So now that the AD hire is out of the way, let's talk about the HC hire

[Black Diamond Vol]

I said it when Pruitt was hired and I'll say it again: Our next coach is dog shizzle until he proves otherwise. The days of "trust the ol' coach" are long gone. My eyes are wide open, and I'm in "show me" mode. UT has lost the benefit of any and all doubt when it comes to coaching hires. I don't care if they get Saban himself, he's going to have to prove it to me.

That said, we have to give them some time. These may be the worst circumstances any incoming UT coach has ever faced, and it may get worse before it gets better. I wouldn't expect any big time recruits to give us the time of day until we prove something on the field. The standard "three years to turn it around" are off the table at this point. This is a five year rebuild, at best. I would expect to see some upward trajectory by year 3, but we're not competing for titles any time soon.

Judge our coach critically, but at the same time be patient.

[volsboy]

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJJdRUCkXp4. Would we really want Fickell from Cincy? How did that 1st Cincy coach we got turn out?

[volsboy]

Replace the whole staff. I don't care who you like that is there already. Tee Martin? Bye, Bye What did he do for that offensive juggernaut we put on the field? The rest...also See ya.

[JeffCountyVolFan]

This fanbase is going to HAVE to be patient with this hire, imo.

I agree with BDV.

[VinnieVOL]

I feel better about the coaching search than I did yesterday, I'll just say that.

[PirateVOL]

Replace the whole staff. I don't care who you like that is there already. Tee Martin? Bye, Bye What did he do for that offensive juggernaut we put on the field? The rest...also See ya.

Tee is gone, no matter what 1 Feb
old news

[PirateVOL]

One thing I believe, it will not take long
I believe we will have a HFC in place before the end of the month
I also believe it will be an offensive minded coach (that's been White's MO)

[Tnphil]

Watch the name Lance Leipold being mentioned....Current HC at Buffalo. Just putting that out there because Danny White was the AD at Buffalo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Leipold#:~:text=Lance%20O.%20Leipold%20%28born%20May%206%2C%201964%29%20is,eight%20seasons%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Wisconsin%E2%80%93Whitewater%20%28UWW%29.

[volsboy]

Yay...offense. I remember it. But I swear these guys forget how to coach once they get to Knoxville. Hasn't every coach we have hired supposed to have been a good coach and know what he is doing?  What happens to them?

[BanditVol]

Watch the name Lance Leipold being mentioned....Current HC at Buffalo. Just putting that out there because Danny White was the AD at Buffalo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Leipold#:~:text=Lance%20O.%20Leipold%20%28born%20May%206%2C%201964%29%20is,eight%20seasons%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Wisconsin%E2%80%93Whitewater%20%28UWW%29.

That might not be the worst option.

Having read Chris Collinsworth's comments on Malzahn, I am sold that we could do worse.

[Tnphil]

That might not be the worst option.

Having read Chris Collinsworth's comments on Malzahn, I am sold that we could do worse.

What was said about Malzahn? Don't think Steele and Malzahn will work together again for a good while.

[volsboy]

Watch the name Lance Leipold being mentioned....Current HC at Buffalo. Just putting that out there because Danny White was the AD at Buffalo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Leipold#:~:text=Lance%20O.%20Leipold%20%28born%20May%206%2C%201964%29%20is,eight%20seasons%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Wisconsin%E2%80%93Whitewater%20%28UWW%29.

Seen those type of records before. Winning and recruiting in the SEC is different. Does this mean he is an SEC caliber coach or just a friend of the new AD? I have seen what hiring friends can do to a team.

[BanditVol]

I said it when Pruitt was hired and I'll say it again: Our next coach is dog shizzle until he proves otherwise. The days of "trust the ol' coach" are long gone. My eyes are wide open, and I'm in "show me" mode. UT has lost the benefit of any and all doubt when it comes to coaching hires. I don't care if they get Saban himself, he's going to have to prove it to me.

That said, we have to give them some time. These may be the worst circumstances any incoming UT coach has ever faced, and it may get worse before it gets better. I wouldn't expect any big time recruits to give us the time of day until we prove something on the field. The standard "three years to turn it around" are off the table at this point. This is a five year rebuild, at best. I would expect to see some upward trajectory by year 3, but we're not competing for titles any time soon.

Judge our coach critically, but at the same time be patient.

I am making a sea change also. I was one of the biggest critics of Johnny Majors back in the day.  He had his moments, but was incredibly (and inexcusably) inconsistent.  Then the whole "I'm jealous of Fulmer so I'm going to come back too soon and shizzle all over this great season" thing just sealed the deal.  But to continue, long time posters will well recall I was one of strongest critics of Randy Sanders, who initially had a lot of defenders on here (looking back, I didnm't know how much worse it could get).  Which brings us to the Fulmer firing. As I have expressed elsewhere, though there is no doubt Fulmer had slipped several notches, I really didn't like the way it went down. I thought, and still think, that there were too many fans with delusional expectations that weren't around for the very long grinding climb to 1998, which arguably was a 13 year process, if not longer, and that they didn't appreciate that a coaching change is actually very risky, and less likely to succeed than to fail.  But Hamilton caved and the result is the complete cluster fizzle we have today.

Thus after Kiffin left us in the mess, I resolved to give any new coach the full benefit of the doubt. Thus I defended all our coaches longer than most. As I have often said, I was not really defending them, but the program.  To the extent over negativity and delusional expectations have led us into this mess, I think I was justfied in doing so.

However it's time for another sea change.  I am with you BDV, I am not cutting any future coaches any slack whatsoever.  Get it done or get gone.

Ironically you are also correct that more patience is called for due to how low the program (appears to be) sunk.  Those two things are contradictory.  I guess the solution is to be as critical as we want but not call for a change until later than we would.

At any rate, the next coach is going to need some thick skin.  

[volsboy]

What was said about Malzahn? Don't think Steele and Malzahn will work together again for a good while.

http://https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article248602750.html

[volsboy]

I am making a sea change also. I was one of the biggest critics of Johnny Majors back in the day.  He had his moments, but was incredibly (and inexcusably) inconsistent.  Then the whole "I'm jealous of Fulmer so I'm going to come back too soon and shizzle all over this great season" thing just sealed the deal.  But to continue, long time posters will well recall I was one of strongest critics of Randy Sanders, who initially had a lot of defenders on here (looking back, I didnm't know how much worse it could get).  Which brings us to the Fulmer firing. As I have expressed elsewhere, though there is no doubt Fulmer had slipped several notches, I really didn't like the way it went down. I thought, and still think, that there were too many fans with delusional expectations that weren't around for the very long grinding climb to 1998, which arguably was a 13 year process, if not longer, and that they didn't appreciate that a coaching change is actually very risky, and less likely to succeed than to fail.  But Hamilton caved and the result is the complete cluster fizzle we have today.

Thus after Kiffin left us in the mess, I resolved to give any new coach the full benefit of the doubt. Thus I defended all our coaches longer than most. As I have often said, I was not really defending them, but the program.  To the extent over negativity and delusional expectations have led us into this mess, I think I was justfied in doing so.

However it's time for another sea change.  I am with you BDV, I am not cutting any future coaches any slack whatsoever.  Get it done or get gone.

Ironically you are also correct that more patience is called for due to how low the program (appears to be) sunk.  Those two things are contradictory.  I guess the solution is to be as critical as we want but not call for a change until its too late.

At any rate, the next coach is going to need some thick skin. 

Playing in the SEC is the biggest challenge. Especially for a G5 coach. You have to overcome the recruiting the elite in the league do. Then you have to have good coaching. When Bama, UGa and UF are getting Top 5 classes and you are lucky to get Top 20 classes it makes it a challenge. Would the Vols even consider looking at an ex-NFL coach? I just feel most "next big thing" G5 coaches are over their heads right off the bat in coming into the SEC in one aspect or another.  Look at Jones. He had the recruiting down but was lost at coaching them. That's why our 5*'s didn't look like other teams 5*'s. Looking back, Pruitt was about the same.  Plus he sucked at cheating.

[Coupe De VOL]

I guess we will give Phillip Rivers one good year to coach HS ball, and then we will hire him   

All kidding aside, who knows?  Maybe Rivers will become a hot commodity one day, although I don't think his coaching ambitions run that deep.

[PirateVOL]

I guess we will give Phillip Rivers one good year to coach HS ball, and then we will hire him   

All kidding aside, who knows?  Maybe Rivers will become a hot commodity one day, although I don't think his coaching ambitions run that deep.

Not a fan of Rivers, period.Dot.

[Coupe De VOL]

Not a fan of Rivers, period.Dot.

Me neither, really - always seem to rub me the wrong way.  However, he may turn out to be a good coach.  Seems to be a hard worker type. 

[BanditVol]

http://https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article248602750.html

2002 was a long time ago.

But mostly the dumbass writing that article doesn't seem to get what "INTERIM" means.   

[Tnphil]

http://https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article248602750.html

What does that have to do with what Collinsworth said a Malzahn?

[Cobbvol]

Cristobal  - $4.55M salary and $9.0M buyout
Fickell - $3.4M salary and $4.0 buyout
Campbell - $3.7M and $6.0M buyout
Chadwell - $375K salary and $700K buyout
Napier - $1.0M salary and $750K buyout
Clark - $1.5M salary and $750K buyout

Buyouts are probably slightly less with a new contract year.

Edited #'s above

[volsboy]

2002 was a long time ago.

But mostly the dumbass writing that article doesn't seem to get what "INTERIM" means.   

But don't you think it is an easy notion to see him as UT's next head coach. Don't the players opinions still hold water?

[FLVOL]

But don't you think it is an easy notion to see him as UT's next head coach. Don't the players opinions still hold water?

You truly are like a gnat in the ear. While it's always an automatic to scroll past your comments, they continue to be an annoyance without you realizing it much later.

[volsboy]

You truly are like a gnat in the ear. While it's always an automatic to scroll past your comments, they continue to be an annoyance without you realizing it much later.

They give you something to whine about though. So they got that going for them.

[JeffCountyVolFan]

The Grinch hated UT and every UT season.
Why you ask? No one knows the reason.

It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.