I think it is fair to say that the coach that would unite this fanbase and ignite Tennessee nationally from an excitement standpoint is Hugh Freeze. The consistent refrain regarding Freeze to the Hill is that SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey would veto the hire, and that it would look hypocritical for UT to hire a coach with previous violations and a rather colorful history.
First, let me say this. We live in an era where hypocrisy abounds. So I do not think hypocrisy should be an excluding factor. Hell, a guy who was coaching drunk on the field at USC just won a NC and took the Texas job. Coach Freeze took a leave of absence and now has coached without issue at Liberty, a Christian university that was able to see beyond his past.
So that would leave the biggest impediment to hiring Coach Freeze as Mr. Sankey. Here is why I believe he would be smart to allow UT to hire him.
The SEC is best and most competitive conference in college football. But I think it is a better conference all around when Tennessee is a contender. Let's be honest, the East was at its best when Tennessee, UF, and UGA were consistently battling each other for the division title. It made for better games, full stadiums, and appointment television.
If Tennessee were to hire Coach Freeze, the SEC is immediately a better conference. One of its Blue Blood programs is revitalized and a national story (in a good way). Another innovative offensive mind in the conference that has a history of success and an exciting style of play that further displays the SEC as the premier conference in college football.
The alternative is potential disaster for UT and a stain on the SEC. Tennessee could easily become mired in yet another difficult coaching hire that might solidify it as a lower-tier program for years to come. Is that what Mr. Sankey wants for the program or the SEC? Yes, maybe Tennessee gets lucky and finds a diamond in the rough and returns to national relevance; but, is that likely based on what has occurred over the last 12 years? Is it possible a coach on the same level of Freeze is willing to come to Knoxville facing a major rebuild with sanctions pending? Unlikely. So Mr. Sankey would have to ask a very basic question: Do I want Tennessee and the SEC to be worse off in order to make a point?
I can assure you Tennessee will be implementing stringent controls within the football program following this investigation. These improvements in oversight could also be used to satisfy Mr. Sankey that Coach Freeze wouldn't be running afoul of its compliance program. And from what I've read, I think Coach Freeze would welcome the opportunity to get back into a major program and prove he is a different coach and a better man than he was several years ago.
I think that if Mr. Sankey wants the best for the SEC, he will allow Tennessee to hire a coach that immediately elevates the program at a time of crucial importance. And he should do so because the alternative is just bad for the SEC.