Official OC search update thread...

We've learned that Tennessee's group conducting interviews, led of course by coach Butch Jones, met in the past 24 hours with candidates in Las Vegas at or near the airport.

Those meetings have concluded, and Tennessee's group has moved to the East Coast to visit with commitment Darrell Taylor and also, we are told by two sources, meet with one more candidate.

As noted, the Vols were very intrigued by Mike Norvell at Arizona State, but the candid indication that any negotiations would have to begin at $1 million was a deterrent.

Additionally, Mike Sanford and Noel Mazzone have been the other coaches confirmed of interest by the Vols, as well as North Carolina's Gunter Brewer and N.C. State's Matt Canada. We also are told Jones' agent, Trace Armstrong, facilitated discussions with some NFL assistants who demanded anonymity because of their current contracts.

Nothing has changed to suggest any candidate has emerged to overtake clubhouse leader Mike DeBord, who also is apparently mulling an offer that could include an assistant head coach title with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

Where the heck is that information coming from?!?!?! AC with the falcons? not exactly washed up if thats the case - but who is reporting that?
 
That actually looks a lot like Butch's offense. A little more passing (which I like). I'd be ok if that was actually debord making the calls.

Butch was hired and taught by DeBord. So Butch's "system" is actually DeBord's.

If anybody has tape when he was the coach at CMU, that would be interesting.
 
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Looking for a cheap hire as usual.

Fair enough but I think you have to acknowledge that there is a big difference in being cheap and making someone one of the highest paid OCs in college football. Seven figures would put Norvell in the top 6 paid coaches that aren't head coaches.
 
Fair enough but I think you have to acknowledge that there is a big difference in being cheap and making someone one of the highest paid OCs in college football. Seven figures would put Norvell in the top 6 paid coaches that aren't head coaches.

I think the salaries for coaches are getting way out of hand in general, but that's the game right now. Winners pay for winning coaches. Tennessee pays for affordable hires and calls it the right fit.
 
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Butch was hired and taught by DeBord. So Butch's "system" is actually DeBord's.

Makes you wonder how much Coach Jones' offensive style has evolved since he last worked for DeBord. All thinking coaches modify their approaches over time, not only as they learn from experience, but also to fit the talent on successive teams. So...how much is Butch's system the same as DeBord's system (when last he had one)? 90%? 75%? 30%? A very interesting question, particularly if DeBord comes OnBoard as our new OC....

p.s. If the sportswriters who lurk in these forums read this post and then start coming up with article headlines like "DeBord OnBoard!" or "All Aboard for DeBord," I'll let you know where to send my royalty checks. Hehe....
 
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Tenn being cheap is not fair. CBJ will get his money if he continues to recruit and leads the talent to top tens in final rankings with maybe something more special. His assistants will get theirs as well. They will just need to prove it on the field, and next year is as good as any. A million is too much to pay for a OC. In fact, I would think a OC should take what we offer knowing the talent we have here and coming in. We would give him a raise if he shows dominance or he could parlay that into hc gig. Being frugal in this case is not being cheap, it's being smart.
 
Tenn being cheap is not fair. CBJ will get his money if he continues to recruit and leads the talent to top tens in final rankings with maybe something more special. His assistants will get theirs as well. They will just need to prove it on the field, and next year is as good as any. A million is too much to pay for a OC. In fact, I would think a OC should take what we offer knowing the talent we have here and coming in. We would give him a raise if he shows dominance or he could parlay that into hc gig. Being frugal in this case is not being cheap, it's being smart.

We don't decide what is too much for coaches. The market does.
 
Even if they shell out $1 mil for Norvell, he would probably be gone in a year or so as a Head Coach somewhere. Find an up and comer who will be around for a few years.
 
Where the heck is that information coming from?!?!?! AC with the falcons? not exactly washed up if thats the case - but who is reporting that?

Mike Debord is probably reporting that. I'd believe it when I see it.
 
Butch was hired and taught by DeBord. So Butch's "system" is actually DeBord's.

If anybody has tape when he was the coach at CMU, that would be interesting.

Actually Butch's system is Rich Rodriguez's system. Everything he learned about the spread offense he learned from Rich Rod. His coaching style is the Rich Rod way. Debord helped mentor Butchs operational mindset.
 
Only if we're buying or selling. Most of us are just peddlin' crap, which isn't quite the same thing. :blink:
If we are encouraging them by buying tickets, merchandise, donating, listening to the games on radio, or watching on TV, we are the market. Without us, football ceases to exist. Therefore, we determine what coaches are paid.
 
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If we are encouraging them by buying tickets, merchandise, donating, listening to the games on radio, or watching on TV, we are the market. Without us, football ceases to exist. Therefore, we determine what coaches are paid.

I see what you mean. I think you've well made the case that we are part of what enables the market, because we set the upper limit on how much they could spend on coaches. Which is, naturally, far more than they actually do spend. A lot of the $$ they get from us goes to facilities and scholarships and administrative staff and supporting other sports and etc. etc. So you can say we're enablers of all that.

But that's still different from us being a part of the coaching market ourselves. We neither buy (hire coaches) nor sell (work for the head coach), so we're not truly part of the coaching market.

But we are part of the college football market, as buyers...so we have that going for us :)
 
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If we are encouraging them by buying tickets, merchandise, donating, listening to the games on radio, or watching on TV, we are the market. Without us, football ceases to exist. Therefore, we determine what coaches are paid.

The football engine is going to roar along regardless of what one program's fan base chooses. UT can only choose if it wants to be a piston or a muffler.
 
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Spoke with Butch very briefly today, and he declined to reveal much other than to say, "Tennessee has some really good choices, and it's a chance to get better. This is an exciting challenge."

Jones did not indicate a timeline of wrapping up on Wednesday was very likely, but did stress this process has been good for him to have "crystalized" what the Vols need in this move, what they must do to keep improving and how they must address deficiencies to improve.


He called it a "difficult choice" with a demand to get better and reiterated he likes the opportunity to challenge everyone to improve. He was expected to continue deliberating candidates with an inner circle while UT tries to continue with business as usual both on the road recruiting and for a big recruiting weekend coming up.

Continue to hear that Zach Azzanni remains on the CMU list but not necessarily at the top right now. Still in play.

As some of the major moves in college football shake out, such as the Vols' offensive coordinator opening, and other staffs begin to be finalized, it's the time also when Tennessee's quality control and graduate assistant coaches have potential opportunities at other spots.

If Z happened to gain the CMU job, he almost certainly would take some folks from UT with him. Additionally, it's been indicated some of those guys still could have opportunities at CMU or other similar spots in the coming days and weeks.

-John Brice
 
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