VTTW Board Index

Basilio and Hyams are both now saying that Cheek won't interfere with Dooley's termination. I don't know what that's worth because I never really accepted either of their accounts of Cheek's involvement as gospel to start with. But . . .

Btw, Basilio's source says the short list includes Mullen, Strong and Petrino.

Petrino would win immediately, no doubt. But this guy has caused a train wreck everywhere he has gone. Do not want.

Strong, I like.

I'm not sure Mullen would leave Mississippi State for Tennessee, and I'm not impressed with him anyway. I know everyone was salivating over MSU being a ranked team. I had a MissSt buddy tell me when UT was playing them that I shouldn't feel bad because UT was getting beat by a top 10 team. I laughed at him and said that MSU isn't even a top 25 team...their ranking was due to their incredibly weak schedule. Now that they have started to play good teams, they're getting exposed. Big time.

Strong sounds like the Candidate to Me! :dude: Petrino's teams have never been in trouble with the NCAA,but You either love or hate Petrino.

Saw this on Basilio's site... :dielaughing:

(http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g308/ut9099/LoneNut/Dooley-Fiddles.jpg)

Strong is the only one of those I would consider.  And even he wouldn't be at the top of my list.  My feelings on Petrino are well known.  And with the NCAA investigating MSU, Mullen might soon be radioactive.

I would rather have Strong than an untried assistant like Kirby Smart.

If it isn't Strong then just keep Dooley.  :bawl:

Same here. If that list is the best we can come up with . . . if Gruden truly isn't coming and we can't lure Strong away from Louisville, heck, let's just stick with Dooley. If that's the best list we can come up with after all this talk about throwing ungodly amounts of money at a candidate, we're screwed anyway.

Gus Mahlzan or Oregon State Coach Mike Riley would be a couple of guys to talk to if Charlie Strong turns Tennessee down.

I would take Strong, but feel he might need a couple more years as a HC under his belt. If we can't get Gruden, I'd love to have Chip Kelly(I know, he's probably not going anywhere but maybe the pros, but who knows shoot for the moon?). Oregon has become my favorite team to watch. Gary Patterson would be fantastic as well, great job at TCU.

I agree about Petrino.  Also agree that MSU was overated.  They played no one before us, and our defensive problems mean our game didn't count for much.  They lose again this weekend, but have a decent chance to sweep Arkansas and Ole Miss to close the season, though I think a split is about as likely.  But if they sweep the last two games, they may still barely make the top 25.

I was high on Mullen earlier, but not so sure now.  I do think he would leave MSU.  I would still, as a proven college coach, rate him above a former NFL coach.   At the same time, I am not sure quite what to make of his time at MSU - he greatly improved the product, but they are still a long way from the top tier, and...sadly....their recent recruiting is about even with what Dooley has done, maybe a bit worse, but not by much.  The NCAA mess might be just enough for him to not be an option.

Kelly would be a fool to leave Oregon for Tennessee, but I'd take him in a heartbeat. Until the last couple of years, Oregon was just a team with an exciting offense. Now that Kelly is starting to understand the importance of defense, Oregon has a chance to be a juggernaut in the West. Especially if Kiffin doesn't work out and USC has go to through a cycle similar to Tennessee and Alabama in order to find their guy. If that happens, Oregon vs. the SEC might become a commonplace BCSNCG.

Would You take Chuck Mahlzan of Tulsa or Sonny Dykes of Louisiana Tech if all the big names turn Tennessee down(I don't think Tennessee will get many turndowns)?

Since I don't contribute six figures to the university each year, I'll have to take whoever they tell me to take. But I won't like it. If it is going to be Malzahn or Dykes, I say stick with Dooley for one more year.

That was a worst case situation,I think Tennessee can snag a big name Guy! :wave:

That reminds me, have you seen this guy on youtube? The guy is a USC fan who absolutely hates Kiffin and his Dad, it's hilarious. Be warned the language ain't good.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVNPIwlrcOU

Maybe. These guys with their ear to the ground keep returning the same short list of names, though. It isn't a list that impresses me...but these same guys told us Gruden was coming to Tennessee, before they told us he wasn't.

Agreed...this is what I posted on another site....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2009 Mississippi State 5–7 3–5 T–4th (West) 
2010 Mississippi State 9–4 4–4 5th (West) 
2011 Mississippi State 7–6 2–6 5th (West) 

His first year at State was 2009 and they finished tied for 4th.  The previous two years he has been fifth in the west.  He has 4 cupcake non-conference games a year, plus UK as their permanent opponent in the East, and Ole Miss has been horrible since his tenue at State.  So, he has 6 wins already built in every single year.  The man has beaten one top 25 team in his tenue at State, has a head coaching record of 28-19 as of right now, and a 12 - 17 record in SEC play.  How is this such an upgrade from what we have right now?

If I were the People in charge at UT,I'd talk to Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy(He's a good Coach,Who's done a good job)also.

He's also a man. He's 40.

OSU is a tough place to win at considering how big Oklahoma and Texas are there. He gets My respect for winning year after year with the competition They have! :wave:

The thing about OSU is that T Boone Pickens has donated $100 million to them, just like Phil Knight (I think?  Nike guy) has donated tons of money to Oregon.  Although OSU has nowhere near the tradition that UT has, right now they are a better program than us, and he is deep into building their program.   I doubt he would leave OSU for anywhere, to be honest.  Maybe USC if Kiffin gets fired, but I would be willing to bet that T Boone is happy with the progress at OSU and would pony up a bit to keep him there.

I mean, if you spend $100 million on a freaking college football team, what's a couple more million a year to keep Gundy.   :crazy:

But yeah, Gundy is A MAN!  Who is FORTY YEARS OLD!   (or was....)    :dielaughing:

Strong says he will not leave Louisville, and Tom Jurich will not let Strong leave Louisville. 

I will believe that if we offer him and if he turns us down.  Remember, Saban wasn't going to be the next coach at Bama either.  It isn't like Strong is going to come out to the media and say he hates Louisville and is going to leave the first chance he gets.  And Jurich isn't going to say their cap of paying their football coach is X.

Believe it, he would leave! $$$$$$$$

This is true. A lot of these quotes about so-and-so isn't leaving such-and-such place are spawned from media questions asking directly whether he's leaving. Of course he's going to say no. There is no other acceptable answer. Maybe he's Louisville for life. Maybe he ain't. I don't think you can assess that based on a sound byte. Jurich's comments about not letting Strong get away are all well and good, and he may be sincere about making Strong the highest-paid football coach in America, but does he have the support of the guys over his head? When it comes to money, athletic directors are merely pawns in a game that is much bigger than they are. Besides, there's more to football than just money. If Strong believes he's got what it takes to succeed at Tennessee (and I've never seen a coach at any level without a healthy ego), he would be crazy to stay at Louisville and turn down an opportunity to jump to a big-time SEC program. Maybe he feels like he owes Louisville something for giving him his shot, much like Pearl felt indebted to Tennessee. If that's the case, he might stay there another year or two or three. Make him an offer and see what he says.

Just the opposite, Tom Jurich has publicly stated that he will make Charlie Strong the highest paid coach in college football if that is what it takes.  $$$$$ will not matter.  If you know any Jurich history, you can take that as gospel.  Charlie Strong is not Nick Saban.  He is, as is Pitino, intensely loyal to Jurich, not just as an AD but as a friend.  Charlie Strong will not be the next coach at Tennessee.

Jurich absolutely has the support of all above, and he has the bucks, reserve as well as donations.  The only thing that will move Charlie Strong would be your second point, he just wants to get to SEC level.  That might happen down the road, but not this year.  I would bet my house and both dogs that Charlie will not come to Tennessee.

Whether he would come or not, I would take Strong in a heartbeat.

Also I tried to tell everyone that Petrino's name was going to come up. With Gruden fading out of the picture, expect it to get a lot more play, too.

I forgot about that.  But in spite of what Jurich says, Strong has to recognize that Tennessee is way better than Louisville.