“VFL” hires moving forward...

#1
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Volsbdb1030

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#1
As a fan base/ program we can no longer stand for hiring anyone solely based on them being a “VFL”. Fulmer has milked this program for all it’s worth because fans and administration perceive him as a “VFL”. If we’re being honest, Tee was never ready for a head coaching position here. Again, we have fans and exhausted, lazy, underachieving former players claiming Tee deserves the head coaching job at a program with some of the most respected traditions and history of any NCAA football program. All because of former accolades as a player or something unrelated to the job position in question. Never again do I want to hear of anyone being hired for any **** position at UTK because they were a supposed “VFL”. There are so many more examples it makes me sick. I’m a UTK alum and a “VFL” so does that make me a candidate for head coach, position coach, A.D. etc? I’m excited to see what Heupel and White bring to the table moving forward with a blank slate (minus NCAA investigations). Let’s stand behind these guys and see where it takes us. Hiring someone who is a “VFL” or loves the university and doesn’t have the job credentials has put UTK in terrible positions time and time again.
Go VOLS!!!
 
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#4
#4
Volsbdb1030 said:
As a fan base/ program we can no longer stand for hiring anyone solely based on them being a “VFL”. Fulmer has milked this program for all it’s worth because fans and administration perceive him as a “VFL”. If we’re being honest, Tee was never ready for a head coaching position here. Again, we have fans and exhausted, lazy, underachieving former players claiming Tee deserves the head coaching job at a program with some of the most respected traditions and history of any NCAA football program. All because of former accolades as a player or something unrelated to the job position in question. Never again do I want to hear of anyone being hired for any **** position at UTK because they were a supposed “VFL”. There are so many more examples it makes me sick. I’m a UTK alum and a “VFL” so does that make me a candidate for head coach, position coach, A.D. etc? I’m excited to see what Heupel and White bring to the table moving forward with a blank slate (minus NCAA investigations). Let’s stand behind these guys and see where it takes us. Hiring someone who is a “VFL” or loves the university and doesn’t have the job credentials has put UTK in terrible positions time and time again.
Go VOLS!!!
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VFL has been reduced to a tired hackneyed phrase and as BigOrangeMojo said in an earlier post it needs to be retired at least for the time being.
 
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#5
#5
Fulmer and Tee will always have a place of honor because of what they did as a coach and as a player. For what they have done as AD and a coach, however, they deserve due scrutiny and there is no reason their actions in those areas cannot be deservedly criticized.
 
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#8
#8
Gandalf said:
Fulmer and Tee will always have a place of honor because of what they did as a coach and as a player. For what they have done as AD and a coach, however, they deserve due scrutiny and there is no reason their actions in those areas cannot be deservedly criticized.
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Cannot agree more with this statement. People get too caught up in what they did right to accept that they deserve criticism for the present. Also too many want to dismiss what they accomplished for the program.
 
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#10
#10
The VFL program is actually a very good program for both current and former players.

We don't need to get rid of it but instead to keep working to make it better and better as the years go by.

Being a VFL is not a reason to consider anyone for any coaching position, just their coaching credentials and record of success is what they should be judged on.

VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#13
#13
Titan&Volfan4life said:
The VFL program is actually a very good program for both current and former players.

We don't need to get rid of it but instead to keep working to make it better and better as the years go by.

Being a VFL is not a reason to consider anyone for any coaching position, just their coaching credentials and record of success is what they should be judged on.

VFL...GBO!!!
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Agreed.

All else being pretty much equal, recruit the Tennessee guy over the one who lives out of State. In the same way, hire a VFL if he is equally qualified as someone else. However, they need to understand that the VFL tag does not cover all sins. They have to stand on their current merit, not simply the fact that they did something well in the past. This is where we may have gone a bit wrong with Fulmer.

I am neither pro Fulmer or anti Fulmer. I have praised him when he did well, and criticized him when he messed up. It is becoming more and more apparent that he really messed up this time, despite what appeared to be a bit of a "save" when he first hired Pruitt.
 
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#14
#14
I like Tee and I think he is a good maybe great position coach. He is not ready for a HC position at a power 5 school yet. He needs to get a HC job at a lesser level school and work his way up. It is not just Tee that I feel this way about, Pruitt should have been a HC some where else before getting a job like TN. It is the rare example that can jump in the "Deep" end and come out a winner.
 
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#16
#16
Being a former Vol is a nice addition. Qualifications should always come first.

I hate it for Tee. But he really doesn't show the drive that successful HC's have.
 
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#17
#17
BigOrangeMojo said:
I wish we'd retire the VFL thing. It's a relic from the Dooley era.
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Yep. And for all the things he didn't get done on the field... the VFL program has DRAMATICALLY reduced the number of off the field issues UT has had. Maybe you don't remember the weekly reports of players getting into trouble in Fulmer's last few years?
 
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#18
#18
Being a "VFL" does not mean it gives you entitlement. Fans for years have a had a hard time separating the player from the coach. We have alot of up and coming coaches including Tee, Jim Bob Cooter (to my knowledge did not get a call), Mayo to name a few that'll get their shot as they grow as coaches.
 
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#19
#19
John Pennington brought that up yesterday on Sports Source. It shouldn't be a prerequisite. Shouldn't necessarily disqualify you, but should have no bearing on you getting a job here.
 
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#20
#20
VolunteerCeltic said:
I think the only way you get the VFL tag is if you finish your eligibility in whatever sport you play for UT. If you leave before your eligibility is completed, if you are dismissed, or if you are cut then you do not get to carry that tag.
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I can't buy that, if you leave before graduating to pursue other opportunities, but left in good standing, you can retrain the VFL title till you do something inherently negative to the program or fellow VFLs to take the honorary classification away.
 
#21
#21
Behr said:
You're a relic from the Butch era.......


Lulz. Nothing wrong with VFL. Imo.
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sjt18 said:
Yep. And for all the things he didn't get done on the field... the VFL program has DRAMATICALLY reduced the number of off the field issues UT has had. Maybe you don't remember the weekly reports of players getting into trouble in Fulmer's last few years?
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First, there's not anything wrong with the program but being a VFL should have no impact whether or not you are hired as an assistant, coordinator, or HC here. I could care less where you went to school as long as you performed. We could hire a coach from the South Harmon Institute of Tecnhology and it he wins, I don't care.

How much of the off field drop was from the VFL program and how much was due to enrolling fewer pampered 4* and 5* kids? Was the off-field drop due to the VFL program or was it a Fulmer problem (Not blaming Fulmer here since Urban, Miles, and Richt had their issues)? Look at Florida, their issues went down when Meyer left. Was it because of Meyer or was it due to recruiting dip or did they implement a Jorts For Life program?
 
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#22
#22
BigOrangeMojo said:
First, there's not anything wrong with the program but being a VFL should have no impact whether or not you are hired as an assistant, coordinator, or HC here. I could care less where you went to school as long as you performed. We could hire a coach from the South Harmon Institute of Tecnhology and it he wins, I don't care...
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I like this. VFL should be something for fans and former players to identify each other. When we start identifying VFL with career decisions it gets in the way of reality.

Anyone that makes a career decision to come, or go, should have nothing to do with it. Even failures. We all make career decisions based on circumstances at the time and life-long monikers need not be impacted based solely on a job decision that made sense to someone at the time.
 
#23
#23
Vato said:
I like the VFL program. I think it should be like a mason lodge, guys sitting around talking about the good old days. Showing up to games and rep the Vol program.
No other perks!!!
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I would adventure out and say the ones who like this might be brothers?!
 
#24
#24
BigOrangeMojo said:
First, there's not anything wrong with the program but being a VFL should have no impact whether or not you are hired as an assistant, coordinator, or HC here. I could care less where you went to school as long as you performed. We could hire a coach from the South Harmon Institute of Tecnhology and it he wins, I don't care.
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All other things being roughly equal... it is good to have someone already vested in a program and not just a mercenary.

How much of the off field drop was from the VFL program and how much was due to enrolling fewer pampered 4* and 5* kids? Was the off-field drop due to the VFL program or was it a Fulmer problem (Not blaming Fulmer here since Urban, Miles, and Richt had their issues)? Look at Florida, their issues went down when Meyer left. Was it because of Meyer or was it due to recruiting dip or did they implement a Jorts For Life program?
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Several programs started similar things around the same time. The VFL program was a model for several others. It made a significant impact across CFB.

Not sure what your problem here is. I think all would agree that UT should not hire a sub-standard coach because they played for UT. However, the guys that have been hired... have been qualified.
 
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