You never want to whiff on an AD hire...

[Black Diamond Vol]

...but I would say that this hire will be even more important than most. 

Do you realize that, within his/her first couple years, our next AD will almost certainly have to hire a new football coach, baseball coach, and womens' basketball coach?  And if we're being honest, probably a new mens' basketball coach, too (that may not be fair to Barnes this early in his tenure, but I'm just going by our history).  And they'll have to raise funds for and oversee a major facilities campaign, as well.  All the while trying to mend the ugly rift that has developed between the mens' and womens' sports. 

I still maintain that Blackburn is the right guy for the job, and there seems to be a consensus on that.  But I wouldn't blame our leadership if they take their time, interview anyone/everyone, and make sure all their bases are covered.  It's imperative that we get this hire right.

[Tnphil]

Out athletic department is a dumpster fire.....You are right, we need to get this right.

[HerbTarlekVol]

Out athletic department is a dumpster fire.....You are right, we need to get this right.

You just insulted dumpster fires everywhere.  

I don't think that any of us have seen the UTAD in such a state of discombobulation in any of our lifetimes.  And it has started from the top.  

[73Volgrad]

The problems in the athletic department start and stop with Jimmy Cheek. When UT hired him and he selected his staff, the academic side became more important than athletic side. Then Hart was hired and given cart blanch to reduce costs by getting rid of experienced staff (high paid women) and replacing them with lower paid white men. You do that by combining jobs, redefining job titles, and changing job descriptions so you can justify hiring your people that are only going to be Yes Men and tell you what a great job you are doing. Cheek knew he had to reduce costs in AD by cutting higher paying jobs so he hired and instructed Hart to do it because he knew Hart was going to be a bridge that would be replaced after Cheek retired. He knew Hart's age made him a short term AD, that a lot of UT fans were never going to accept Bama Dave, and that Hart was going to get blamed for all the turmoil if things went south. What Cheek did not count on was the Title IV storm and the discrimination lawsuits that the staff he assembled were going to cause. The bad press and money that Cheek and Hart are being blamed for is an institutional problem out of their control to a point. Combine that with the Lady Vols logo debacle that Hart just never explained well. He would have been better off admitting that it was driven by the Nike contract to increase their revenue. Hart just has bad instincts on selecting coaches. 

It is important that the incoming chancellor have a say in this selection, but maybe not the final call. The new director has to be able to evaluate coaching talent for major revenue-generating sports in addition to minor sports. The focus needs to be less on driving down costs and keeping them low to hiring the best coaches that can increase revenue and contributions. Since football is the engine that runs the department, I expect the drop-off in ticket sales and contributions next year from lack of enthusiasm with lead to Butch being asked to leave. Holly, bless her heart, just is not even a marginally good head coach because her assistants are so bad. Baseball just cannot get a balance of pitching and hitting to be successful. So yes I agree this AD hire is critical to the long term success of athletics at UT. The upcoming stadium improvements will require a ton of money and a fan base that hates the head coach will be at odds with raising money. Since the new AD will be here in Spring at the earliest, he will have to keep all the major HCs another year other than baseball. Next year I expect a major restocking of head coaches because I just do not see the ability to improve rapidly based on the lack of past performance. I just do not see any ability to win big next year in football, women's basketball, or baseball. Hopefully the new chancellor and AD are competent and realize sports can complement academic success and instruct both their staffs to work together.

[Tnphil]

You have to spend money to make money.....I wonder if Bama, OSU, Michigan, Clemson and some others have figured that out? Our athletic department is a total mess from the top down and we are going into a crucial offseason with a ship without a rudder.

I'd spend the stadium money on getting things corrected...hiring top notch coaches....give the football coach plenty of money to upgrade his staff or put enough money back to pay his buyout after another cluster year You are right about Holly....even in the bad years we could always count on women's BB to make us feel some better....not any longer.

A upgraded stadium is nice....but the money could be better served, IMO. What use is a nice shiny upgraded stadium if thousands of seats are empty? It's like buying a $50,000 car that doesn't have a engine. Useless.