Coach Mathews show should be interesting this morning.

[SmokyRiverDog]

I think Gruden is far from a sure thing anyway. He's a name, would get players, not sure about the rest.

I like his name recognition. I think he's a good QB coach. I think he has a clue about the game and what should happen. I think he can hire top notch assistants. I think he would get out of his own way. That's a lot of I thinks for 10 million dollars. Best case, he would be an older Dabo.

 

[Jake]

UT is nothing without football. It was true 100 years ago and its true now. Football is the ticket to a stonger academic culture. Entertainment drives this country, the sooner UT figures out how to market football full potential the sooner we climb to the top.

Unbelievable that these Einstein’s haven’t figured that out by now. It’s just insane.

 

[LocoVol]

Does anyone think they would spend $340 million on this if they didn't think the future of this program was a chief, if not the most important, priority?

Or do you think they re planning on 20 years of 7-5ish football?

The problem lies not in wanting it to be important but in going to the point of letting go of control and money to make it important. Buildings don't talk back! I will believe it when I see a top coach on our sidelines!

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Good for you. He rarely tells me something I don't already know.

Considering you just said you disagreed with him, I’ll repeat I’ll take his opinion over a nobody like you.

 

[jakez4ut]

The problem lies not in wanting it to be important but in going to the point of letting go of control and money to make it important. Buildings don't talk back! I will believe it when I see a top coach on our sidelines!

If nothing else it does two things... It shows a commitment to the investment in to the future of football and it shows that they're committed to enhancing the experience of the environment for the fans.

Two things that won't go unnoticed by a potential coaching candidate.

 

[MrVolton]

Man.. glad you’re in the know..

This is also the guy trying to equate a Mullen hire to a Bobo or Brohm hire. Lol.

 

[VOL_Lyfe]

I believe we are on par with Nebraska..once proud football programs

Nebraska won its division as recently as 2012.

 

[jbr82]

Swain has been more upbeat and eluding to something good about to happen. Wish some good info would get out!

It's confusing. Swain seems optimistic like he knows good news. Basilio and Swain communicate but Basilio doesn't seem as optimistic bc Haslam is in the way.

 

[Nationdom]

This is also the guy trying to equate a Mullen hire to a Bobo or Brohm hire. Lol.

no actually i didn't. those were 3 distinct levels, all below what we should hire

 

[butchna]

Sounded a little clueless this morning. Like he was reading articles on some other team for the first time. :blink:

 

[jbr82]

Osborne retired after 1997. They are 171-85 since. Solich started off really well after Osborne. Nebraska is 76-40 since Fulmer left.

Tennessee is 154-95 since 1998. 57-53 since 2009. We did when the NC after Osborne left in 97. But after that I'd say Nebraska has been better overall

 

[CINCYVOL]

He is a moron. Both academics and sports can work.

They can, as long as they both know their roles. Academia these days is more akin to gender neutral pronouns and safe spaces. They need to get in the back of the bus and unleash the football factory again.

 

[DERELICK_MY_VOLS]

... and the idea we're going to get an NFL retread that hasn't coached in ten + years come in and save this collegiate program is magic wand, tooth fairy, and unicorn territory IMO. How did that the Big Tuna/Bill Parcells HOF coach returning to the NY Jets work out for them??? Super Bowl wins, amirite???? GTFOH with that BS.

During his first retirement, Dick Vermeil worked as a game analyst for both CBS (1983–87) and ABC Sports (1988–96), most of the time paired with Brent Musburger.

With the itch to get back into coaching after14 year s as a NFL sports analyst, Vermeil returned to coaching with the St. Louis Rams in 1997. His first two years with the Rams were abysmal: the Rams won 5 and lost 11 games in 1997, and the following season they went 4–12. The 1999 season looked to start just as badly, when new starting quarterback Trent Green was injured in the pre-season. However, Green's injury allowed then-unknown Kurt Warner to start. Under Warner, the Rams offense exploded, and they finished the 1999 season with a record of 13–3 in one of the biggest single-year turnarounds in NFL history. Vermeil led the Rams to their first ever Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXIV with a 23–16 win over the Tennessee Titans. He was also named NFL Coach of the Year for the second time for the 1999 season. He walked away from coaching again after the Rams' Super Bowl victory, which would be his only championship.

There is the other side to your negative coin if it does happen.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Not really i read last year that the 3 programs with the lowest academic requirements were GA ALA MISS. That may have changed but if not you can see who is number 1 and 2. I think there could be a happy balance somewhere there though

That's way off. The guy you responded to was right: good sports and good academics can run together.

Here are the actual 2017/2018 US News & World Report academic rankings for the SEC--keep in mind, there are hundreds of schools on this list...it's far more than just the 128 schools in Division I.

1. Vandy (14th in nation)
2. Florida (42nd)
3. Georgia (54th)
4. A&M (69th)
5. Tennessee (103rd (tie))
5. Auburn (103rd (tie))
5. South Carolina (103rd (tie))
8. Alabama (110th)
9. Missouri (120th)
10. LSU (133rd (tie))
10. Arkansas (133rd (tie))
10. Kentucky (133rd (tie))
13. Ole Miss (145th)
14. Mississippi State (171st)

So if you're looking for tail end charlies, those would be Ole Miss and Miss State. But Georgia is actually quite respectable, and Alabama is mid-range.

 

[columbia vol]

Sounded a little clueless this morning. Like he was reading articles on some other team for the first time. :blink:

Coach Matthews is one of the best for ut info.You may not always like what he says but I believe he knows what is going on up there.

 

[butchna]

Coach Matthews is one of the best for ut info.You may not always like what he says but I believe he knows what is going on up there.

He’s had a bad couple of weeks. You don’t need to try and educate me on the man. I’ve listened to him for awhile and could vote when he was still coaching.

 

[Volz4lif3]

He’s had a bad couple of weeks. You don’t need to try and educate me on the man. I’ve listened to him for awhile and could vote when he was still coaching.

Damn you’re voting privledges been taken away...

 

[barknoxbrawler]

Personally, I really don’t see a big difference between us and Nebraska at this point.

Nebraska has had some 10 win season sprinkled in to their last decade. We have not.

 

[butchna]

Damn you’re voting privledges been taken away...

I’m not presently voting...as in right now. What’s “privledges”? That the area outside of a bathroom window on higher floors?

 

[jasonvol18]

He makes it sound like Butch is still coaching for his job and the decision has not been made, yet. I am so upset.

Butch is not coaching for his job and I guarantee he knows Butch has been gone.

 

[columbia vol]

He’s had a bad couple of weeks. You don’t need to try and educate me on the man. I’ve listened to him for awhile and could vote when he was still coaching.

Okay wasn't trying to educate you just giving my opinion. Everything is good.

 

[Backwards K]

I agree with Both but I do believe with JG we have hope

Not sure what you see in this guy. Sure, he can take a punch but the Vols haven't scored a passing TD since he became the starter. Plus, he's not that athletic when he takes off running.

If the University can spend $340,000,000 to upgrade Neyland surely they can go shopping for coaches somewhere other than the MAC. Alabama "clearly overpaid" for Saban when they hired him for $4,000,000 per year 10 years ago! Looks like a very good return on their investment to me. Vols need better leadership on many levels.

 

[Volz4lif3]

Not sure what you see in this guy. Sure, he can take a punch but the Vols haven't scored a passing TD since he became the starter. Plus, he's not that athletic when he takes off running.

If the University can spend $340,000,000 to upgrade Neyland surely they can go shopping for coaches somewhere other than the MAC. Alabama "clearly overpaid" for Saban when they hired him for $4,000,000 per year 10 years ago! Looks like a very good return on their investment to me. Vols need better leadership on many levels.

I’m sorry I was talking bout Gruden not Qb..

 

[columbia vol]

He also took a shot at Ol Jim saying he hopes the people that have been making the decisions up there are not the same that will make this decision

 

[VolRoger]

It's confusing. Swain seems optimistic like he knows good news. Basilio and Swain communicate but Basilio doesn't seem as optimistic bc Haslam is in the way.

If I remember clearly, Swain said that he knows for fact that a really high quality pool of coaches are interested and inquiring about the UT job this time. He admitted that he does not know the specific coach UT ends up getting. I'm sure he's mentioned this to Basilio as they do claim to talk. Swain has been on Tony's show several times. I believe Tony's thought is that the Haslams will get in the way of UT making a good hire because of their desire to control the athletic department and university with their money and power. He also is basing this idea on the performance of the Cleveland Browns players, coaches, and front office since Jimmy Haslam bought that team. Tony has been clear that his feelings are speculative based on past history.