Comments on: Dougherty’s Diatribe 9/20/2007 http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/ Tennesse Vols Football, Vols Basketball, Vols Baseball and Lady Vols Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:00:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Jim Lambert http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5781 Jim Lambert Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:53:19 +0000 http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5781 Coach Fulmer is a nice guy and I like him. But, it's time for a change. Since the fall to LSU in the title game of 2001, we have enjoyed a slow decent into mediocrity. Those that that think otherwise are foolish. The time for change should have been after that horrible loss to a team we had beaten earlier in the season. A real house cleaning of coaches and mentality was in order. That's what great minds do when they see a problem. Instead, as normal, Fulmer chose the status quo (and loyalty) and went back to work. Fulmer is a hard worker and motivator. This is something I don’t question. However, he is not and never has been a great thinker or for that matter a great game day coach. The game hasn’t changed but the approach has. Teams are too evenly divided and no one team really has overwhelming talent anymore. In our 90s run, we had superior talent but we never ever had superior coaching. Those that still relish the 1998 NC trophy are stuck in a time warp. Who cares? That's ten years old anyway. It's time UT allows the normal process of selecting a coach take place. Meaning, let's get someone from the outside with zero ties to UT and the trustees. I’m tired of our trustees having a say so in the selection anyway. Who cares if some of them played football or that they give ridiculous amounts of money to the school. This should NOT have a bearing on who our football coach is. I point to the fact that when your coaches (save Cutcliffe) are not heavily recruited to head coach elsewhere, something is seriously wrong. Would Pete Carroll stand for his coaches not being hot commodities? No, he wouldn’t and neither should UT. Your coaches’ value should be in direct comparison with the success of the program. When we were good, how many of our coaches left? Few, very few! This reply may upset some of the faithful, but I’ve been a UT fan since the Bill Battle days. I was 0-5 versus Alabama while in school. I was also in school when the Florida rivalry began with the 45-3 drubbing we gave them in 1990. I remember the days when UT took the field opposing teams (save Florida) worried. This isn’t the case anymore and as long as Fulmer is there it won’t be. Let’s be honest. When UT fans start looking forward to basketball something is wrong and that’s exactly where we are now! Coach Fulmer is a nice guy and I like him. But, it’s time for a change. Since the fall to LSU in the title game of 2001, we have enjoyed a slow decent into mediocrity. Those that that think otherwise are foolish. The time for change should have been after that horrible loss to a team we had beaten earlier in the season. A real house cleaning of coaches and mentality was in order. That’s what great minds do when they see a problem. Instead, as normal, Fulmer chose the status quo (and loyalty) and went back to work. Fulmer is a hard worker and motivator. This is something I don’t question. However, he is not and never has been a great thinker or for that matter a great game day coach. The game hasn’t changed but the approach has. Teams are too evenly divided and no one team really has overwhelming talent anymore. In our 90s run, we had superior talent but we never ever had superior coaching. Those that still relish the 1998 NC trophy are stuck in a time warp. Who cares? That’s ten years old anyway.

It’s time UT allows the normal process of selecting a coach take place. Meaning, let’s get someone from the outside with zero ties to UT and the trustees. I’m tired of our trustees having a say so in the selection anyway. Who cares if some of them played football or that they give ridiculous amounts of money to the school. This should NOT have a bearing on who our football coach is. I point to the fact that when your coaches (save Cutcliffe) are not heavily recruited to head coach elsewhere, something is seriously wrong. Would Pete Carroll stand for his coaches not being hot commodities? No, he wouldn’t and neither should UT. Your coaches’ value should be in direct comparison with the success of the program. When we were good, how many of our coaches left? Few, very few!

This reply may upset some of the faithful, but I’ve been a UT fan since the Bill Battle days. I was 0-5 versus Alabama while in school. I was also in school when the Florida rivalry began with the 45-3 drubbing we gave them in 1990. I remember the days when UT took the field opposing teams (save Florida) worried. This isn’t the case anymore and as long as Fulmer is there it won’t be. Let’s be honest. When UT fans start looking forward to basketball something is wrong and that’s exactly where we are now!

]]> By: matt http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5780 matt Sat, 22 Sep 2007 19:07:50 +0000 http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5780 LSU is no doubt loaded with talent, but don't put it past Les Miles to screw things up. "Should Tenn. go in another direction?" Is there really any debating that Fulmer should go? LSU is no doubt loaded with talent, but don’t put it past Les Miles to screw things up.
“Should Tenn. go in another direction?” Is there really any debating that Fulmer should go?

]]> By: Doug http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5778 Doug Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:29:00 +0000 http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5778 I'm going to have to disagree with you on your take of Notre Dame. The stats DON'T show that Weis is in the same boat as Willingham. I’m going to have to disagree with you on your take of Notre Dame. The stats DON’T show that Weis is in the same boat as Willingham.

]]> By: Lexvol http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5777 Lexvol Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:53:58 +0000 http://www.volnation.com/blog/2007-09-20/dougherty%e2%80%99s-diatribe-9202007/#comment-5777 Thanks Brent. One does get the sense that a shake up on the Hill will soon be a reality. We have seen tremors around this staff before, but from the way the media is treating the situation this year, it looks like the quake is just around the corner. Thanks Brent. One does get the sense that a shake up on the Hill will soon be a reality. We have seen tremors around this staff before, but from the way the media is treating the situation this year, it looks like the quake is just around the corner.

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