Steele and current thinking

[DonDiego]

Agreed that the situation sucks but there were issues with the Steele hire. I'd advise watching where Steele goes from here because that will give a hint about his reputation NOW in the SEC.

As for a DC, I'm hoping they are really going hard. Perhaps they're going to try to pry Chris Ash from Urban Meyer. Ash is, to me, a sleeper to be a big-time HC one day either in college or the NFL.

I'm saying it now, Heupel's future at UT depends on two things: 1. Can he put together a strong defensive staff that he truly trusts, and 2. Can he put together a staff that can recruit. All this makes up how wise he is in his coaching career (my opinion).

 

[rdk4121]

If we don't retain him, he'll go get another job and we won't owe him anything (just like Auburn is saving money currently from us hiring him). If we keep him, then we already have our DC.

I'm more confused why we haven't heard officially what we're going to do. We know Chaney and Weinke are gone for sure. Still waiting on Steele, Martin, and Osovet. We probably keep Osovet if I have to guess.

 

[Vol Main]

Things happen for a reason, but ima be p.o.ed if Steele walks away with all that money and then our defense and recruiting suck.

 

[Boston_Vol]

Steele is an okay to good DC. He's only elite on volnation.com. i would prefer CJH bring in his own DC. I want no excuses

 

[rdk4121]

I really want the staff to be figured out soon. I'd be happy to get a lot of the former Auburn guys like Steele, Travis Williams, Rodney Garner, and Kodi Burns (who Heupel had already hired at UCF). They know the SEC, they can recruit. I'm still assuming we're bringing in Golesh, Elarbee (confirmed), and Joey Halzle. We'd still need RBs (Osovet maybe or Hardesty) and secondary.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Lack of trust would be my guess. You've got to let a head coach pick his own people. Insisting he keep this coach or that, undermines his authority and continues the meddling ****show for which we have become famous. A clean break is needed.

 

[rdk4121]

Steele is an okay to good DC. He's only elite on volnation.com. i would prefer CJH bring in his own DC. I want no excuses

He's far better than "okay to good." He had a rougher year last year (38th), but that was in large part because the offense sucked so bad, much like our team. The 4 years before that he finished 7th, 12th, 14th, 17th in opponents ppg. That's very good.

 

[griddie]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

He’s met with him on multiple occasions in an attempt to keep him. WTH are you talking about. If Steele walks away from the Vols it’s because he is choosing to do so.

 

[ReelfootVol]

Why is everyone so worried about Steele? Ask Dabo what he thinks about Steele and his defense !!!!!!!LOL I imagine Dabo will tell you Steele sucks !

 

[VFL-82-JP]

How do we know Steele's gone? Has there been an announcement? Or is this running on rumor?

 

[Volsfaninva917]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

Steele can't be trusted, he's a snake in the grass just ask Gus and Auburn

 

[Raebo]

Steele contract was for him to be "Assistant Football Coach" (Google can be your friend). Per his contract, he does not get paid unless he is terminated without cause so obviously he was was let go.
I think every head coach has the ability to hire and fire who they want pending financial constraints, just like Pruitt fired Brum at halftime without going through Fulmer first.
Obviously Heupel feels more comfortable with his own staff.
I remember Fulmer saying one of the things that impressed him when he interviewed Pruitt 3 years ago was that Pruitt had a list of staff members he wanted to go after.
This is normal procedure. New coach will pick who he wants.

 

[njvols]

Theory 1. Steele is butthurt he's not HC and doesn't want to stay and won't stay even if they want him.

Theory 2. White and Heupel want every last vestige of the Fulmer era removed from the program at any cost.

I believe it's theory 1 and shrug, what can you do? This is the second HC job Steele has had kind of pulled out from under him recently. I get it. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride..... is disappointing.

If it's theory 2, I'm not "inside" to know how much Fulmer meddled, might meddle, and/or might still be the "elephant" in the room for Heupel. Painful as hell for everyone, but we've got to have a new beginning.

Yeah, at some point if UT wants to raise significant funds, UT should do book titled "Life as a fly on the wall @ UT Football since 2008". I'd love to hear the inside on some of this. Either someone wasn't forthcoming, or someone was stupid, or someone was delusional. Fulmer or Pruitt hired Steele at no position, all while full well knowing their fates were tenuous....maybe it was knowing Ansley was going to be out. Gave him a 2 year contract, which, I'm sure Steele isn't stupid, but he would be if he didn't realize Pruitt could be gone...so, maybe he signed on knowing full well he'd either have a coaching spot or he'd get paid for 2 weeks of admin work. If Pruitt and Fulmer painted a picture that they'd for sure be here, they were delusional.

 

[TnAngler]

Yeah I definitely don’t like this move. But I wonder if it’s more Steele than Heupel. I have a feeling that Fulmer promised him things and when DW and JH came along, things changed. I don’t know that for sure. Just a guess.

Either way it’s not good.

Ok, maybe I missed something but has been announced that Steele is not being retained or is this once again Volnation speculation? Has this been announced by the UT Athletic department, if not I will wait.

 

[AndyMizunogolfer]

Steele was another hire like Tee that Fulmer forced JP to bring on. I feel like he wanted to get JP some guidance. Those pissed that we may not keep Steele have to understand that it’s JH’s team. He is going to make his hires. He has full trust from his AD.

 

[Roustabout]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

You say guru, I say retread.
You say experienced, I say outdated.

Trust. Heupel needs to bring in someone he implicitly trusts. Someone who runs a defense he thinks is going to get it done.

 

[Border Vol]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

This is on the UT Athletic Department for idiotically wasting all this money on a loser like Kevin Steele. I think Coach Heupel should be able to fire-hire anyone he wants to and make his own coaching staff the way he wants to make it!

 

[Volsfan4243]

Fulmer hired Steele because he actually thought he was safe from McDonaldGate. His plan was to keep most of the staff in place for Steele. At some point, the administration realized Fulmer was also complicit in this so they had to fire him too. They just let him save face by letting him retire.

 

[Keefus]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

Don’t matter what we think, Coach gonna hire who HE thinks is best!

 

[VolFanNC09]

My guess is Heupel asked him to stay and Steele doesnt want to. Do we still owe him the whole dollar amount if he leaves on his own?

 

[tbones0711]

Steele was another hire like Tee that Fulmer forced JP to bring on. I feel like he wanted to get JP some guidance. Those pissed that we may not keep Steele have to understand that it’s JH’s team. He is going to make his hires. He has full trust from his AD.

Something isn't making any sense. JP isn't going to hire another DC unless he knew for sure that DA was leaving. Our defense way under-performed last year so maybe UT wasn't going to pay DA any more. Sounds like a Fulmer move. Boyd and Plowman have done the right thing in getting DW and JH in as quick as they did. Best to go ahead and just clean house and remember Steele wasn't part of that house. As for Osovet, he has good recruiting ties along the eastern seaboard.

 

[MurphyVol]

Steele sucks....sucked when he was here before...not sure y folk can't remember this...I must be the only old guy here....GBO!!!!

I don't have strong feelings on KS either way, but when you say he sucked here before do you mean we had poor DB play back in 1987? Or have I missed another time he was here?

 

[LazhilUT]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

Steele thought he had a shot at the HC gig.
Heupel has offered him to stay and they’ve talked on Wednesday and Thursday and Steele was at his office yesterday.
Biggest concern about Steele in the coaching circles is that he backstabbed Malzahn at Auburn which is one of the reasons why he didn’t get that job. He’s a snake and I understand the hesitancy. If Danny White tells Heupel he’s got his back and will back him in case Steele does something stupid, and Heupel can work with Steele, I’m game keeping him. If not, see ya.
Steele also ruffled the feathers of the lazy players, some of which left. The culture is a huge problem and he’s been tackling it.

 

[CAVPUT]

I'm not a smart man. God didn't bless me with good looks or a fully functional brain, but if somebody on this forum can explain to me why a new coach, with a reputation for offensive genius, would send packing a defensive guru, working on the cheap, with ties like crazy to the recruiting target market, I'd just love to hear your theory. For G_d's sake, he may have at least saved some of this class. He was bought and paid for and he is considered one of the best DC's and one of the best recruiters in the conference ---and we're paying him to go away. Strike one for me with Heupel.

1-He wanted to be the head coach here and was a finalist with Pruitt
2-He reportedly stabbed Gus in the back in an attempt to get the Auburn job
3-He has no ties to the new coach so they really don't know if they can work together
4-Steele is part of the big orange "good ol' boy" network and we've had enough of that chit
Enough?

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

Steele doesn't get his money because he's pissed. I've been pissed before ---and didn't get a penny. He got his money because someone (always) at UT is stupid. He got hired with no title. He can't walk away with a buyout because he's pissed. I can find him something to do.

This is exactly how I feel. IF this is true, then again, handled horribly. Make him a freaking analyst if you need to. But to pay a 2 week penalty buyout? Foolish