Ahem

[ReVOLver]

[VoLynteer]

Yes...I prefer Strong. 

[WoodstockVol]

I'd like Charlie to be the next UT Coach also

[VOLMAN]

favorite...he was an excellent DC with Fla and SC, he showed well at Louisville, he knows the SEC and has good recruiting connections and seems like an all-around good guy as far as I know.

[tnflower]

He was my husband's first pick, even over Gruden.  

[UTnbama]

 I'm just not yet totally sold on Strong. He may be a great HC or he may wind up being in over his head here. The sample size just seems too small. I think he is an excellent DC, but head coach experence is really short to be anywhere near "sure" about. I would feel better had he a longer track record as a HC, say something like 6 / 7 years at one place or 3 / 4 at more than one. Then he would have done it with different players and over a nice period of time.  Of course I'll be a fervent supporter of whomever our new HC turns out to be.

[ReVOLver]

I'm just not yet totally sold on Strong. He may be a great HC or he may wind up being in over his head here. The sample size just seems too small. I think he is an excellent DC, but head coach experence is really short to be anywhere near "sure" about. I would feel better had he a longer track record as a HC, say something like 6 / 7 years at one place or 3 / 4 at more than one. Then he would have done it with different players and over a nice period of time.  Of course I'll be a fervent supporter of whomever our new HC turns out to be.

The problem with this view is that there is not a candidate on the board who has a long track record of success as a head coach. We've moved past that.

[Volznut]

The problem with this view is that there is not a candidate on the board who has a long track record of success as a head coach. We've moved past that.

depends on what you mean by long. Gundy's coached for 8 years and he's had pretty good success, even been named COY. Probably the most experienced of the guys we are in play for unless you count Gruden

[ReVOLver]

depends on what you mean by long. Gundy's coached for 8 years and he's had pretty good success, even been named COY. Probably the most experienced of the guys we are in play for unless you count Gruden

He had 2 really good years out of 8. To me Strong's SEC recruiting experience is more important than that.

I predict if we hire Gundy he will never win more than 8 games at Tennessee. If that's what we are happy with, great.

[Black Diamond Vol]

He had 2 really good years out of 8. To me Strong's SEC recruiting experience is more important than that.

I predict if we hire Gundy he will never win more than 8 games at Tennessee. If that's what we are happy with, great.

I wouldn't be thrilled with either, but of the two I'd want Gundy.  SEC recruiting experience is overrated.  As I said last night, Dooley was Saban's recruiting coordinator at LSU, and we see how that turned out in Knoxville.  And anyway, Gundy has successfully recruited in this area.  He signed a blue chip WR  from around here that UT wanted a couple years ago (I can't remember his name). 

Of the names currently being tossed around, I think I'd prefer Mora.  And I'm slowly warming to Fedora. 

[Clockwork Orange]

And I'm slowly warming to Fedora. 

Me too. To the point where I think I prefer him over Strong.

[101stDad]

On Gundy and recruiting, I think some are overlooking the fact that he was at OSU, and not OU.  OSU is definitely second fiddle, and by a mile, in his state.  Yet he was still able to recruit pretty well to Stillwater (ever been to Stillwater?  Think Starkeville) and he was able to coach up the talent he did bring in.  

I'd be fine with either Gundy or Strong, and honestly, I might lean a little towards Gundy at this point.  

And on the Gruden thing, that ship has long since sailed.  Got to move on.  

[ReVOLver]

I wouldn't be thrilled with either, but of the two I'd want Gundy.  SEC recruiting experience is overrated.  As I said last night, Dooley was Saban's recruiting coordinator at LSU, and we see how that turned out in Knoxville.  And anyway, Gundy has successfully recruited in this area.  He signed a blue chip WR  from around here that UT wanted a couple years ago (I can't remember his name). 

Of the names currently being tossed around, I think I'd prefer Mora.  And I'm slowly warming to Fedora. 

I just cannot agree that SEC recruiting experience is overrated.

In the end, I don't know who would be successful and I will make my best attempt to support whoever, but I think Fedora would be a mistake. The team he left behind in Hattiesburg went 0-12. That scares me.

[Volznut]

On Gundy and recruiting, I think some are overlooking the fact that he was at OSU, and not OU.  OSU is definitely second fiddle, and by a mile, in his state.  Yet he was still able to recruit pretty well to Stillwater (ever been to Stillwater?  Think Starkeville) and he was able to coach up the talent he did bring in.  

I'd be fine with either Gundy or Strong, and honestly, I might lean a little towards Gundy at this point.  

And on the Gruden thing, that ship has long since sailed.  Got to move on.  

True but if you look carefully he was able to get some recruits that would never qualify academically at UT, like Dez bryant. If he were hired, the key to his success would be who he hires as his assistants. Would have to be guys with southern ties

[VoLynteer]

I just cannot agree that SEC recruiting experience is overrated.

In the end, I don't know who would be successful and I will make my best attempt to support whoever, but I think Fedora would be a mistake. The team he left behind in Hattiesburg went 0-12. That scares me.

Maybe it's because he left. (??)

[ReVOLver]

I wouldn't be thrilled with either, but of the two I'd want Gundy.  SEC recruiting experience is overrated.  As I said last night, Dooley was Saban's recruiting coordinator at LSU, and we see how that turned out in Knoxville.  And anyway, Gundy has successfully recruited in this area.  He signed a blue chip WR  from around here that UT wanted a couple years ago (I can't remember his name). 

Of the names currently being tossed around, I think I'd prefer Mora.  And I'm slowly warming to Fedora. 

As far as Dooley being Saban's recruiting coordinator, the recruiting coordinator title meant nothing in the Saban regime anyway. Also I think that was for one or two years and he got demoted.

[101stDad]

True but if you look carefully he was able to get some recruits that would never qualify academically at UT, like Dez bryant.

As were the other Big 12 schools.  So was Strong at UofL.  

Unless we hire Mullen, or a coach from an "academic" school, whoever comes in is going to have to adjust to the SEC qualifications that are over and above the NCAA Clearinghouse minimums.  That's not a real factor.  

[Black Diamond Vol]

As far as Dooley being Saban's recruiting coordinator, the recruiting coordinator title meant nothing in the Saban regime anyway. Also I think that was for one or two years and he got demoted.

Okay, let's look at it from the other side.  Saban, Meyer, Miles- those are three guys who came into the league from other regions with no SEC experience, and they recruited the lights out from day one.  It can be done.  In our case, we don't have the local talent base that those guys did, so our guy will have to be careful in picking his staff.  But the lack of SEC recruiting experience still should not eliminate anyone as a candidate.

[ReVOLver]

Okay, let's look at it from the other side.  Saban, Meyer, Miles- those are three guys who came into the league from other regions with no SEC experience, and they recruited the lights out from day one.  It can be done.  In our case, we don't have the local talent base that those guys did, so our guy will have to be careful in picking his staff.  But the lack of SEC recruiting experience still should not eliminate anyone as a candidate.

I'm not saying it eliminates a candidate, I'm saying that it makes one preferential over the other.

Also Saban and Meyer aren't good examples because SEC recruiting is what it is because those two guys redefined it. So you can say that they have SEC recruiting experience because they changed the game. Miles I will grant you, but he lives in a talent rich state.

I think it's doubly important at Tennessee and much more important than X's and O's.

[BanditVol]

As I said last night, Dooley was Saban's recruiting coordinator at LSU, and we see how that turned out in Knoxville. 

Let's not overthink anything - at all - associated with Dooley. 

Speaking of which, Saban didnt' really recruit that well at LSU anyway...compared to his current success at Bammer.  I think he was no. 1 once and in the top five a couple times, otherwise nothing that remarkable.

Which leads to the 100th or so iteration of my observation about bammer's recent recruiting success....no. 1 4 of the last 5 years....as being completely unreal.