I still don't understand all the animosity toward Butch Jones

[The_Big_Orange]

Him riding out his buyout within the confines of the North Korea of college football teams is really the only reason you or anyone else needs.

That move showed his character and lack of true pride. The guys a con artist

 

[UTwild82]

Unpopular opinion, but if I could draw that kind of cash while learning from the best to ever coach college football, that's EXACTLY what I would do. He will also get to network with many great assistant and position coaches. I think a lot of people complaining about it would do the exact same thing if they were being honest. I mean, he is working. It's not like he's laid up in the trailer park getting his monthly check, lol. It's just a low(er) paying / low(er) stress job where he can learn from the best, meet great coaches who could be part of his staff (if he gets an opportunity) or he could have the opportunity to be on their staff.

Don't like the fact he's getting that kind of buyout? That's on UT and the fact he has a great agent.

 

[rdk4121]

Butch just made so many obvious mistakes. Not keeping Chaney and Pittman, coming off the best O-Line in the country, and an incredibly high powered offense didn't make sense (though Bajakian wasn't that bad). Not hiring another strength coach that led to an enormous amount of injuries in 2016. Getting rid of Jancek and hiring Shoop just to micromanage him, even though Jancek was apparently better than shoop anyway. Obviously lying to players certainly doesn't endear yourself to anyone.

 

[RockyTop140]

Got paid peanuts by Bama for years after he was fired. Could’ve looked around for coordinator position or even HC gigs at smaller schools but decided he enjoyed making Nick Sabans coffee. Realized that he had it made with his buyout money from Tennessee and didn’t feel like being man in charge again. He can not handle the pressure of being HC at a big school

 

[DaddyChad]

Butch Jones is the biggest POS Tennessee has ever had as a HC. Dooley went out and immediately looked for work after being fired. Kiffin left us for another team but he also hasn’t sit on his thumbs looking for former teams to pay him to do nothing.

Jones was so bitter that he went to our rival and allowed us to foot the bill. He could’ve taken other jobs and worked his way back up the coaching ranks but he was never interested in being a winner at a high level.

 

[golfballs]

For me, the buyout (scheduled last payment Feb 2021) and his not trying to find employment to mitigate the buyout, as per the terms of his contract, tells the world the kind of person he is. He signed a contract, and hasn't honored his word to find real employment to offset the buyout, as the contract outlined. It's easy to believe he lied to players while he was coach, because he hasn't honored his word since being fired. This is all just my opinion from the outside, looking in.

I don’t blame him. And UT doesn’t seem to care either, otherwise they’d go after him for violating the terms.

 

[golfballs]

If people are pissed about Jones not looking for a real gig, why are they not pissed at the university for allowing him to get away w it?

 

[BowlBrother85]

Him riding out his buyout within the confines of the North Korea of college football teams is really the only reason you or anyone else needs.

That move showed his character and lack of true pride. The guys a con artist

One thing that is rarely mentioned, is that Derek Dooley turned down the opportunity to do the same thing that Butch Jones is doing - work as just a low paid "intern" and cash in on the full buyout. However, Dooley did at least mitigate his buyout to a small extent. Dooley accepted a full time role as the WR coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Dooley had even less incentive to work as a full time assistant than Butch Jones did, because Dooley's wife is an MD, and Dooley is himself, an attorney... and yet Dooley wasn't content to just wash Saban's car. He wanted to coach. It's hard to have much respect for the way Butch Jones has handled this situation.

 

[preacherwebb]

I don’t blame him. And UT doesn’t seem to care either, otherwise they’d go after him for violating the terms."

"If people are pissed about Jones not looking for a real gig, why are they not pissed at the university for allowing him to get away w it?

I blame him for not honoring the contract and seeking legitimate, like, employment, as stated in the contract he signed his name to.
The University is honoring the contract ... whether they should or not, at least they are being honorable.
That is the only point I was making.

If he can sleep at night, knowing he stole millions of dollars, well, that's on him.
And no, I'm not talking about the money he made while he was coaching here either.

 

[golfballs]

I blame him for not honoring the contract and seeking legitimate, like, employment, as stated in the contract he signed his name to.
The University is honoring the contract ... whether they should or not, at least they are being honorable.
That is the only point I was making.

If he can sleep at night, knowing he stole millions of dollars, well, that's on him.
And no, I'm not talking about the money he made while he was coaching here either.

Theyre paying him with money the university generates from taxpayers/fans. They should be obligated to hold him to the terms of the contract. I don’t think it’s very honorable to allow that to happen

 

[butchna]

If people are pissed about Jones not looking for a real gig, why are they not pissed at the university for allowing him to get away w it?

Because it hasn’t cost US anything. And it hasn’t deprived Fulmer of any money to hire or buy. As will happen with the Arkansas/Bieliema fracas, you’re spending money to lose money if you bring lawyers into it.

 

[butchna]

Theyre paying him with money the university generates from taxpayers/fans. They should be obligated to hold him to the terms of the contract. I don’t think it’s very honorable to allow that to happen

It’s money already in the budget and it’s out of the SEC Network haul. It may be honorable to end up paying his lawyers in an unwinnable case but it’s also stupid.

 

[golfballs]

It’s money already in the budget and it’s out of the SEC Network haul. It may be honorable to end up paying his lawyers in an unwinnable case but it’s also stupid.

It’s money the university would otherwise recoup. Of course less legal fees. But why even include it as a term of his buyout? And if it’s pointless then why should anyone be upset about it?

 

[The_Big_Orange]

If the NCAA doesn’t consider them coaches then a court wouldnt either.

 

[butchna]

It’s money the university would otherwise recoup. Of course less legal fees. But why even include it as a term of his buyout? And if it’s pointless then why should anyone be upset about it?

Because they’re determined. In these threads where we get ourselves riled up over events not in our control, it’s customary to fret over money being spent...like Barnes contract. FSU is forking out all of Taggart’s contract...regardless of what he banks. Charlie Weiss doubled up with Notre Dame and Kansas. Cost of doing business and it ends in February. Can’t recoup what’s already spent and as with Tennessee on any issue, lawsuits would be ridiculed on ESPN and other talking head entities. He failed and we paid him to go away. Over and done with.

 

[Boca Vol]

Because they’re determined. In these threads where we get ourselves riled up over events not in our control, it’s customary to fret over money being spent...like Barnes contract. FSU is forking out all of Taggart’s contract...regardless of what he banks. Charlie Weiss doubled up with Notre Dame and Kansas. Cost of doing business and it ends in February. Can’t recoup what’s already spent and as with Tennessee on any issue, lawsuits would be ridiculed on ESPN and other talking head entities. He failed and we paid him to go away. Over and done with.

This is, IMO, the main reason UT isn't doing anything about...and the fact that, technically, Butch is holding up his end of the deal. HR issues are very flimsy.

If UT went after Butch it would blow up in their face as these events don't exist in a vacuum. Not to mention UT's AD is Phil Fulmer who signed his own "sweetheart" deal just before he was let go...and fans love him. Go figure.

 

[TooLegit2Quit]

Dobbs literally carried Lyle on his back to his only wins of any real importance, in spite of his awful coaching at that. Beyond that guy was a platitude spewing bum incapable of taking responsibility for his failings as a head coach across the board as he left the program in an even worse position than he found it. Now he's sailed off into the sunset after his career riding Brian Kelly's coattails to be Saban's gimp.

As with everything though, our pathetic administration/athletic department should carry the blame for absolutely awful hires in multiple sports for a good decade plus. It's really inexcusable how little they seemed to care about our football and basketball programs in relation to profitability and fan support.

 

[MemphisVol77]

I can't add much to this thread that hasn't already been stated but I'm not certain if anyone has addressed how he ducked out on the team after the 2016 Vanderbilt loss.

I'd been lurking for years and joined the boards early in the 2016 season. I was a sunshine pumper all the way until the Vandy letdown. Then I ate my crow and washed it down with a jug of vandy pi$s, which is more than Butch did....

Despite the letdown of giving the East away after starting out 5-0 with wins over FL & GA, the season could still have been salvaged. All we had to do was beat Candy and we'd be 9-3 headed to the Sugar Bowl. A major New Years bowl & 10 win season would have been in play.

So after an unforgivable 2nd half collapse to cr@p the bed against Vandy, Butch only faced the press for approximately 2 minutes or less. I forgot what his silly excuse was (some kind of recruiting facade?) for ducking out. He then left it to our team captains to face the media and try and explain the letdown.

Inexcusable for a HC under those circumstances.

 

[VolInNW]

This is, IMO, the main reason UT isn't doing anything about...and the fact that, technically, Butch is holding up his end of the deal. HR issues are very flimsy.

If UT went after Butch it would blow up in their face as these events don't exist in a vacuum. Not to mention UT's AD is Phil Fulmer who signed his own "sweetheart" deal just before he was let go...and fans love him. Go figure.

Fulmer never came back as a Bama water boy and smoked a Bama victory cigar while posing for a photo desperately trying to look like a cool dude.

It's not the buyout, its Lyle's "in your face" attitude about it. This really isnt that hard to understand.

 

[VolinMichigan]

There were many on here praising Butch's character early in his tenure at UT. Plenty of proof on this board.

Early on it seemed like he was going to have success at UT. He fooled fans, players and recruits alike. Then all of his BS caught up to him and it culminated in the worst season in UT football history.

 

[VolinMichigan]

Unpopular opinion, but if I could draw that kind of cash while learning from the best to ever coach college football, that's EXACTLY what I would do. He will also get to network with many great assistant and position coaches. I think a lot of people complaining about it would do the exact same thing if they were being honest. I mean, he is working. It's not like he's laid up in the trailer park getting his monthly check, lol. It's just a low(er) paying / low(er) stress job where he can learn from the best, meet great coaches who could be part of his staff (if he gets an opportunity) or he could have the opportunity to be on their staff.

Don't like the fact he's getting that kind of buyout? That's on UT and the fact he has a great agent.

I think I’m more frustrated with the athletic Dept and incompetent administrators when it comes to his contract and buyout payments.

To your other point, I don’t know if he’s actually learning anything at Alabama. I guess nobody knows for sure but if I had aspirations to be a head football coach in college football, I don’t think I would go from three head coaching gigs to off field assistant. For me, it would be a pride thing. It’s like going from being a CEO to taking a job as an intern. Yes, he is collecting a massive paycheck for much less work, but after 3 head coaching jobs, he’s probably doing ok financially anyway. Personally if I had flamed our like Butch did at UT, I would be looking for any opportunity to prove that I can succeed as a HC. But that’s just me.

 

[Boca Vol]

Early on it seemed like he was going to have success at UT. He fooled fans, players and recruits alike. Then all of his BS caught up to him and it culminated in the worst season in UT football history.

The team mailed it in after the USC loss. It was the worst season but certainly not the least talented team UT had put on the field.

Even after Butch said Shy Tuttle tripped on a helmet, the Knoxville media was still toeing the line. Now, they, like the rest of UT fans, can't stand Butch. But up until "that moment" he had a lot of support.

 

[Boca Vol]

Fulmer never came back as a Bama water boy and smoked a Bama victory cigar while posing for a photo desperately trying to look like a cool dude.

It's not the buyout, its Lyle's "in your face" attitude about it. This really isnt that hard to understand.

So if Butch was an Ohio State waterboy the fanbase wouldn't have an issue with the buyout?

 

[VolInNW]

So if Butch was an Ohio State waterboy the fanbase wouldn't have an issue with the buyout?

It would still be an issue, but I am confident you wouldn’t have the same level of dislike for the man himself.

 

[Boca Vol]

It would still be an issue, but I am confident you wouldn’t have the same level of dislike for the man himself.

He went from most fans buying his BS (remember the brick by brick commercial, etc.) to being hated and fired in a pretty short time. He was the "jilted lover" and no doubt tried to stick it to UT. It worked. Some fans, as proof in this thread, are still upset.