the quarterback market unless Brent Schaeffer or Bo Hardegree transfers, then Tennessee would certainly evaluate a quarterback for depth purposes, but they won’t have a shot at signing a real top flight guy due to depth.
On the hoops front, Buzz Peterson and his status is obviously the big topic. I personally don’t think at this point any decision has been made nor do I feel like Mike Hamilton wants to make a change. Hamilton obviously is very hands on with the program right now. He and Buzz Peterson are talking daily and you can expect Hamilton will be at all the remaining games home and away starting with being in attendance in Oxford on Saturday.
Obviously, everyone is curious as to what is going on with Jamont Gordon. Gordon was recently quoted as saying he is interested in Florida. And that may be the case, but first everyone should wait and see how hard the Gators pursue him. David Lee is the only player leaving off of Florida's roster, and they are crowded in the backcourt, so before people panic over that one too much, they should wait and see if the Gators get serious about that thing.
Finally, on the Tony McDaniel watch, there is nothing new to report this week. McDaniel and his lawyer met with the University this past Monday. There was no news report according to the McDaniel side in this case. Up next is trying to get the charges reduced and remember that is critical for McDaniel’s return to the team. It is hard to see Fulmer keeping someone around who is facing felony charges. In the meantime, McDaniel is not allowed to participate in team functions. He can workout on his on, butcannot go through team things like morning runs and such.
Rob and I hope everyone has a great weekend and stay with us as we will continue to bring you the latest on the basketball front, the recruiting front, as well as get you ready for spring practice which starts three weeks or so.
This post was edited on 2/18 11:12 PM byBrent_Hubbsif(GetAdminCookie() != 0){document.write(' (Revisions[/URL])');}
