Like any business priority 1 in the UTAD office is to make a profit on an on going basis. That requires giving the fans a reasonable bang for the buck. UT graduates 10s of thousands of new fans each year. Despite loosing fans thought poor on field performance, the base grows and the money flows.
To become a hard core fan you need to experience one or two great moments in football. I had the Mirical at Southbend, the beat down of Miami and the 98 Championship to lock me in. I have been a fan ever since, just waiting for that next moment. We have been a decade without an event that locks fans in. Having not had one we are loosing fans.
When TN won that natty, I said never fire Fulmer, no matter how many down years we have. He will raise the team from the ashes. I still feel he will, because he is a football player first, and an administrator second. We never should have fired him.
You may not like Phil, but his heart is in the right place. For the time being it is Phil that separates the football lovers from the pencil pushers. For the time being the pencil pushers see support waining and are supporting Phil in restoring athletics, to boost the cash flow.
What does that have to do with Mr Applewhite? Nothing directly. It does mean that CJP will get whatever he needs to hire the best OC he can attract.
I reviewed applewhite’s Resume. He seems ok but I don’t see a superstar OC in the making. He has managed his career well, moving frequently to get out of bad situations and into better ones. The guy jumped into coaching early. Had some reasonable success at lower levels but sputtered as the competition grew.
I haven’t seen him work through a tough spot except the one year early in his career.
I don’t think I would put him in a sink or swim situation.