OK Vol friends, with the addition of OU-TX likely, what do we have to do to get competitive again with all these powerhouses?

#76
#76
Perfect the NIL system so that best players will come to UT. College football is now the NFL’s minor league, and we can’t get outbid.
 
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#79
#79
I know it’s been quite awhile, but think OU and Clemson. They were just like Tenn. USCw, UCLA, and Neb are going through it now. Football goes in cycles. Sometimes you are on top, such as Tenn in the 90s, and sometimes down, such as now. Even our rivals like Ga and Fl have had down times. Getting back on top doesn’t happen instantly, but improvement can happen quickly. Other than Kiffin’s year and a couple of Jones’ years, Tenn has not had a cohesive team where ”everybody” was on the same page and playing for team.
 
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#80
#80
We need to stop using Bama in this example. They got extremely lucky. They didn’t know, nor did anyone else for that matter, know Saban would become the GOAT. How do you attract a good coach to a program, when he knows he only has 3 years at best regardless of what he walks into?
How is hiring a NC winner by making him the highest-paid coach in D1 history getting lucky? I would call it getting serious about winning, which we have yet to do thanks to our execrable boosters.
 
#81
#81
How is hiring a NC winner by making him the highest-paid coach in D1 history getting lucky? I would call it getting serious about winning, which we have yet to do thanks to our execrable boosters.

2 comments. Do you think Fulmer could have done what Saban has done. He was a NC coach and nobody came after him. Best coaches (proven) are at big football schools. Those schools have the same money Tenn has, and can match anything Tenn offers. Too much money to outbid other schools.
 
#82
#82
2 comments. Do you think Fulmer could have done what Saban has done. He was a NC coach and nobody came after him. Best coaches (proven) are at big football schools. Those schools have the same money Tenn has, and can match anything Tenn offers. Too much money to outbid other schools.
Hugh Freeze is not at a big football school.
 
#83
#83
How do we get better? Hire a great coach like Alabama did with Saban. Not sure if Heupel is great or not. Sometimes great coaching hires on paper even end up being flops (Chip Kelly at UCLA, Tom Herman at Texas, and Bret Beliema at Arkansas stand out as home run hires initially that ended up being busts).
 
#84
#84
2 comments. Do you think Fulmer could have done what Saban has done. He was a NC coach and nobody came after him. Best coaches (proven) are at big football schools. Those schools have the same money Tenn has, and can match anything Tenn offers. Too much money to outbid other schools.
Fulmer was a NC coach that was already failing; Saban was three years removed from his NC. Fulmer was nine years removed from his and had gone 5-7 twice in four years. Saban has never had a losing record as a college coach.
 
#85
#85
Hugh Freeze is not at a big football school.

Comment was Bama hired Sabin and he was not a run of the mill hopeful, because he had won a NC at LSU. Freeze is not close to a NC winning coach. I think he may have a career losing SEC record, but not sure.
 
#86
#86
Comment was Bama hired Sabin and he was not a run of the mill hopeful, because he had won a NC at LSU. Freeze is not close to a NC winning coach. I think he may have a career losing SEC record, but not sure.
You said the best, proven coaches were at big football schools - Freeze is demonstrably one of the best, most proven coaches in college football. He has accomplished more than Saban had prior to arriving at LSU. Freeze has never had the opportunity to coach at a school with remotely the resources and recruiting power of LSU (or Tennessee).
 
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#88
#88
How is hiring a NC winner by making him the highest-paid coach in D1 history getting lucky? I would call it getting serious about winning, which we have yet to do thanks to our execrable boosters.

Because nobody knows what a HC will do at a new job. Frost was a winner at UCF. Kelly won at Oregon. Yet neither has done jack squat. There isn’t a soul on this planet that had any inkling that Saban would even come remotely close to what he is.

Hiring a college football coach is a flip of the coin.
 
#89
#89
Because nobody knows what a HC will do at a new job. Frost was a winner at UCF. Kelly won at Oregon. Yet neither has done jack squat. There isn’t a soul on this planet that had any inkling that Saban would even come remotely close to what he is.

Hiring a college football coach is a flip of the coin.
It's more like a slot machine pull.

There are very few coaches who have massive runs and keep/build dynasties. If we point to Fulmer, he didn't keep it...... Majors? Not really..... Neyland, okay, but that's ancient history.

Meyer built something at FL and OSU that he maintained awhile. Dabo and Saban are maintaining their runs.

For every OMG, amazing, dynasty building coach there's a few that get a run going, have success, then it fades away, but there's way, way, way more coaches that never build a significant winning program.

We're not going to "hire in" amazing greatness. It's not out there to hire. Like every other school, we're sitting here with this bowl full of quarters dropping them in the slot every 3-4 years. The odds are not with us, y'all.
 
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#92
#92
It's more like a slot machine pull.

There are very few coaches who have massive runs and keep/build dynasties. If we point to Fulmer, he didn't keep it...... Majors? Not really..... Neyland, okay, but that's ancient history.

Meyer built something at FL and OSU that he maintained awhile. Dabo and Saban are maintaining their runs.

For every OMG, amazing, dynasty building coach there's a few that get a run going, have success, then it fades away, but there's way, way, way more coaches that never build a significant winning program.

We're not going to "hire in" amazing greatness. It's not out there to hire. Like every other school, we're sitting here with this bowl full of quarters dropping them in the slot every 3-4 years. The odds are not with us, y'all.

That’s my point. But people think we can hire/fire our way to success and I just don’t see it working.
 
#95
#95
We need big money donors to start paying boat loads for 5 star players as soon as possible.

Everyday that goes by without it we fall further behind.

Think if players let it be known they will hit the portal to a team that can have an agent secure an enormous NIL deal. There will be a bidding war on a lot of QB's &RB's WR's LB's and edge rushers. We buy all of those top-shelf we are back. Not sure if this takes the edge off passionately pulling for a team or not. Just seems a little tainted.
 
#96
#96
We need big money donors to start paying boat loads for 5 star players as soon as possible.

Everyday that goes by without it we fall further behind.
This will not happen - don’t know what world you live in - but I don’t see it happening.
 
#97
#97
How do we get better? Hire a great coach like Alabama did with Saban. Not sure if Heupel is great or not. Sometimes great coaching hires on paper even end up being flops (Chip Kelly at UCLA, Tom Herman at Texas, and Bret Beliema at Arkansas stand out as home run hires initially that ended up being busts).

who are these great coaches Tennessee could get? i think Saban is a great coach. Dabo might be that category.. others? can't think of one. Neither of those would come to Tennessee if they doubled their salary.
 
#98
#98
H
We're at the doorstep of being a bottom dweller in football in the SEC. The league is adding even more power teams. I want us to get back if it's possible. Heck we are not even mentioned as being one of the top teams in the league anymore. WHAT must we do???
Have you seen Texas’ record the last decade?
 
#99
#99
We're at the doorstep of being a bottom dweller in football in the SEC. The league is adding even more power teams. I want us to get back if it's possible. Heck we are not even mentioned as being one of the top teams in the league anymore. WHAT must we do???
The SEC added a power team, not plural “teams”. Also, let’s see how many Kansas State land mines OU run into each and every year.
 
What we would have to do to be competitive again in football is leave the SEC. Especially if Alabama flips to the east division. It will not be good for us. I know we will probably never leave the SEC, but I do wonder what a hypothetical Appalachian conference might look like…

Tennessee
Kentucky
Ohio State
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Clemson
Georgia
North Carolina
Virginia
Vanderbilt
Pittsburgh
App State
Cincinnati
Georgia Tech

There I see a conference with impressive football, basketball, and academics. Would also renew a few old rivalries, and we could make the Battle at Bristol a regular thing. And we could keep or rotate and contract the rivalry games with Bama and Florida as permanent OOC opponents every few years. Win win
 
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