I agree with that. I'd rather have a losing season with a showman than a mediocre one with someone who can't connect to the program. The death of coaches here is that you must not be boring - you must stand out. You must show that you care about the game being played in front of you, especially in a sport like basketball where you're front and center and a more direct part of the game.
Even Summitt who wasn't known for zaniness stood out because of that icy stare that could throw daggers as well as the emotion she showed getting in a player's ear or at refs. She was a showman too albeit in a non-zany way and we loved her for it - still do. And even in football... A lot of fans were driven nutty and wanted Fulmer gone partly because he was so vanilla and stoic.
So yeah I agree with the premise that Vol fans love a coach with emotion - in fact, we eventually grow restless and demand it. And when you look at the nature of college fandom, it makes sense. Cheering for a college team, no matter the actual sport, is about your university, your community, your state, your region, your family and various bonds and ties to the university and team that just don't exist in other levels of sport. We don't just cheer for our team - we love them and a coach damn better act like he or she loves it too.