I'm going to start off by saying Butch has always had my support and always will. He's done many good things here. He's a very good coach in mid major conferences such as the MAC, American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, etc. He's simply not a high level SEC coach. Not many are. I hope he lands on his feet in one of these conferences or another P5 conference and is nothing but successful. I will always be pulling for him and his family.
That being said, UT is in a much better place right now looking ahead. Our state is producing more and more talent. Some of it will get away just as in the past how some of the best talent in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina left those states and come here and other out of state schools. Remember Albert Haynesworth, A.J. Green, and others? Look at Clemson now.
What we need to do is take our time and find the right coach. First and foremost, we need a coach who develops talent. We need one who can take a high 3 star and build him into a 4 star. With the powerhouse schools around us in Clemson, Georgia, and Alabama, we're going to clash with them for recruits. We simply need to get the very best out of our class. Texas A&M has taken a 3 star out of Franklin, TN and developed him into by far their best player on defense. Greg Hardy was a 3 star coming out of Millington, TN and Patrick Willis was a 3 star from a small town in west Tennessee. Both were developed into great college and NFL studs. There are more 4 and 5 star rated players in our state than ever before. I also think there are a number of underrated 3 stars who can be special as well. John Kelly and Josh Dobbs were 3 star players coming out of high school that were developed nicely, but overall, I think we can all agree that Butch has struggled in this area. Tom Luginbill on Sirius XM ESPNU radio said the other night that Dan Mullen is one of the best if not the best coach in the country at developing talent. Dak Prescott was a 3 star coming out of high school while Nick Fitzgerald was only a 2 star. He's been very successful being able to accomplish what he has at a school like Mississippi State where they're in the toughest division in college football and have to rely on several 3 stars in every class. You have to wonder what he'd be able to accomplish at a school like Tennessee where he'd have more 4 stars. It's something to strongly consider.
Another area we need to look at is the excitement factor. If we hire a coach such as Norvell or Morris, not only is their offense going to be a blast for our fans to enjoy, but kids across the country want to play in offenses where they can not only have fun but put up big numbers. Norvell has developed a number of quarterbacks during his stops at Tulsa, Arizona State, and now Memphis. Not only has he turned Riley Ferguson into a highlight machine, he's about to turn a former 2 star wide receiver from Memphis who was under everyone's radar into a first round draft pick in Anthony Miller. I saw an early mock draft the other day where he was projected to go around 15th in the first round. A system like these men run would lure quarterbacks, wide receivers, and linemen. Show success on the offensive side of the ball and win, and there will be very good defensive coordinators wanting in on the action. All of a sudden you have a very good team ready to compete. Speaking of excitement, I'm not sure what our chances are of bringing in Jon Gruden, but the excitement level would spike off the charts.
Looking at x's and o's and game management, I think this is another area where Butch struggled. I remember a poster from Volquest asking the Cincinnati Bearcat fan base their opinions of Butch when we first hired him. Two answered that he was a good coach but ran a conservative offense that he was stubborn to change and always seemed to lose a game here or there that he shouldn't. Five years later, do you think this still holds true? If we go the up and coming route, John Currie can do his homework on head coaches such as Mike Norvell and Chad Morris from the lower level as well as an assistant coach such as Joe Moorhead from Penn State and see how they make adjustments and scheme against their own level of competition. Look at how Norvell and Morris do against P5 schools too. This would give us a good gage as to how they would do not only against our fellow SEC schools not named Alabama and Georgia but also Alabama and Georgia. Also look into how their players respond to them. Do they tune them out? How are they as recruiters for where they're at?
Let's relax and let it play out. The hire is going to be very important and doesn't need to be rushed. One thing is for sure, there are a number of candidates out there who would do very well at Tennessee. Jon Gruden, Mike Norvell, Chad Morris, Dan Mullen, and Joe Moorhead are just five who I think would do great here.
That being said, UT is in a much better place right now looking ahead. Our state is producing more and more talent. Some of it will get away just as in the past how some of the best talent in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina left those states and come here and other out of state schools. Remember Albert Haynesworth, A.J. Green, and others? Look at Clemson now.
What we need to do is take our time and find the right coach. First and foremost, we need a coach who develops talent. We need one who can take a high 3 star and build him into a 4 star. With the powerhouse schools around us in Clemson, Georgia, and Alabama, we're going to clash with them for recruits. We simply need to get the very best out of our class. Texas A&M has taken a 3 star out of Franklin, TN and developed him into by far their best player on defense. Greg Hardy was a 3 star coming out of Millington, TN and Patrick Willis was a 3 star from a small town in west Tennessee. Both were developed into great college and NFL studs. There are more 4 and 5 star rated players in our state than ever before. I also think there are a number of underrated 3 stars who can be special as well. John Kelly and Josh Dobbs were 3 star players coming out of high school that were developed nicely, but overall, I think we can all agree that Butch has struggled in this area. Tom Luginbill on Sirius XM ESPNU radio said the other night that Dan Mullen is one of the best if not the best coach in the country at developing talent. Dak Prescott was a 3 star coming out of high school while Nick Fitzgerald was only a 2 star. He's been very successful being able to accomplish what he has at a school like Mississippi State where they're in the toughest division in college football and have to rely on several 3 stars in every class. You have to wonder what he'd be able to accomplish at a school like Tennessee where he'd have more 4 stars. It's something to strongly consider.
Another area we need to look at is the excitement factor. If we hire a coach such as Norvell or Morris, not only is their offense going to be a blast for our fans to enjoy, but kids across the country want to play in offenses where they can not only have fun but put up big numbers. Norvell has developed a number of quarterbacks during his stops at Tulsa, Arizona State, and now Memphis. Not only has he turned Riley Ferguson into a highlight machine, he's about to turn a former 2 star wide receiver from Memphis who was under everyone's radar into a first round draft pick in Anthony Miller. I saw an early mock draft the other day where he was projected to go around 15th in the first round. A system like these men run would lure quarterbacks, wide receivers, and linemen. Show success on the offensive side of the ball and win, and there will be very good defensive coordinators wanting in on the action. All of a sudden you have a very good team ready to compete. Speaking of excitement, I'm not sure what our chances are of bringing in Jon Gruden, but the excitement level would spike off the charts.
Looking at x's and o's and game management, I think this is another area where Butch struggled. I remember a poster from Volquest asking the Cincinnati Bearcat fan base their opinions of Butch when we first hired him. Two answered that he was a good coach but ran a conservative offense that he was stubborn to change and always seemed to lose a game here or there that he shouldn't. Five years later, do you think this still holds true? If we go the up and coming route, John Currie can do his homework on head coaches such as Mike Norvell and Chad Morris from the lower level as well as an assistant coach such as Joe Moorhead from Penn State and see how they make adjustments and scheme against their own level of competition. Look at how Norvell and Morris do against P5 schools too. This would give us a good gage as to how they would do not only against our fellow SEC schools not named Alabama and Georgia but also Alabama and Georgia. Also look into how their players respond to them. Do they tune them out? How are they as recruiters for where they're at?
Let's relax and let it play out. The hire is going to be very important and doesn't need to be rushed. One thing is for sure, there are a number of candidates out there who would do very well at Tennessee. Jon Gruden, Mike Norvell, Chad Morris, Dan Mullen, and Joe Moorhead are just five who I think would do great here.
