Best DC in Tennessee history

#51
#51
UTwild82 said:
Whoever was DC when we gave up 0 points all year in late 30's. That may be the best DC of all time in CFB.
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THE coach and coordinator was Gen Robert Neyland. "Coordinator" was a coined term that started a generation later to allow top assistant coaches to be paid more than the standard. At UT, Cafego would have been the 1st coordinator (special teams).
 
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#52
#52
Yea Neyland's undefeated unscored upon team in 1939 has gotta take the cake.
 
#54
#54
OrangeByBirth said:
THE coach and coordinator was Gen Robert Neyland. "Coordinator" was a coined term that started a generation later to allow top assistant coaches to be paid more than the standard. At UT, Cafego would have been the 1st coordinator (special teams).
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Did not know this. Thanks for the info.
 
#55
#55
1972 Grad said:
The best d-coordinator was probably the one that had the best players.
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Nope. The right scheme with average players can beat all americans who are way out of position any day of the year. The guy with the best players is just the best recruiter.
 
#57
#57
CAVPUT said:
In the "modern" era, I'll go with Ken.
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He was probably the best in the last 50 years especially at breaking down an offense and then scheming against it. And that's not close. But of course he learned from the two best in the General and the Bear. After that it's a toss up.
 
#58
#58
IknoxvolsI said:
Some of you old timers will be able to go back further than me. I'm curious as to who everyone thinks was the best DC here? Monty was the last good one. Chavis is legendary although I give him credit for losing several games. Donahue is perhaps my choice due to his gambling defenses and the Sugar Vols. But, he also took the fall for the terrible '88 season. What say ya'll?
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Whoever the credit is due for the 1938-1939 squads, be it a DC that I cannot find the name of anywhere or Gen. Neyland.
 
#61
#61
TNnative said:
Hard to argue with that. Sadly, we don't have footage of those guys.
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Well, there certainly is not much left in the video archive from 1939, but the cupboard is not absolutely bare. See the following clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korZc3SJSnc

Although it was not technically part of the 1939 season, a clip of the 1939 Orange Bowl vs. Oklahoma can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu2FgrEcqWM. Also, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOnYKE-j2BM.

For a brief overview of the season as a whole, see "100 Years of Volunteers," volume 1 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjCPlflS4Ko. Fast-forward to the 26:25 mark. You will find a film clip of Johnny Butler's fabled 56-yard touchdown run vs. Alabama, a game that Tennessee won, 21-0. This film also has highlights of Tennessee's trip to, and preparations for, the 1940 Rose Bowl vs. USC.
 
#64
#64
Defensively, the 1985 campaign was a tale of two seasons. During the first three games, they surrendered 75 points. During the final nine games, they gave up only 65. After Tony Robinson's career-ending knee injury, the defense collectively found an altogether different level of intensity. Their performance vs. Miami was the most inspired 60-minute game I have seen from a Tennessee defense in 50 years of watching Big Orange football.
 
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#67
#67
IknoxvolsI said:
Some of you old timers will be able to go back further than me. I'm curious as to who everyone thinks was the best DC here? Monty was the last good one. Chavis is legendary although I give him credit for losing several games. Donahue is perhaps my choice due to his gambling defenses and the Sugar Vols. But, he also took the fall for the terrible '88 season. What say ya'll?
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Monty??????????????? They allowed huge rushing yardage against Ole Miss & Va. Tech beat the heck out of us by passing the ball all over the place.....
Was that a good performance by a D.C.????
 
#68
#68
Never saw any games in which Donahoue was the D.C, I was stationed in Japan in the Marines and at that time there was not any real cable t.v. I missed 5 seasons of U.T, football
 
#69
#69
IknoxvolsI said:
Some of you old timers will be able to go back further than me. I'm curious as to who everyone thinks was the best DC here? Monty was the last good one. Chavis is legendary although I give him credit for losing several games. Donahue is perhaps my choice due to his gambling defenses and the Sugar Vols. But, he also took the fall for the terrible '88 season. What say ya'll?
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Donohue is the first one that came to my mind.

Honorable mention to the DBacks coach of late 60s/early 70s, Bennett. When other team put that ball in air, our boys were like, Oh, we got this. But that might have been more the DC back then, I don't know.
 
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#71
#71
If you don't believe it's the General, you don't know your Volunteer history.
 
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#73
#73
IknoxvolsI said:
Some of you old timers will be able to go back further than me. I'm curious as to who everyone thinks was the best DC here? Monty was the last good one. Chavis is legendary although I give him credit for losing several games. Donahue is perhaps my choice due to his gambling defenses and the Sugar Vols. But, he also took the fall for the terrible '88 season. What say ya'll?
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Larry Lacewell
 
#75
#75
Neyland never actually held the title of DC, correct? Granted he is/was the GOAT UT head football coach. But he was not limited to genius on one side of the ball either. One of his famous quotes about touchdowns following blocking as surely as night follows day is a classic rivaling anything Rockne or Lombardi ever mouthed out IMO. But if we're talking DCs, let's keep it to people at UT who actually held the title of DC which was a different time and era from that of Neyland is my suggestion.
 
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