Dave Hart, The Comeback Kid

[therealitytheory]

Two dozen thread titles bash "Bama Dave" - the Krypt-keeper looks, not being a true VFL, whiffed on Gruden, blindsided by Cuonzo. The man who'll forever require security to keep some Lady Vol toughs (heh) from tearing him to shreds. And when the anvil finally fell for Donnie Knoxville, you seemingly couldn't find anyone anywhere with a decent word for AD Hart. Mostly, the words weren't fit for young ears.

So I propose that the Fire Dave Hart folks were premature, and the reasons go well beyond the afternoon press conference introducing one of the biggest hires in the history of UT athletics. Consider:

Hart hired Butch Jones and has the football program pointed on an upward trajectory that is gaining national attention. That alone gives him sustainability.

Hart stopped the "Buyout U" rot that will forever be synonymous with Mike Hamilton. The Cal Bears paid us for Cuonzo Martin. Tyndall already cashed his last UT check.

Hart got a reprieve from gifting the university 5-6 million annually from the athletic budget and is repairing the fiscal damage he inherited.

So I say "attaboy Dave." You faced the firing squad last Friday with grace....now go have a moment in the sun when you introduce Coach Rick Barnes.

 

[lilesrt]

I agree. Even before the Rick Barnes hire I was impressed with the job Dave Hart has done. One thing is for certain, Tennessee definitely upgraded with this new hire.

 

[J.Lambert]

Two dozen thread titles bash "Bama Dave" - the Krypt-keeper looks, not being a true VFL, whiffed on Gruden, blindsided by Cuonzo. The man who'll forever require security to keep some Lady Vol butches from tearing him to shreds. And when the anvil finally fell for Donnie Knoxville, you seemingly couldn't find anyone anywhere with a decent word for AD Hart. Mostly, the words weren't fit for young ears.

So I propose that the Fire Dave Hart folks were premature, and the reasons go well beyond the afternoon press conference introducing one of the biggest hires in the history of UT athletics. Consider:

Hart hired Butch Jones and has the football program pointed on an upward trajectory that is gaining national attention. That alone gives him sustainability.

Hart stopped the "Buyout U" rot that will forever be synonymous with Mike Hamilton. The Cal Bears paid us for Cuonzo Martin. Tyndall already cashed his last UT check.

Hart got a reprieve from gifting the university 5-6 million annually from the athletic budget and is repairing the fiscal damage he inherited.

So I say "attaboy Dave." You faced the firing squad last Friday with grace....now go have a moment in the sun when you introduce Coach Rick Barnes.

Well said!:good!:

 

[BigBadVol]

Good job expressing what most of us feel. It's just the few "I'm the greatest of all time crowd" that can't be happy with anything. DH deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the job he has done since he took over the athletic dept..:good!:

 

[JP_UT_O&W]

lady vol butches?

smh

While i agree that he has done a good job with most things, his decision to kill the lady vol brand outside of the women's basketball team was not wise. And the fact he backed it up with a claim that athletes and coaches supported it was a flat out lie. Bad mark on an otherwise mostly clean record.

 

[MaTaLa]

Can't help but think that we only get up 'n comers or fired coaches in the twilight of their career.

Butch has certainly worked out, so far but I guess the money needed to steal someone away from a successful program just isn't there or they don't want to spend it.

CRB has had storied career and may have us in the FF next year but I still got that 'we're settling for good enough'...good enough to maybe let AD keep his job.

But, I hope CRB makes me embarrassed to remember I made this post.

 

[SmokinBob]

I agree with your post with two exceptions:
1) You forgot to mention the academic improvements in the football program
2) Lady Vol Butches? I'm very disappointed to see a fellow Vol Fan insult all the supporters of the Lady Vols - the term "Butches" was meant in a derogatory and dismissive manner in your post. Do you truly believe that all those Vol fans supporting our men's AND women's programs are somehow contemptible?

 

[therealitytheory]

lady vol butches?

smh

While i agree that he has done a good job with most things, his decision to kill the lady vol brand outside of the women's basketball team was not wise. And the fact he backed it up with a claim that athletes and coaches supported it was a flat out lie. Bad mark on an otherwise mostly clean record.

Didn't mean to offend with " some butches" - it was said in the same lighthearted vein as "whiffed on Gruden."

Universities have backed away from using "Lady" for the last 20-30 years. Surely you with your heightened sensibilities understand their reasoning.

 

[Stoked]

Who cares about the Lady Vols situatuon? I don't. Are they LVFL's? No the are V(ols)ForLife. Just my 2 cents.

 

[HardKnoxVol]

Who cares about the Lady Vols situatuon? I don't. Are they LVFL's? No the are V(ols)ForLife. Just my 2 cents.

Exactly. Who gives a crap about if they are called the Lady Vols. There is nothing wrong with being called the Volunteers. Is there a difference now in Lady Vol For Life and Vol For Life? People get so worked up about stupid things like this. The same people who say this crap are the ones who want Pat, Bruce, and Phil back.

 

[therealitytheory]

I agree with your post with two exceptions:
1) You forgot to mention the academic improvements in the football program
2) Lady Vol Butches? I'm very disappointed to see a fellow Vol Fan insult all the supporters of the Lady Vols - the term "Butches" was meant in a derogatory and dismissive manner in your post. Do you truly believe that all those Vol fans supporting our men's AND women's programs are somehow contemptible?

Bob, I should have mentioned the improved academic performance, some of it historic. Good call.

I knew the "some butches" was inflammatory and I apologize to you. The constant harping from a cadre of LV supporters here and in the daily paper has taken it's toll on me apparently...especially the threats of withholding support. Are we not all Volunteers at the end of the day?

 

[Daloth]

lady vol butches?

smh

While i agree that he has done a good job with most things, his decision to kill the lady vol brand outside of the women's basketball team was not wise. And the fact he backed it up with a claim that athletes and coaches supported it was a flat out lie. Bad mark on an otherwise mostly clean record.

If this is the worst thing you can find about an AD, then we have the best AD in the country.

 

[Hursedrivr]

Curiosity....when does the lady vol logo officially go away for nonbasketball women's sports. I watched a little bit of the softball game last night and saw it on the coaches clothing and on the batting helmets.

 

[ttocswob]

Yet, Hart is sabotaging the program, and he did go to Alabama.

Any correlation between these two facts is irrelevant. Hart must go.

My post from the other thread.

I just could not conceive of Hart hiring a coach of Rick Barnes' caliber. This is the first coaching hire that didn't leave me scratching my head and saying, "Coach WHO?"

I'm ready and willing to eat those words. Welcome CRB, and pass the salt, please.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Curiosity....when does the lady vol logo officially go away for nonbasketball women's sports. I watched a little bit of the softball game last night and saw it on the coaches clothing and on the batting helmets.

I don't think Nike starts until 7/1

 

[SmokinBob]

Bob, I should have mentioned the improved academic performance, some of it historic. Good call.

I knew the "some butches" was inflammatory and I apologize to you. The constant harping from a cadre of LV supporters here and in the daily paper has taken it's toll on me apparently...especially the threats of withholding support. Are we not all Volunteers at the end of the day?

We are all Volunteers at the end of the day - many have a favorite sport but we are all Vols. Apology appreciated and accepted. :hi:

 

[TNHopeful505]

I still don't have a solid opinion on Hart.

Yes, Butch has worked out so far. But it was a well known fact that Butch wasn't the first choice for that job, and came only after rejections. Tyndall may have been a good hire, had this NCAA stuff not happened. That was a shot to Dave's credibility for not looking into that further. This hire, if news would have came out that Barnes was interested and wanted the job, and Hart didn't get it done, it would have destroyed him.

Barnes was the obvious choice, given the state of our program, and those people available.

I don't really care about the Lady Vols situation, or anything like that. I'm not sure that anything Dave has done has been anything that he has "made" happen, but things that just fell into his lap and saved his butt.

JMO, of course.

 

[Air_Force_Vol27]

Curiosity....when does the lady vol logo officially go away for nonbasketball women's sports. I watched a little bit of the softball game last night and saw it on the coaches clothing and on the batting helmets.

When we switch to Nike is my guess seeing as we will get all new stuff.

 

[Sandvol]

He has a guardian angel that's for damn sure or more lives than a damn cat.

 

[FiremedicVOL127]

It's nice to have a AD that knows what he's doin........he got his man, this IMO was Harts top priority for UT basketball and I honestly think this was in the works prior to him being let go at Texas. Good job Mr. Hart great hire, great rebound.

Everybody knows I am a huge Pearl supporter and really wanted (I know it was a dream) him to come back to Knoxville, but I think we've got a coach now that will replace that legacy and give us new hope n new fame.

 

[KBVol]

Two dozen thread titles bash "Bama Dave" - the Krypt-keeper looks, not being a true VFL, whiffed on Gruden, blindsided by Cuonzo. The man who'll forever require security to keep some Lady Vol toughs (heh) from tearing him to shreds. And when the anvil finally fell for Donnie Knoxville, you seemingly couldn't find anyone anywhere with a decent word for AD Hart. Mostly, the words weren't fit for young ears.

So I propose that the Fire Dave Hart folks were premature, and the reasons go well beyond the afternoon press conference introducing one of the biggest hires in the history of UT athletics. Consider:

Hart hired Butch Jones and has the football program pointed on an upward trajectory that is gaining national attention. That alone gives him sustainability.

Hart stopped the "Buyout U" rot that will forever be synonymous with Mike Hamilton. The Cal Bears paid us for Cuonzo Martin. Tyndall already cashed his last UT check.

Hart got a reprieve from gifting the university 5-6 million annually from the athletic budget and is repairing the fiscal damage he inherited.

So I say "attaboy Dave." You faced the firing squad last Friday with grace....now go have a moment in the sun when you introduce Coach Rick Barnes.

Incredibly well said.

 

[SmokinBob]

Two dozen thread titles bash "Bama Dave" - the Krypt-keeper looks, not being a true VFL, whiffed on Gruden, blindsided by Cuonzo. The man who'll forever require security to keep some Lady Vol toughs (heh) from tearing him to shreds. And when the anvil finally fell for Donnie Knoxville, you seemingly couldn't find anyone anywhere with a decent word for AD Hart. Mostly, the words weren't fit for young ears.

So I propose that the Fire Dave Hart folks were premature, and the reasons go well beyond the afternoon press conference introducing one of the biggest hires in the history of UT athletics. Consider:

Hart hired Butch Jones and has the football program pointed on an upward trajectory that is gaining national attention. That alone gives him sustainability.

Hart stopped the "Buyout U" rot that will forever be synonymous with Mike Hamilton. The Cal Bears paid us for Cuonzo Martin. Tyndall already cashed his last UT check.

Hart got a reprieve from gifting the university 5-6 million annually from the athletic budget and is repairing the fiscal damage he inherited.

So I say "attaboy Dave." You faced the firing squad last Friday with grace....now go have a moment in the sun when you introduce Coach Rick Barnes.

:good!:

 

[Bluetic]

Dare we say it...not bad for a "Bammer"?

 

[FiremedicVOL127]

Dare we say it...not bad for a "Bammer"?

No we don't say it, we say HELL of a job by a VOL!!

 

[Orange Maniac]

I'll give Dave a little credit for this but not a whole lot. He had a coach fall into his lap because of a decision made by Texas. If not for that we would probable see Billy Joe Bob from BFE Tech being announced as coach. Talk about lucky.