Handling the Kevin Steele situation

[Orange Raid]

This has just been weird from the start.

 

[VolForLife83]

This has just been weird from the start.

New staff has new plans. It's that simple

 

[jhen713]

Why can't we make him a analyst like Saban did with Butch?

Because his car washing skills aren't up to par.

 

[Hallie]

Why can't we make him a analyst like Saban did with Butch?

Cause Butch made 35,000 from Bama .. we are paying 450,000 for Steele ... keep him if he seems like he wants to stay .. if he is gonna be a cancer then you may be forced to let him go .. as far as we know he has been very professional and working .. but guess remains to be seen ..

 

[GregAmsler]

Cause Butch made 35,000 from Bama .. we are paying 450,000 for Steele ... keep him if he seems like he wants to stay .. if he is gonna be a cancer then you may be forced to let him go .. as far as we know he has been very professional and working .. but guess remains to be seen ..

According to VQ, Steele hasn’t been in the office in over two weeks.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

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.

According to several of my old contacts back in that fair state, the majority of the reports of Steele being involved in the decision to fire Gus involving SMOKE was from folks wearing tin foil hats and the smoke was not from fires, but pipes with something other than tobacco in them. Was he willing to listen to overtures to become the HC.? Yep. Just like CPF was here. But both of their bosses made their own beds and they and their supporters were looking for diversions from their records and actions as the basis for their ousters. It is impossible to prove one way or the other, but I don't think either coach survives if THESE assistants were not on staff.

 

[Tman44]

The most infuriating thing to me in the Kevin Steele saga is that we did not give Kevin Steele $900,000.00 per se. He has a lot more than that coming his way from the Auburn buyout. Now, due to our supreme incompetence, Auburn is off the hook for $900,000.00 they would have paid Steele. UT just cut a $900,000.00 check to Auburn. Kevin Steele's finances did not change one bit by coming to Tennessee.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Keeping Coach Steele puts Coach Banks in a tough spot. Steele has been coaching since the 80s and Banks is really getting the full DC spot for the first time. Banks certainly didn't pick Steele even if he welcomes having Steele on his staff.

Even unintentionally, Steele is going to be the senior voice in the room. It's the problem we likely had with Fulmer in the film room or at practice; his voice probably carried a little more weight than it should have.

I'm not dissing Steele and I wish he could stay because his experience WOULD help but I think he'd dilute the authority Coach Banks needs.

 

[Hallie]

According to VQ, Steele hasn’t been in the office in over two weeks.

Well if that's case .. then why haven't they fired him for cause .. ???

 

[GregAmsler]

Well if that's case .. then why haven't they fired him for cause .. ???

Without seeing his contract, I don’t know that that qualifies as cause. The qualifiers are typically pretty specific.

 

[rocytop2624]

Keeping Coach Steele puts Coach Banks in a tough spot. Steele has been coaching since the 80s and Banks is really getting the full DC spot for the first time. Banks certainly didn't pick Steele even if he welcomes having Steele on his staff.

Even unintentionally, Steele is going to be the senior voice in the room. It's the problem we likely had with Fulmer in the film room or at practice; his voice probably carried a little more weight than it should have.

I'm not dissing Steele and I wish he could stay because his experience WOULD help but I think he'd dilute the authority Coach Banks needs.

If the are both smart they would work together. Banks could not act like a know it all and learn anything he can about SEC and Steele being a VFL and near the end he could mentor him and earn his keep.

 

[GrayWaterCanine]

Well if that's case .. then why haven't they fired him for cause .. ???

They want him burning up vacation days so they don't add to the payout later.

 

[Carp]

According to VQ, Steele hasn’t been in the office in over two weeks.

I read last week he was still recruiting for us.

 

[FïreBall]

I read last week he was still recruiting for us.

.. And breaking down film for the staff. Not sure where I read that though.

 

[Vato]

How many reasons can Tennessee think up for not hiring the best available man for the job? And he is already hired! Hint: Kevin Steele.

 

[Hallie]

They want him burning up vacation days so they don't add to the payout later.

He don't get vac

 

[Hallie]

He don't get vac

He don't get vacation days.. aint been there long enough ..

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

If the are both smart they would work together. Banks could not act like a know it all and learn anything he can about SEC and Steele being a VFL and near the end he could mentor him and earn his keep.

So the DC should defer to someone he supervises? That just undermines Banks from the start. That's basically saying "You're not good enough to have this job so learn from your assistant."

That's not workable.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

So the DC should defer to someone he supervises? That just undermines Banks from the start. That's basically saying "You're not good enough to have this job so learn from your assistant."

That's not workable.

Maybe they can come up with a job working for DW that would appeal to him and be beneficial to UT. Maybe a new direction for him if that appeals to him at all.

 

[wmcovol]

It depends what the contract says the position is he was hired for. If it was assistant FB coach, then that’s what he’ll have to be otherwise UT owes the money.

It might be he’s an employee of the AD and in that case, they can have him cut grass among other things. Who knows.

If it’s like everything else Fulmer did as AD, it’s probably fu&ked up and UT will have to pay.

 

[chrismc1000]

If the are both smart they would work together. Banks could not act like a know it all and learn anything he can about SEC and Steele being a VFL and near the end he could mentor him and earn his keep.

That would make too much sense man

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Maybe they can come up with a job working for DW that would appeal to him and be beneficial to UT. Maybe a new direction for him if that appeals to him at all.

Like many here, I wonder about the specifics of his contract. If he was promised in writing a "defensive" position, it's going to be tough to morph that into an assistant to the AD, recruiting office, or whatever admin position without him walking for breach of contract and still getting paid.

Steele seems to have recruited for UT (though I'm not aware of an actual signing/commitment attributed to him) and I'm all for him staying as anything from a position coach to assistant-DC as long as Coach Banks is clearly in charge of the room.

I hate that Coach Steele is in this position and I'll trust him to do the right thing for the Vols, in the end, even if it means walking off with $900k for very little work.

 

[thistime]

The most infuriating thing to me in the Kevin Steele saga is that we did not give Kevin Steele $900,000.00 per se. He has a lot more than that coming his way from the Auburn buyout. Now, due to our supreme incompetence, Auburn is off the hook for $900,000.00 they would have paid Steele. UT just cut a $900,000.00 check to Auburn. Kevin Steele's finances did not change one bit by coming to Tennessee.

You can thank Fulmer for that, even though somebody had to sign off on it he initiated it. He was determined to hire Steele if and when Pruitt got fired he just didn't think he would be asked to leave as well. Fulmer also gave Holly Warlick a big raise before she was let go, he was good at taking care of friends.

 

[wmcovol]

Like many here, I wonder about the specifics of his contract. If he was promised in writing a "defensive" position, it's going to be tough to morph that into an assistant to the AD, recruiting office, or whatever admin position without him walking for breach of contract and still getting paid.

Steele seems to have recruited for UT (though I'm not aware of an actual signing/commitment attributed to him) and I'm all for him staying as anything from a position coach to assistant-DC as long as Coach Banks is clearly in charge of the room.

I hate that Coach Steele is in this position and I'll trust him to do the right thing for the Vols, in the end, even if it means walking off with $900k for very little work.

I havent heard Steele walked in with guns loaded so he’s entitled to the money in the contract if Tennessee doesn’t fulfill their obligation...... unless ole Plowman can hang some violations on him. Lol

 

[Tman44]

You can thank Fulmer for that, even though somebody had to sign off on it he initiated it. He was determined to hire Steele if and when Pruitt got fired he just didn't think he would be asked to leave as well. Fulmer also gave Holly Warlick a big raise before she was let go, he was good at taking care of friends.

I think that could be proper speculation on it being a Fulmer hire. I have not heard anything trustworthy and definitive that convinces me 100% that Fulmer hired him. Looking at timelines on the whole debacle, it is more than plausible that Donde knew Phil and Pruitt were going to be axed before the Steele hire. I honestly don't know for sure; however, I wouldn't bet against the Steele hire coming from above Fulmer as an insurance policy.