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...about contacts already having been made in the coaching search, do you believe them or Hart's assertions?  Since he mentioned "back channeling," that would seem to suggest that to date there have been no contacts, even through intermediaries.  I still think a lot of the rumors were nothing more than wishful thinking.  I also believe that even if he has not been contacted, Gruden will seriously consider all of his options, to include the possibility of contacting or being contacted by UT about the job.

"I think when you have done it several times you know how to do it and how to go about that process.  I think every athletics director in America and every one that I know, you have a list of people.  That list changes because you don't know when you will be in a coaching search.  Heaven forbid, it could be a tragedy.  You don't know what could happen.  How many of those names at the end of the day will get traction, that remains to be seen.  I have not begun that and I will begin that in earnest now.  I think there is a right and wrong way to do everything in life.  This is how I have always done it.  I have contacted no one, back channeled no one.  I think that is fair to the current head coach.  Do I have a plan?  I do.  Those conversations have not begun."

If Dave Hart has contacted no one he should have fired himself at the press conference today too. He should have done everything but interview any current coaches.

I agree He should have been sending out feelers

I disagree.  It's like he said, he has a list, but most if not all of those coaches will not accept any contact yet anyway.  They want to finish their seasons.  If he starts now, how has he lost any real time?  I haven't seen any of the coaches mentioned as possibilities take anything else yet, so they are all still in play (assuming they are on his list).  How is contacting them now a negative compared to contacting them a couple weeks ago?  I think he is doing things right if he is being honest about how he is handling it.  I have much more confidence in his search after seeing the press conference.

If a group of boosters have contacted anyone, they have probably done that on their own and not with input from Hart.  If Hart has not directed anyone or has not been told, then he has plausible deniability.  If you take Hart at his word, he has not started to look, he has a plan, he does not plan on using a search firm, and he plans on doing it his way.

All the rumors of Gruden being contacted look like rumors only and not fact.  Now has a booster or member of the Athletics Board talked to Gruden's agent.  Could be. Who can say.  It looks like all the reliable sources stating Gruden is immentent were off base.

This is going to be a real interesting 3-4 weeks.  Just when is the last Monday Night Football game?

Why?  What would that have accomplished that cannot be accomplished today?  If they would have been interested two weeks ago, why would they not be interested today?

But if he's targeting Gary Patterson (only an example) he should have gotten some working numbers from Patterson's agent AND done major background checks. My guess is he's done so.

I'm just concerned when somebody says that,they don't have all their ducks in a row

I liked his answer about how he would handle the opinions of boosters/fans regarding the coaching search: "Respectfully.  That is part of the passion.  People should have an opinion.  I know I have a job to do.  I have a level of expertise and level of information that no one else has."

I think he addressed that during his press conference, but I doubt numbers are even a consideration at this point until he makes contact and sees if there is interest.  I'd bet he has done his homework on his list already.  I don't think working numbers from any prospective coach are relevant right now, unless he has an absolute outside limit.  And, exisitng contract terms are pretty easy to obtain, especially at state schools, so baseline information is probably available.

"I think when you have done it several times you know how to do it and how to go about that process.  I think every athletics director in America and every one that I know, you have a list of people.  That list changes because you don't know when you will be in a coaching search. Heaven forbid, it could be a tragedy.  You don't know what could happen.  How many of those names at the end of the day will get traction, that remains to be seen."

People talk about "coach speak" all the time. Today's presser was largely "AD speak." I think it can be easily assumed that the first feelers were put out quite some time ago and the mega boosters will have their say in the process. Anything else is a disconnect from the reality of the way these things work.

Another point: there are now multiple people (and people not connected with UT or any other college program) reporting that Gruden is in the process of putting out his own feelers to potential assistant coaches. In no way does that mean that he is definitely going to be a college coach next year, but why would he do that if he wasn't aware that his services were going to be requested somewhere?

He sure sounded like he did to me.  He always keeps "a list of people" (potential coaches) that he apparently updates regularly, "That list changes because you don't know when you will be in a coaching search."

Color me out of touch with reality then.  I see a difference between "AD speak" and being willing to flat out lie.  If he put out feelers before today, then he lied during the press conference.  He could have avoided that possibility by not mentioning that there had been no back channeling.  I would believe that perhaps boosters made contacts on their own, but he sure seemed to squash the effectiveness of that method during the press conference too.  I get the distinct impression that he prides himself on doing things his way.

Hart - "I have contacted no one, back channeled no one."

I like the way Hart has handled this entire situation.  It's a very nice contrast to what I saw as the spinelessness of Hamilton and I hope the search goes well and we get a good coach that returns us to winning.

He is talking in semantics. He has not reached out to anybody. Boosters have.

Yep.

Perhaps, but if they have, I do not think they (the boosters) have had any contact with him.  And, if they have, that is back channeling IMO.  Anyway, he seemed to dismiss the booster involvment out of hand during the press conference, or at least the effectiveness of anything like that.  I believe he already has his wish list in hand and will start working it hard today.

How is that not back channeling, assuming he has had contact with those boosters?  Perhaps I misuderstood, but he sure seemed to squash the booster concept during the press conference.

I do not think he is being honest.

Ok, then that has it's own set of concerns.  The way he reacted to the questions about fans/boosters makes me think that he does not want their involvement.  After seeing the press conference, I get the feeling that he has a very specific search plan and has complete confidence in it and himself.  I just hope he gets a good coach onboard.  Regardless, if he lied, I hope he gets canned.

It doesn't matter to me.

As Revolver said, semantics.  If he, as AD, were to personally reach out to someone before the position is even officially open, he loses all credibility.  He has people to insulate him from such shenanigans, and maintain plausible deniability.  But someone has almost certainly reached out to at least gauge some candidates' interest.  What do they gain by jumping the gun, you ask?  They hopefully beat Arkansas and Auburn (and maybe Texas and USC) to the punch.  Because you know that those programs' wish lists will have a lot in common with ours.  

At least that's what I believe to be going on. :dunno:

It may be possible that when Hart says "I have not contacted....anyone", that does not preclude something like one of his assistants letting certain agents know that certain coaches are on his "list".  That could well have happened, and not made a liar of him.

But whatever...these details do not matter to me.  What is crystal clear is that he hasn't even begun to make a selection yet, and I am okay with that.

I am certain, whatever the semantics of contacting or not contacting anyone, that he has been thinking about it probably since he set foot on campus, and definitely since we lost to Kentucky and shed 7 of 9 assistants.

So to be clear, he is VERY WELL prepared.  IMO.

But that is the defintiion of using a back channel.  Maybe he lied about it, but why?  You use a back channel to insulate yourself, so if you did it, why mention that you have "back channeled no one"?  Heck, just stop at "I have contacted no one."


Eh.  Even if Arkansas, Auburn, Texas and USC have contacted people first, does the order of contact really matter?  They either will have interest or they won't.  I just don't see the need, especially since most/all of the names being thrown around are all still in play.  Even if they have unwritten "agreements" in place, those are worth the paper they are printed on.  :wink:  I think Hart is doing it right and will get one of his top 5 choices (whoever they happen to be).

That is not the quote I used and liked.  It was, "I have . . . back channeled no one."  Again, what you mention makes sense, but that would be back channeling.  Like ReVOLver, I guess that does not matter to many/most people.  As a double graduate and donor/booster, it matters to me.  I prefer that the people who work for my university using my money at least be honest.  I'll drop it now.  I will take him at his word, and I still think the rumors to date have been based on very little in the way of fact (if any fact at all) regardless of who ends up being the head coach (even Gruden, who I think will contact or be contacted by the UTAD).

I don't think there is any doubt that boosters have approached Gruden. The question is, whether Hart knows about it. I find it very questionable that he wouldn't.

Well he said both...exact quote is "I have contacted no one, back channeled no one".   Contacting someone's agent and letting them know you might be interested is not back-channeling to me.  Back-channeling is contacting the coach himself indirectly.  But ICBW.  You're the attorney, not me.   :biggrin:

As I said, it really doesn't matter to me.

I agree 100% on the rumors.  Never gave them much credibility.

From what I have seen, I really like the way Hart has handled this entire situation, and I have confidence that he will get a good coach.  I guess we will see.

Perhaps.  Maybe he heard about it on internet message boards.  :wink:  I just get the impression that he would take booster involvement and suggestions with a very "respectful" but dismissive smile.  He can please the big-time boosters, and continue getting thier money, not by doing their bidding but by hiring a successful head coach.  All that other stuff then falls into place. 

I think it's very possible that many rumors that we've read are true but that the boosters are the one trying to structure deals and Hart won't cowtow to boosters. HOWEVER, Hart is going to need a lot of booster money to make this hire. He now owes Dooley $5 million and he's going to have to overpay to get a great coach.

Back channeling is any process other than direct contact in my mind, i.e., any unofficial, secret, or informal channel of communication, and I think that is exactly what he was trying to say he had not done.  If my assistant contacts your agent, not even you, to me that still constitutes back channeling.  It's irrelevant though.  I was using the language to see if people still believed the rumors. I guess some still do and believe that back channeling always occurs and is even necessary.  I don't.  So be it.

The booster money will be there regardless IMO.  It always has been, since they support the university, and I do not think Hart's hire will change that.  Perhaps they'd donate more for someone they really want, but ultimately I don't think the money will be an issue.  They have a pretty well known revenue stream to work with.

Well, they do have a stream, but one of the things that has been publicized is that the University's athletic reserve is depleted. So, they may have to solicit donations for the specific purpose of making a hire.

Hart addressed part of that today also.  I guess direct soliciatation of donations, which is always done, will be part of the strategies.  I really don't think money will be an issue, either short term or long term.  I also do not think Hart/Cheek will over pay to get a great coach.  I think they will negotiate a legitimate market rate, and can pay that.

"We have invested heavily, the athletic department has invested heavily in the university and we should.  Now the Chancellor is committed to taking some of that investment of athletic generated revenues and investing some of it back in athletics to help us stabilize financially.  Because that is what we need short term.  When we get into the new television contracts, Chancellor Cheek thinks that those new revenues will come through athletics but that is a couple years down the road, and there are a lot of strategies in place that we have to implement to get where we want to go."

Based on the state of the Tennessee job, I think to get the coach they want they will have to overpay a bit. Unfortunately, Tennessee is a bottom half of the SEC job and a still a rebuilding project. If they pay market value, they will get another Derek Dooley / Lane Kiffin type.

I meant market rate based on the specific candidate.  That will obviously be a different amount for each candidate and could be quite high for the right guy.  They did not have to get a Lane Kiffin or Derek Dooley the last two times, and I do not think it was a money issue.  It was a Hamilton issue.

Well... you are partly right. But the guy that Hamilton wanted both times, Will Muschamp, turned him down... both times. Had Hamilton been willing to overpay, he might've gotten his guy. But, they could've had Gary Patterson the first time for what they were offering, and probably Brian Kelly as well so that's why I say you were partly right.

My overriding point is that the Tennessee job is viewed as a middle of the road BCS job with expectations that may be out of bounds. Part of that is Hamilton's fault for sure.

I think Hart can sell the job better than Hamilton could.  At least I got that impression from the press conference.  Hopefully that will hold true.

Agreed.