Legit question...why is Sonny Dykes even on “the list?”

[BigBear1995]

Who the hell is Sonny Dykes??

Derek Dooley 2.0

 

[BeardedVol]

Because his sister Maureen is assistant AD at SMU where Dykes is head football coach. Thus providing a boost to the SMU program indirectly I am guessing. Just a little shout out to his sis, maybe

Why would SMU want Dykes to have leverage to renegotiate better contract terms?

 

[N.ohio vol]

I wondered that myself. Seems like a lose lose?

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Blows my mind. Do you think other SEC schools even whiffed this guys name when they were searching for a coach? What has this guy done to prove anything? He’s barely above .500 as a head coach....basically worse than Butch Jones.

I just don’t get it. Someone enlighten me please

My take SD is a fall back option way down the list if multiple coaches told us no. Hopefully he is not a serious candidate.

 

[Vol865]

Blows my mind. Do you think other SEC schools even whiffed this guys name when they were searching for a coach? What has this guy done to prove anything? He’s barely above .500 as a head coach....basically worse than Butch Jones.

I just don’t get it. Someone enlighten me please

I got nothing

 

[jasonvol18]

Blows my mind. Do you think other SEC schools even whiffed this guys name when they were searching for a coach? What has this guy done to prove anything? He’s barely above .500 as a head coach....basically worse than Butch Jones.

I just don’t get it. Someone enlighten me please

I highly doubt he's an option. Think it's more misdirection or bad information. He's done well at non power 5 schools but his lone power 5 job didn't go so well. Can't see him as even being a legit option.

 

[901 Orange]

Derek Dooley 2.0

Enough said

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Why?

He's experienced, likely would take on the crapshow Pruitt has left. Has no known NCAA issues and has high scoring offense.

If he's hired it's likely because several people said no. Which isn't unexpected considering the instability here and the fact that this job has derailed multiple careers.

His record at Cal that ultimately got him fired isn’t encouraging.

 

[HiltonHeadVol]

I like where you’re at on this, but how does your coach being rumored to leave help a program like SMU? Are they hoping to pump and dump Dykes?

Dykes is mediocre at SMU. 22-14. Floating the rumor that he is desired by an SEC school would be viewed as a plus for your current coach and your program. Alternatively, I don't believe Pruitt was even rumored to get interest from ANY school. So there is that

 

[alvinkamara]

SD is a good guy, an above average offensive mind, but a poor CEO and face of the program......his skillset as a head coach does not fit our needs.

 

[Perspective]

Dykes is mediocre at SMU. 22-14. Floating the rumor that he is desired by an SEC school would be viewed as a plus for your current coach and your program. Alternatively, I don't believe Pruitt was even rumored to get interest from ANY school. So there is that

So pump and dump.

Maybe, but I wouldn’t think 22-14 at SMU results in that from the Administration.

I think it’s more likely those that represent Dykes are calling in a favor. But you’re right, the White-White connection is interesting

 

[volman128]

He's experienced

Yes, he's experienced ... at losing. I'd rather just name someone from the current staff as the HC over freaking Sonny Dykes.

 

[Col_Cathcart]

Went from having some hope for the future to being kicked in the balls, I'll always cheer for my Vols, bled orange since I was a itty bitty slapnut and I always will, but d@mn, Dykes, that just makes me sick!!!!

Take a breath. Some reporter throwing a name at the wall isn’t anything to get bent out of shape over.

 

[Indianavfl]

Do your research. Sonny Dykes is an offensive genius. He struggled at Cal but I’m sure learned a lot from that. Took a year to work with Gary Patterson after Cal. Has taken SMU to best record since they had the death penalty. He could work out at Tennessee but needs very strong Defensive coordinator. His teams will put up huge points. I just hate how Tennessee fans rail on anyone who is not a big name. Like all the great coaches want to come here when our program is in total disarray.

 

[Perspective]

Do your research. Sonny Dykes is an offensive genius. He struggled at Cal but I’m sure learned a lot from that. Took a year to work with Gary Patterson after Cal. Has taken SMU to best record since they had the death penalty. He could work out at Tennessee but needs very strong Defensive coordinator. His teams will put up huge points. I just hate how Tennessee fans rail on anyone who is not a big name. Like all the great coaches want to come here when our program is in total disarray.

Some coaches do improve and learn from mistakes. You’re right

So you’re confident he’s significantly improved from his Cal tenure? Must have been some year with Patterson!

If we can offer $7 million to proven commodities, we can land someone more likely to succeed than a guy barely removed from failure.

 

[SMU Vol]

I love Sonny at SMU. He would be way in over his head at Tennessee.

 

[hamburgerVol]

Sunny Sonny is chummy with Hal Mumme. Sunny Sonny is Spike Dykes II. Sunny Sonny wouldn’t be funny.

 

[DWright39]

Deleted

 

[MocVol]

This most likely has no bearing in anything of this Dykes-name floating for the U.T. job, but FWIW, the AD at SMU is Rick Hart who was the AD at Chattanooga immediately preceding his appointment as AD at SMU.

 

[Red Forman]

Probably because the non-officials creating these “lists” know throwing out a name like that creates traffic for their content.

Tossing out three very acceptable names won’t generate clicks like rage-bait names will.

Or they simply enjoy trolling and watching fans lose their minds.

Or the coach has an agent who gets his guy’s name mentioned simply to build up leverage.

The fact is no one at the university has released or will release a list.

 

[cgrish]

At some point you need someone to say yes.

There are plenty of good hc who would say yes, in the past we did not want to pay, but in the end, with buyouts etc, it has cost ut more hiring unsuccessful coaches than it would have to put up the money to make a good hire to start with. And the same thing will happen again, if the University doesn't pay to make a good hire.

 

[cgrish]

We have not seen Dr. White's list. Relax. This coaching search is being conducted the way one should be by one heck of an AD. Trust the process.

Why even hire a firm for a search?? Any ad should have knowledge of good football coaches, and go after the ones he wants. Example, Freeze, Kiffin either one would come here and do a great job, interview the two of them and make a decision. I see no need to pay for a firm to do a search. I only use those two as examples, I could list several more. Imo waste of money to hire a search firm.

 

[cgrish]

My take SD is a fall back option way down the list if multiple coaches told us no. Hopefully he is not a serious candidate.

From what I have read, we are prepared to offer like 8 million a year for a top coach. Do you really think, Kiffin, or Freeze either one would turn that down. Tom Herman?? Campbell? Bob Stoops. Leach, any of which would be better than the names I've seen. From what I understand, we are paying ad, the second highest pay in the nation, He should be allowed to find the best coach he feels is the best and have the authority to make them the second highest paid coach in the nation if need be.. So with that said, anyone who thinks we cannot get a top of the line coach are being delusional.

 

[Red Forman]

Why even hire a firm for a search?? Any ad should have knowledge of good football coaches, and go after the ones he wants. Example, Freeze, Kiffin either one would come here and do a great job, interview the two of them and make a decision. I see no need to pay for a firm to do a search. I only use those two as examples, I could list several more. Imo waste of money to hire a search firm.

Because search firms do a ton of the background work. ADs aren’t going to automatically know all the background details/closet skeletons on every target.

 

[cgrish]

Because search firms do a ton of the background work. ADs aren’t going to automatically know all the background details/closet skeletons on every target.

But I would think we would do our own back ground check as well.