When Majors came home

#1
IknoxvolsI

IknoxvolsI

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#1
This is a very good article stating how things were here in '77 when Majors became coach. It states he started with the players self esteem by getting new beds (they were 16 yrs old). New uniforms (practice stuff was different shades of orange). And, he started feeding the players! Bought a $16,000 grill!! (Wonder where former pres Shumaker got his?) It goes on to talk a little about recruiting.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/...ative-son-restores-tennessees-self-image#text

Now, I'm a history buff so, If you guys think it was bad when Butch got here, this article is really eye opening!
 
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#2
#2
The Chicago tribune had beat writers for Notre Dame. Looks to be a lead-in feature article the week before the 1979 Tennessee/Notre Dame game. My freshman year.
 
#6
#6
IknoxvolsI said:
This is a very good article stating how things were here in '77 when Majors became coach. It states he started with the players self esteem by getting new beds (they were 16 yrs old). New uniforms (practice stuff was different shades of orange). And, he started feeding the players! Bought a $16,000 grill!! (Wonder where former pres Shumaker got his?) It goes on to talk a little about recruiting.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/...ative-son-restores-tennessees-self-image#text

Now, I'm a history buff so, If you guys think it was bad when Butch got here, this article is really eye opening!
Click to expand...

The question would be how different was Tennessee at that time from other schools?

Tuition was a lot cheaper. Students did not have to pay for tickets to games like they do today. Very different world.
 
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#7
#7
That game (aka The Miracle at South Bend) marked the resurgence of Tennessee football (that lasted until ~2004) and the beginning of the end for ND football (that has still never fully recovered.

What was really amazing about that game was that ND was rushing the ball down our throats all the first half, then for what ever reason kept trying to throw in the second half. Poor coaching by Granny and persistence by the Vols. Still, with the game on the line at the end, the Irish drove the ball down the field into easy field goal range. But since their kicker had been injured on the blocked field goal at the end of the half they left it to the punter who hadn't kicked since high school. It was the biggest turnaround in a game I'd ever seen until last year's Florida game.
 
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#8
#8
Frozevol said:
That game (aka The Miracle at South Bend) marked the resurgence of Tennessee football (that lasted until ~2004) and the beginning of the end for ND football (that has still never fully recovered.

What was really amazing about that game was that ND was rushing the ball down our throats all the first half, then for what ever reason kept trying to throw in the second half. Poor coaching by Granny and persistence by the Vols. Still with the game on the line at the end, the Irish drove the ball down the field into easy field goal range. But since their kicker had been injured on the blocked field goal at the end of the half they left it to the punter who hadn't kicked since high school. It was the biggest turnaround in a game I'd ever seen until last year's Florida game.
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You're thinking of the '91 game. This is about the '79 game.
 
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#11
#11
I found the 1969 Z-28 Camaro I have been looking for. The ad says $3,400 but, when I called the number it said it had been disconnected. I guess I'll have to settle for the brand new 1979 Malibu for $4,800.
 
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#14
#14
Vol fan passion and expectation to win spans decades, not just recent history...comes with the territory if you take UT head coach job. "Bill Battle was mercilessly harassed and harried into retirement".
 
#15
#15
I guess when Butch got here it was basically just talent that was down. This article seems to be from an unbiased writer and it states the entire program was in the ground.

We played Ole Miss (I think toward the end of '89 season) for the SEC. I read another article where Billy Brewer was in same situation. He purchased buckets of paint n players painted their dorms.
 
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#16
#16
IknoxvolsI said:
I guess when Butch got here it was basically just talent that was down. This article seems to be from an unbiased writer and it states the entire program was in the ground.
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Nah, the worst thing Dooley left to Butch was the destroyed relationships: with high school coaches throughout TN and neighboring states, with former Vols players, with boosters. The depleted roster hurt, but the broken relationships with so many people our program relies upon for its health hurt far worse.
 
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#17
#17
If Vols had hired Johnny when they hired Bill Battle, the train started by Doug Dickey would have kept on rolling. At that time, there were little to no restrictions on recruiting and Johnny would have brought in about 125 freshmen like he did at Pitt. One of the worst moves in Tennessee history (but, still way behind the hiring of Mike Hamilton and then Derek Dooley).

I did know a player who was on the team in 77 and he said, Johnny would tell them at their workouts about how they were as talented as anyone and they could win now. Then, the players would go back to the dorm and Johnny would be on TV telling everyone about how depleted this program is of talent and it would take a long time to get it back to where it belonged.
 
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#18
#18
Backwards K said:
I did know a player who was on the team in 77 and he said, Johnny would tell them at their workouts about how they were as talented as anyone and they could win now. Then, the players would go back to the dorm and Johnny would be on TV telling everyone about how depleted this program is of talent and it would take a long time to get it back to where it belonged.
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Lou Holtz could very well have learned that trick from Johnny. :) Talk 'em up in private, talk 'em down in public. Hope the opponent underestimates you, might be good for some points somewhere in a game or two.
 
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#19
#19
IknoxvolsI said:
This is a very good article stating how things were here in '77 when Majors became coach. It states he started with the players self esteem by getting new beds (they were 16.

LOL, brings back a memory. Gibbs put old mattresses on curb and we in our poor frat ran down and each grabbed one. Went hliking back to frat row toting a mattress on our backs. Ours were older by comparison. What youth will do.
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#20
#20
Backwards K said:
I did know a player who was on the team in 77 and he said, Johnny would tell them at their workouts about how they were as talented as anyone and they could win now. Then, the players would go back to the dorm and Johnny would be on TV telling everyone about how depleted this program is of talent and it would take a long time to get it back to where it belonged.
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I read where Majors did that when he got back to Pitt. Even saying that into his third year there.
 
#22
#22
I graduated Dec 76. Was at Stokley singing "when Johnny Comes Marching Home"! Was in S. Bend for the '78 game, that we essentially fumbled away. I have to say, their fans were the classiest I have ever been around. No comparison the FL fans. Gator fans were shot down here from another planet I have decided. Back to Majors- it was a fun ride. He did bring back Pride to the UT program. Sorry he had to depart like he did, but the ride got a whole lot better.
 
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#23
#23
njvols said:
Vol fan passion and expectation to win spans decades, not just recent history...comes with the territory if you take UT head coach job. "Bill Battle was mercilessly harassed and harried into retirement".
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I'll bet Battle was harassed more that Crompton....but at least Battle was getting paid.
 
#24
#24
volfan102455 said:
The question would be how different was Tennessee at that time from other schools?

Tuition was a lot cheaper. Students did not have to pay for tickets to games like they do today. Very different world.
Click to expand...

Do they still have the student activity fees? Those cost a pretty penny back in the day. If they have to buy their tickets on top of that? That's crazy.
 
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