Gary Patterson - “Tennessee didn’t think I could handle the Big Stage”

#1

VolFreakJosh

“Don’t you put that evil on me Ricky Bobby!”
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#1
Looking back on the University’s numerous bad decisions, I’m so thankful we finally have an competent AD in Danny White that truly wants to win. Hamilton is a huge reason why we sucked for 10+ years due to his massive ego. I wonder how things would have turned out if we had replaced Fulmer with Patterson whenever we had the chance?

"Tennessee didn't think I could handle the big stage," Patterson said. "My wife and I went to dinner with them, and I could tell they had already decided on Kiffin. It was the same with Nebraska. I interviewed and could tell they had already decided on Pelini. I think a lot of these ADs now are more interesting in hiring guys who're going to win the podium than they are in hiring football coaches, and there's a lot more to it than that if you're going to win championships."
Patterson smiled when asked whether he would have taken either the Tennessee or Nebraska job had he been offered.
"It's sort of like the old Garth Brooks song. Sometimes the best prayers are unanswered prayers," Patterson said.
 
#6
#6
Looking back on the University’s numerous bad decisions, I’m so thankful we finally have an competent AD in Danny White that truly wants to win. Hamilton is a huge reason why we sucked for 10+ years due to his massive ego. I wonder how things would have turned out if we had replaced Fulmer with Patterson whenever we had the chance?
I feel confident in saying that we wouldn't have spent the last 20 years in football purgatory had he been chosen. A big mistake by our admin IMO. When I look at some of the basketball coaches we could have had as well, I just wonder where our men's programs might have been today if we'd made a couple of different decisions.
 
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#8
I agree he would’ve been better than the four chosen after we failed to hire him. He said it’s about winning championships. How many did and has he won?
 
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#11
We would have been a considerably better run program but a rung below the top level imo. His recruiting strategy would have maddened the Star police on here and would have taken considerably longer to replicate the high school ties that he already has established in Texas. A (slight) tic above Cutcliffe…once again…an opinion.
 
#12
#12
We would have been a considerably better run program but a rung below the top level imo. His recruiting strategy would have maddened the Star police on here and would have taken considerably longer to replicate the high school ties that he already has established in Texas. A (slight) tic above Cutcliffe…once again…an opinion.
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.
 
#13
#13
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.

Patterson would have definitely come. It's so much easier to compete for championships at Tennessee than TCU; particularly at that time.

Gundy at Okie State is a different situation. Gundy is from Oklahoma. He's an Okie State lifer. He was a star QB there. Him and his brother are both legends in Oklahoma football. The only reason he was interviewing elsewhere was because Okie State had one of the richest donors in the country (T. Boone Pickens) and Gundy knew he could get more money out of him.
 
#15
#15
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.
I don’t know what he would or wouldn’t have done, but taking the high road isn’t his first go to on this subject. He’ll hold court with any David Ubben type eager to dredge this hypothetical up more than a decade later. 😴
 
#16
#16
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.

No. Patterson was gonna come here. He wanted the job. Hamilton screwed it up.
 
#17
#17
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.

No. Patterson was gonna come here. He wanted the job. Hamilton screwed it up.
 
#18
#18
Patterson would have been more stable than the string of hires we had. But he wouldn't have beaten Saban, Myers or Richt anymore consistently in my opinion.
 
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#21
#21
Coaches love to claim that they "would have come" if offered. I'm not sure I buy this line from GP. He would have likely used an offer to get a bigger payday.....kind of like the Okla St guy who pretended to be interested several times but never was coming.

I don't think TCU was even in a power 5 conference yet. So he absolutely would have come if offered.
 
#22
#22
More than ever, I want the Heup to HOORAY! and silence all Vols-trampers henceforth, and they can kiss our orange behinds in the process.
 
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#24
#24
I think he could have and would have won here, at least for a while, right after we fired Fulmer had we hired him at that time.

You could have an expert panel arguing who was the worse of the 4 for Tennessee and they’d still be no consensus
 
#25
#25
The only thing that matters is where we'd be TODAY, and there's no better person for the job today than Josh Heupel.
It's a little early to make that declaration. He hasn't won anything yet. Hopefully he does; but until he beats Bama or UGA, the jury is out.
 
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