Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

Wrong

We’ve been told we are the problem

We are the problem. I mean who else could be blamed? I can’t think of a single person. Only the fans.

 

[Rishvol]

Not a ringing endorsement. They may suck, but the fans aren't jumping ship is the player-speak equivalent of "she's got a great personality"

Well I thought I did...

 

[drylo]

 

[Glitch]

Pretty obvious, Trey Wallace is our DC....

He may be a Douche Canoe, but he is our Douche Canoe?

 

[Glitch]

Sounds like it’s Whites staff not Heupels.

 

[jave36]

In puerto rico for the week, Google chrome automatically translates from Spanish to English on all the web pages. Even team name abbreviations. The Do Not Pelicans are going toe to toe with DAL.

 

[InVOLuntary]

Perhaps the reason Josh hasn't been able to hire a DC yet is he's filling the interviews with too much heuperbole.

 

[Bigorange123]

Cotter

Kotter

 

[I4Jay]

I understand the best I can where you are coming from but how do these kids feel about Ala. They have just hired coaches from the NFL placed in key positions and none were minorities and they say Saban has assembled a All Star staff with no mention of diversity but UT is automatically doing the wrong thing just trying to assemble a staff and many of the candidates that turned down both the HC and DC jobs are minorities.

We are comparing apple to apples here as well. Two state schools, in the SEC, with huge budgets, national brand and rabid fan bases. One just happens to be in better spot as far as winning and visibility right now but we both have been there and both are recruiting the same kids. So how are they viewed by those kids. Is it about maybe giving them a better chance to play on Sunday right now or by the diversity of their staff ? I am just wondering.

I don’t have any answers for you brother.

one difference could be Saban has had 3 former minority coordinators end up with head coaching jobs and two other minority RB coaches get head coaching jobs as well.
not really sure but there’s a disconnect and I don’t know when it happened but it’s there.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I’d imagine within you guys circles, y’all don’t understand the feelings outside of the program.
There is a feeling that Tennessee has a ways to go when it comes to being inclusive.
No one wants to talk about it without angry accusations or scoffing at it but it’s real.
when kids are discouraged from coming here, high character coaches are told stay away, it’s a PROBLEM.

I am a strength coach, I’ve helped with camps for about 7 years down here. when I ask kids or mention Tennessee, the prevalent answers are they feel unwelcome.
I’ve mentioned this before but One of the top, if not the top QB coaches in America has nothing but bad things to say about the university.

So a new AD coming in and letting it be know that “you’re” important, will be included, and can thrive here is pretty important message to get across when the overall feeling hasn’t been that

(and when I say “feeling”, this is coming from parents, kids, other coaches)

Me, Being a lifelong Tennessee fan who’s black gives me a little different perspective.
when I’m rocking my T gear, I often get scrunched faces & asked “Tennessee? What!?!”

So to answer what does this have to do with coaching, it has to do with opening doors that were closing on us.
by no means am I taking the Haynesworth route and going on a race rage, I’m just pointing out that there is bad feeling out there
And Fat Albert is on one extreme and the people who claim “there are no issues like that here” are on the other end of the extreme.

I wish every Tennessee fan had to read this.

 

[columbia vol]

Kotter

welcome back

 

[volKano]

You posted a lot of things without saying much. There is no reason to make it known that you need diversity in a coaching staff. Skin color is irrelevant.

If we had an entire staff full of black coaches, as long as they can coach, most wouldn’t care. Stop bringing skin color into every single aspect of things. You don’t see people complaining about the disproportionate amount of white football players do you? No you don’t.

One major problem in this country is some want to reduce everything down to color of skin. It’s ridiculous and weak.

It’s not about how you feel. It’s about how the players feel.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Not a ringing endorsement. They may suck, but the fans aren't jumping ship is the player-speak equivalent of "she's got a great personality"

Uhh well we just lost and hired an entirely different staff so uhh.... what is he supposed to say....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

You posted a lot of things without saying much. There is no reason to make it known that you need diversity in a coaching staff. Skin color is irrelevant.

If we had an entire staff full of black coaches, as long as they can coach, most wouldn’t care. Stop bringing skin color into every single aspect of things. You don’t see people complaining about the disproportionate amount of white football players do you? No you don’t.

One major problem in this country is some want to reduce everything down to color of skin. It’s ridiculous and weak.

You just don’t get it.

 

[I4Jay]

It’s not about how you feel. It’s about how the players feel.

and if the talent (future players & coaches) doesn’t feel welcome, how do we fix that?
I’m willing to listen;
sh*t, I’m willing to help!

 

[jave36]

I’d imagine within you guys circles, y’all don’t understand the feelings outside of the program.
There is a feeling that Tennessee has a ways to go when it comes to being inclusive.
No one wants to talk about it without angry accusations or scoffing at it but it’s real.
when kids are discouraged from coming here, high character coaches are told stay away, it’s a PROBLEM.

I am a strength coach, I’ve helped with camps for about 7 years down here. when I ask kids or mention Tennessee, the prevalent answers are they feel unwelcome.
I’ve mentioned this before but One of the top, if not the top QB coaches in America has nothing but bad things to say about the university.

So a new AD coming in and letting it be know that “you’re” important, will be included, and can thrive here is pretty important message to get across when the overall feeling hasn’t been that

(and when I say “feeling”, this is coming from parents, kids, other coaches)

Me, Being a lifelong Tennessee fan who’s black gives me a little different perspective.
when I’m rocking my T gear, I often get scrunched faces & asked “Tennessee? What!?!”

So to answer what does this have to do with coaching, it has to do with opening doors that were closing on us.
by no means am I taking the Haynesworth route and going on a race rage, I’m just pointing out that there is bad feeling out there
And Fat Albert is on one extreme and the people who claim “there are no issues like that here” are on the other end of the extreme.

Really like your posts on this topic. Don't always agree entirely, but you've caused me to change my mind or soften certain stances because of how well you present your opinions. Not this post in particular because I think it's a no brainer that - even if someone were overtly racist - they should make sure a coaching staff is inclusive of minorities when the vast majority of players are minority teenagers; but some other times where I've disagreed you've enlightened me, so keep being a thoughtful and logical voice in this area.

 

[GiggerVol]

I don’t have any answers for you brother.

one difference could be Saban has had 3 former minority coordinators end up with head coaching jobs and two other minority RB coaches get head coaching jobs as well.
not really sure but there’s a disconnect and I don’t know when it happened but it’s there.

A bit strange though when you take into consideration we had at least 3 minority assistants, one of whom was the dc on staff the last few years if not more. I would tend to think without doing the research that we have had as much if not more minority assistants than about anyone in the conference

 

[I4Jay]

Really like your posts on this topic. Don't always agree entirely, but you've caused me to change my mind or soften certain stances because of how well you present your opinions. Not this post in particular because I think it's a no brainer that - even if someone were overtly racist - they should make sure a coaching staff is inclusive of minorities when the vast majority of players are minority teenagers; but some other times where I've disagreed you've enlightened me, so keep being a thoughtful and logical voice in this area.

Thank you Brother.

 

[MrVolton]

Not a ringing endorsement. They may suck, but the fans aren't jumping ship is the player-speak equivalent of "she's got a great personality"

Well, he did talk about the ONE good thing the Tennessee program has had going for it the last 15-20 years.

 

[drylo]

 

[jave36]

You posted a lot of things without saying much. There is no reason to make it known that you need diversity in a coaching staff. Skin color is irrelevant.

If we had an entire staff full of black coaches, as long as they can coach, most wouldn’t care. Stop bringing skin color into every single aspect of things. You don’t see people complaining about the disproportionate amount of white football players do you? No you don’t.

One major problem in this country is some want to reduce everything down to color of skin. It’s ridiculous and weak.

I agree too many people bring skin color into too many discussions; but 1) the post you quoted was a pretty good one to mention skin color and 2) almost every player on every P5 team is black, so from a strictly logical and recruiting standpoint, it makes sense to make sure those prospects feel like they are represented.

 

[I4Jay]

A bit strange though when you take into consideration we had at least 3 minority assistants, one of whom was the dc on staff the last few years if not more. I would tend to think without doing the research that we have had as much if not more minority assistants than about anyone in the conference

O, I agree with you.
“perception is reality”
even tho we all know perception is not always reality.

 

[GiggerVol]

I obviously am not close to the negotiations, but hopefully vols don’t paint themselves into a corner on this.

Without naming names, can you be more specific on the "trivial little detail and why it's causing an issue?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I love to see open dialogues about issues between fans of common interests. I think so much of the hate in this country is because people don’t know anyone different than themselves. We need to do a better job of reaching out to people outside our comfort zones.

I grew up, like many in rural Tennessee, in a small town with very few minorities or gay people. I’ve grown up and moved all over and now some of my favorite people fall under all those umbrellas. People need to be exposed to people from all walks of life.

Hate comes from misunderstanding and ignorance.

 

[jave36]

It’s not about how you feel. It’s about how the players feel.

This. Same as companies who take up sustainability initiatives when no one at the company cares about the environment personally. If your consumer or customer cares about it, you find a way to give them what they want.