I know that this search has been frustrating, but the ironic truth is that all of the coaches on the board have better resumes than our last 4 hires. Tennessee hasn't hired a football coach with a proven track record since Johnny Majors in 1976.
Resumes:
Phillip Fulmer- Offensive Coordinator; Interim Head Coach 5-0 record ( incredible 5 wins!)
Lane Kiffin- Offensive Coordinator; Head Coach Oakland 5-15 record; he was fired early in his second season and was hated by his employer
Derrick Dooley- TE coach Alabama; Head Coach La Tech 17-20 record (3-5 in the WAC in his final year)... unbelievable
Butch Jones- Head Coach Central Michigan and Cincinnati 50-27 record... Jones had a good record, but he had followed Brian Kelly at both stops. His Cincinnati record was especially concerning because of his first year. They went from an undefeated Orange Bowl appearance ( and a top 5 ranking ) to 4-8. He got them back to a couple minor bowls, but they were decidedly worse. Jones never had a P5 job and he had no experience with high level recruiting.
It's understandable that Tennessee fans are pissed. We've deserved better for the last decade. The last 3 hires have been highly unlikely to succeed. The problem is that we are now being unreasonable about coaches that do have a very good chance at success.
On the football field, all of these guys are light years better than previous searches:
Brohm- current P5 coach. Is taking his team bowling in the first year despite inheriting a lowly rated roster of recruits. He had huge success at WKU
Gundy- super coach ... won't leave home
Doeren- This guy has a great record! He was a great DC and RC for very good Wisconsin teams. Wisconsin declined after he left. He had unparalleled success at a small program. He went 23-4 at N. Illinois and he got them into the Orange Bowl! He rebuilt a P5 team with NC State. His current team is ranked and they went 8-4 against a top 10 schedule. They are 6-2 in the ACC. That is the best conference mark in 23 years and the ACC is in an up cycle. He will win here if we are lucky enough to land him.
Schiano ( football only) - I didn't want him either, but he is a very good football coach. Schiano was the hottest name in college football before he took the Bucs job. Rutgers was absolutely awful. They have been playing football for 135 years before Schiano and they had one bowl game to show for it. Schiano took them 6 in his last 7 years. He left the cupboard full. His successor went to 3 straight bowls and then dropped. Schiano elevated that program into the Big 10. He just didn't stay to reapply the rewards. Schiano's overall record is skewed down because his first 4 years were bad . It was a long build. He is considered to be an incredible recruiter. He built the early 2000's Miami defenses and he is recruiting like crazy at OSU.
Conclusions:
It is always hard to get P5 guys to switch schools. That is why it so rarely happens. We Tennessee fans have had a tough go of it, but we need to be patient.
Currie thought that he had an ace hidden with Schiano and he hid his cards. It was an epic mistake and I guarantee he regrets it. There is no good answer for coaching searches. The fans desperately want the information, but they live and die on every rumor. It is not helpful to have a lynch mob forming when you are trying to sell the school and community. There are dedicated people trying to get the best outcome for our University. It may not be Gruden, Petersen, Gundy, or Patterson, but we still have a shot at a couple of successful P5 coaches. Our biggest selling point is our fanbase. Let's try to put or best foot forward. There will be time for pitchforks and conspiracy theories after we get this done...off soapbox.
Resumes:
Phillip Fulmer- Offensive Coordinator; Interim Head Coach 5-0 record ( incredible 5 wins!)
Lane Kiffin- Offensive Coordinator; Head Coach Oakland 5-15 record; he was fired early in his second season and was hated by his employer
Derrick Dooley- TE coach Alabama; Head Coach La Tech 17-20 record (3-5 in the WAC in his final year)... unbelievable
Butch Jones- Head Coach Central Michigan and Cincinnati 50-27 record... Jones had a good record, but he had followed Brian Kelly at both stops. His Cincinnati record was especially concerning because of his first year. They went from an undefeated Orange Bowl appearance ( and a top 5 ranking ) to 4-8. He got them back to a couple minor bowls, but they were decidedly worse. Jones never had a P5 job and he had no experience with high level recruiting.
It's understandable that Tennessee fans are pissed. We've deserved better for the last decade. The last 3 hires have been highly unlikely to succeed. The problem is that we are now being unreasonable about coaches that do have a very good chance at success.
On the football field, all of these guys are light years better than previous searches:
Brohm- current P5 coach. Is taking his team bowling in the first year despite inheriting a lowly rated roster of recruits. He had huge success at WKU
Gundy- super coach ... won't leave home
Doeren- This guy has a great record! He was a great DC and RC for very good Wisconsin teams. Wisconsin declined after he left. He had unparalleled success at a small program. He went 23-4 at N. Illinois and he got them into the Orange Bowl! He rebuilt a P5 team with NC State. His current team is ranked and they went 8-4 against a top 10 schedule. They are 6-2 in the ACC. That is the best conference mark in 23 years and the ACC is in an up cycle. He will win here if we are lucky enough to land him.
Schiano ( football only) - I didn't want him either, but he is a very good football coach. Schiano was the hottest name in college football before he took the Bucs job. Rutgers was absolutely awful. They have been playing football for 135 years before Schiano and they had one bowl game to show for it. Schiano took them 6 in his last 7 years. He left the cupboard full. His successor went to 3 straight bowls and then dropped. Schiano elevated that program into the Big 10. He just didn't stay to reapply the rewards. Schiano's overall record is skewed down because his first 4 years were bad . It was a long build. He is considered to be an incredible recruiter. He built the early 2000's Miami defenses and he is recruiting like crazy at OSU.
Conclusions:
It is always hard to get P5 guys to switch schools. That is why it so rarely happens. We Tennessee fans have had a tough go of it, but we need to be patient.
Currie thought that he had an ace hidden with Schiano and he hid his cards. It was an epic mistake and I guarantee he regrets it. There is no good answer for coaching searches. The fans desperately want the information, but they live and die on every rumor. It is not helpful to have a lynch mob forming when you are trying to sell the school and community. There are dedicated people trying to get the best outcome for our University. It may not be Gruden, Petersen, Gundy, or Patterson, but we still have a shot at a couple of successful P5 coaches. Our biggest selling point is our fanbase. Let's try to put or best foot forward. There will be time for pitchforks and conspiracy theories after we get this done...off soapbox.
