Handling the Kevin Steele situation

#51
#51
I was thinking about the Steele situation and how it will likely be handled. I thought of something that makes a lot of sense.

Heupel is interviewing DC candidates, so it seems pretty clear that he wants to go in a different direction than Steele for that position. And Tennessee is on the hook for $950K if they let Steele go...for just a few weeks of work, no less. But most of us seem to be thinking that if Steele stays, it will be as the DC. That's not necessarily the case. Remember, he wasn't hired as the DC. He was hired as a "defensive assistant" while Ansley was still DC, so that was the only expectation at the time of his hiring.

Reading the tea leaves, I think Heupel may be planning to hire his own DC (which makes sense), while keeping Steele on staff as a defensive assistant. Have him coach a position like LBs, be a solid recruiting gun, and be a guy who is familiar with the SEC, be involved in game-planning for SEC offenses with which he is familiar. This way, you get an experienced defensive mind who knows the SEC, recruits the territory well, and you avoid that buyout. And you're offering a position for which he was hired in the first place and you still get to hire your own DC. Worst case, Steele says no, walks away, and you don't pay him anything more than the few weeks he worked. I don't think he would, though.

I can easily start with a fresh slate but steele has had some very good defenses over the years - knows the sec - recruits very well and i am not sure you can find anyone better for a DC in this environment. At the end of the day - do you know anyone better or better qualified to take on our defensive C position. Teams like UCF - memphis etc have horrible defenses playing against inferior teams. So I am all for Heupel for offensive reasons but UCF defenses under his rein have been terrible - steele might be better than anyone elso out there
 
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#53
#53
Bet it won’t as long as they don’t settle. Textbook CAUSE.
I said nothing about settling. Do you think Tennessee did anything under Pruitt that doesn’t happen at Georgia, Bama, Florida, etc? We’ve only tied our hands in recruiting and competing to keep from paying Pruitt.
 
#55
#55
I said nothing about settling. Do you think Tennessee did anything under Pruitt that doesn’t happen at Georgia, Bama, Florida, etc? We’ve only tied our hands in recruiting and competing to keep from paying Pruitt.
Going to court with the “errybody else does it!” strategy should have our well compensated lawyers trembling in their Christian Louboutins.
 
#57
#57
Going to court with the “errybody else does it!” strategy should have our well compensated lawyers trembling in their Christian Louboutins.
We didn’t “get caught”, we turned ourselves in. Legit if we had a good year last year this all gets swept under the rug
 
#58
#58
We didn’t “get caught”, we turned ourselves in. Legit if we had a good year last year this all gets swept under the rug
Where did I quote “get caught”? The violations are real...not conjured. His lawyer’s going to the bench with that jive? Haven’t been this confident in a legal outcome since all the message board legal experts guaranteed we’d have to fork over $20-$30 mil to Schiano. 😏
 
#59
#59
I was thinking about the Steele situation and how it will likely be handled. I thought of something that makes a lot of sense.

Heupel is interviewing DC candidates, so it seems pretty clear that he wants to go in a different direction than Steele for that position. And Tennessee is on the hook for $950K if they let Steele go...for just a few weeks of work, no less. But most of us seem to be thinking that if Steele stays, it will be as the DC. That's not necessarily the case. Remember, he wasn't hired as the DC. He was hired as a "defensive assistant" while Ansley was still DC, so that was the only expectation at the time of his hiring.

Reading the tea leaves, I think Heupel may be planning to hire his own DC (which makes sense), while keeping Steele on staff as a defensive assistant. Have him coach a position like LBs, be a solid recruiting gun, and be a guy who is familiar with the SEC, be involved in game-planning for SEC offenses with which he is familiar. This way, you get an experienced defensive mind who knows the SEC, recruits the territory well, and you avoid that buyout. And you're offering a position for which he was hired in the first place and you still get to hire your own DC. Worst case, Steele says no, walks away, and you don't pay him anything more than the few weeks he worked. I don't think he would, though.
You really think Heupel will want to keep a guy like Steele? He interviewed and was reportedly the runner up for the HC job at UT. There's also a lot of smoke in regards to he and Garner working to get Gus fired hoping to take his spot. Heupel may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's sure as hell smarter than to keep a guy like Steele as the DC. Steele needs to take the Tee Martin approach and head the hell on out of Knoxville.
 
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#60
#60
Where did I quote “get caught”? The violations are real...not conjured. His lawyer’s going to the bench with that jive? Haven’t been this confident in a legal outcome since all the message board legal experts guaranteed we’d have to fork over $20-$30 mil to Schiano. 😏
Again I’m not sure what the disconnect is here. But in no way am I saying Tennessee will pay Pruitt anything period ever. Legally they seem to have a rock solid case for termination with cause. Cost isn’t just in buy out. Cost for Tennessee will be the scholarships they lose, and future recruits lost when their hands are tied in recruiting.
 
#61
#61
I said nothing about settling. Do you think Tennessee did anything under Pruitt that doesn’t happen at Georgia, Bama, Florida, etc? We’ve only tied our hands in recruiting and competing to keep from paying Pruitt.

Maybe. But we can’t really establish that till the details get out in the open. Did the fact set sent to Donde exist only inside UT’s walls or was it sent in to the whistle blower from an outside source not in our control? Did we have to fear turning a blind eye? TBD.
 
#64
#64
I think he's going to stay even if it's in an off field support staff role...as an analyst or similar role that John Lilly had during Pruitts first year...I don't see administration wanting to just let him go bc they don't want to pay the buyout...that being said I would not mind him staying on as a LB coach
 
#66
#66
I think he's going to stay even if it's in an off field support staff role...as an analyst or similar role that John Lilly had during Pruitts first year...I don't see administration wanting to just let him go bc they don't want to pay the buyout...that being said I would not mind him staying on as a LB coach

Does anyone know if there are non on field assistant coaches titles out there and would they be consistent with the wording in his contract enough to keep him here?
 
#74
#74
Money. Why pay an analyst that much when he is a solid LB coach. Tag him as CoDC to help Banks out in his 1st year as a DC at this level and re evaluate next year.
Well, you could get something out of him for your money and it might motivate him to find something else.
 

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