I hesitate to even put this one here . . .

[Creek Walker]

Not because these guys trying their best to put out "breaking" information can't be wrong, but because his excuse that Cheek stepped in at the last minute (after the decision had already been made to can Dooley and a time had been set aside to announce it) is just not plausible, which tells me that this guy isn't nearly as "in the know" as he likes to pretend. Anyway . . .

http://feelslike98.com/articles/rumor-mill-the-latest-on-our-coaching-situation--2

Nutshell version: He says that Gruden is still in play. If it doesn't work out, the fallback guys are Charlie Strong and Tommy Tuberville. If neither of them work out, Dooley gets another year.

[Creek Walker]

I don't think it's rooted in fact AT ALL. But, Tubs as a "big name"? LOL. Maybe he's a good coach; maybe Auburn canned him prematurely. But hiring an Auburn retread isn't going to do anything to solve the apathy issue with the fan base.

[VinnieVOL]

Tubs?!   

[VOLveeta]

This all may well be true but it is a disaster for the program for this information to be "out there".  If the situation leads to the "top candidates" not working out and Dooley is "retained", how can Hart honestly expect, in all fairness, Dooley to have a successful recruiting year?  If it literally reaches a point where he's just a lame duck and the guy UT is "stuck with" because the other guys didn't pan out, then I put this mess on Hart and the blabbermouths on the net... what kid who can read is going to say, "I gotta be a part of that!"?

...he said as he blabbered his own mouth.   

[Creek Walker]

This all may well be true but it is a disaster for the program for this information to be "out there".  If the situation leads to the "top candidates" not working out and Dooley is "retained", how can Hart honestly expect, in all fairness, Dooley to have a successful recruiting year?  If it literally reaches a point where he's just a lame duck and the guy UT is "stuck with" because the other guys didn't pan out, then I put this mess on Hart and the blabbermouths on the net... what kid who can read is going to say, "I gotta be a part of that!"?

...he said as he blabbered his own mouth.   

I don't think it's true at all. If it is, Hart is a moron.

[Inspector Vol]

This all may well be true but it is a disaster for the program for this information to be "out there".  If the situation leads to the "top candidates" not working out and Dooley is "retained", how can Hart honestly expect, in all fairness, Dooley to have a successful recruiting year?  If it literally reaches a point where he's just a lame duck and the guy UT is "stuck with" because the other guys didn't pan out, then I put this mess on Hart and the blabbermouths on the net... what kid who can read is going to say, "I gotta be a part of that!"?

...he said as he blabbered his own mouth.  

This. 

[Inspector Vol]

I don't think it's true at all. If it is, Hart is a moron.

Who hired Hart? 

[Creek Walker]

Who hired Hart? 

Our other moron.

[SmokeyJoe]

I can't tell when/"if" anybody is serious on FL98. I know the OP said he doesn't believe it, but I wouldn't believe anything on that site or any other. Too easy to proclaim "inside" info and watch the herd stampede.  Jmho

[SmokeyJoe]

Our other moron.

That is one scary looking dude! Who hired his ass? Lol.

[WoodstockVol]

That is one scary looking dude! Who hired his ass? Lol.

So can He Coach?

[Inspector Vol]

Our other moron.

You may have your answer then.

[Cobbvol]

This all may well be true but it is a disaster for the program for this information to be "out there".  If the situation leads to the "top candidates" not working out and Dooley is "retained", how can Hart honestly expect, in all fairness, Dooley to have a successful recruiting year?  If it literally reaches a point where he's just a lame duck and the guy UT is "stuck with" because the other guys didn't pan out, then I put this mess on Hart and the blabbermouths on the net... what kid who can read is going to say, "I gotta be a part of that!"?

...he said as he blabbered his own mouth.   

Agreed. If it is true, we have much bigger problems than HC Dooley.

[murfvol]

Shoot. Any of us could have made that speculation. Tuberville is a very good coach, but I'm not sure he excites the masses. I go back to my Petrino benchmark for guys like him.

If a guy would win less than Bobby P guaranteed (at least in my mind) I'm lukewarm.

[VinnieVOL]

I've read speculation that Cheek may be out this coming winter.

[murfvol]

I'd be happier if we didn't have such a sorry track record of hiring Presidents. We need to go back to the Joe Johnson model. Hire a smart people guy (admittedly Johnson is very rare in this regard) who loves the university.

[MIAUTIGER]

Tubs?!   

I will come back and taunt you mercilessly should you guys hire Tubs.  I realize I may get banned, but it'll be fun.

By the way, I don't see a snowball chance in Tuscaloosa's chance in that happening.

[Creek Walker]

I've read speculation that Cheek may be out this coming winter.

[Creek Walker]

I will come back and taunt you mercilessly should you guys hire Tubs.  I realize I may get banned, but it'll be fun.

By the way, I don't see a snowball chance in Tuscaloosa's chance in that happening.

Serious question: Would you take Tubs over Chizik? (Feel free to respond with "Would you take Fulmer over Dooley?"  )

[Clockwork Orange]

I'd be happier if we didn't have such a sorry track record of hiring Presidents. We need to go back to the Joe Johnson model. Hire a smart people guy (admittedly Johnson is very rare in this regard) who loves the university.

Being a university Chancellor or system President is considerably different than when Johnson was here. I know it was not that long ago but the political and economic environments have created challenges that simply weren't an issue even 20 years ago. I'm not defending Cheek, as I have heard mixed things about him at work from people who know more about university administration than I do . . . but I know that job is not plug-and-play and demands quite a lot of skill in a number of important arenas. Very few have the chops for it, IMO.

One thing I can tell you is that hiring that position from within is probably a recipe for failure . . . so that may eliminate most people who love the university coming into the job. I say that because there is a culture at UTK that frankly needs eradicating, and promotion from within rarely leads to that result. UT is late getting to the party in several areas when it comes to competition for research funding and student recruitment and performance, and risks falling behind so far that catching up will no longer be a realistic goal. The Top 25 Initiative is not Cheek's alone and I read chastisement on this board about him trying to turn UT into Vandy, but it is a great goal that we should all support. I don't know if Cheek is the man for that challenge but I think as football fans we can lose sight of what the Chancellor's responsibility is.

[VoLynteer]

I'm fine if he wants to compete academically with Vanderbilt....he needs to keep his nose out of the athletic side of things.

[Clockwork Orange]

I'm fine if he wants to compete academically with Vanderbilt....he needs to keep his nose out of the athletic side of things.

You and I both know that he can't do that. His job depends on him finding a proper balance among all things that make UT an attractive and integral part of the state and to improve them all-- and if he seriously downgraded athletics you and I both know he wouldn't keep his job. Even if he doesn't personally appreciate what the programs mean to the university, its alumni, the community, and the state, his job depends on him supporting it anyway. He reports to DiPietro and DiPietro reports to the Board. The Board is peopled largely with alumni who love the university and new trustees would be appointed by Bill Haslam . . . I think we have an idea of where he stands on UT athletics.

It's not in Cheek's interest to throw up roadblocks to athletics.

[MIAUTIGER]

Serious question: Would you take Tubs over Chizik? (Feel free to respond with "Would you take Fulmer over Dooley?"  )

I will preface my comments with this one: I was not in favor of getting rid of Tubs in the first place.  So, yes, I would take Tubs over Chizik. I don't think we would have had the multiple off-the-field issues over the last 12-15 months that, I think, has contributed to the piss-poor attitdue on the team, and would have continued to keep the good ol boy network, complete with Pat Dye's meddling.

[VinnieVOL]

You and I both know that he can't do that. His job depends on him finding a proper balance among all things that make UT an attractive and integral part of the state and to improve them all-- and if he seriously downgraded athletics you and I both know he wouldn't keep his job. Even if he doesn't personally appreciate what the programs mean to the university, its alumni, the community, and the state, his job depends on him supporting it anyway. He reports to DiPietro and DiPietro reports to the Board. The Board is peopled largely with alumni who love the university and new trustees would be appointed by Bill Haslam . . . I think we have an idea of where he stands on UT athletics.

It's not in Cheek's interest to throw up roadblocks to athletics.

I was hoping you'd weigh in from a University perspective.

Good points.

[murfvol]

I will throw out the following on academics (a massive bunny trail). Please send this to the political forum or delete it if it is out of place.

Do taxpayers get a greater return on their investment by getting more research funding? I realize there is greater academic prestige, but does that equate to students getting a better education? I say this as someone who worked in a center for research for four years. There were some super bright people there, but it helped students and taxpayers not one iota - and it was at least in a practical field, not 13th Century Lowland Germanic Studies or something.  

This is why I favor the Joe Johnson model, BUT I am very wary of academic inbreeding. That's a major problem at most universities.