On The Record: Is Hamilton to Blame?

[Tenacious D]

The involvement of several football players in a barroom brawl has certainly garnered its share of negative attention and criticism to be heaped onto our program, and some would say rightfully so. While this is the latest incident which now litters Tennessee’s recent history, it is neither isolated nor unique to the football program alone, but has also been evidenced by dozens of players in other major sports, as well. Given the expanse of time in which these incidents have occurred, both with undeniable and alarming regularity, it seems impossible to attribute them to any one group of players or coaches (i.e. the “bad apple” theory). Instead, I wonder if the problem isn’t much more endemic of more pervasive problems within the UTAD as a whole, and more importantly, with its leadership.

This begs the question: Given that Mike Hamilton has ultimate authority and responsibility as AD (including the hiring of coaches and dispensing of punishments), and that he is the one constant which has remained in place for several years, is he to blame for the continued off-the-field incidents which seem to plague our program? Is it Mike Hamilton who has welcomed, caused to occur, or failed to oppose and correct the very “culture” which have lead or allowed these things to occur on his watch?

Throughout his short tenure as head coach, Coach Dooley garnered widespread acclaim for his persistent efforts toward "changing the culture" of Tennessee's football program, and I wonder how everyone thought that the, “culture” got to be so misaligned to begin with.

 

[fernandomike]

I think it's a worthy question. My answer is yes, as athletics director, Hamilton shares in the blame that should also go around to others.
UT is a university first, and a football team second, third, fourth, or somewhere down the line. That should be our goal, not just winning football games. Yet, we still continue to be plagued with these incidents and the resulting negative media coverage more than just about any school in the country. As a UT grad, I'm not willing to pay that high of a price and I hope that most of you, whether alum or fan, feel the same way.
We either have to recruit a different type of student-athlete or do enough to discourage this type behavior from the ones that we do recruit. Mike Hamilton is the man who is charged with managing all of this. At least in this respect, he has failed miserably.

 

[volguess06]

the AD has nothing to do with a bunch of guys fighting at a club at 2 in the morning. i dont think very highly of MH, but how can you blame him for something like that?

 

[fernandomike]

the AD has nothing to do with a bunch of guys fighting at a club at 2 in the morning. i dont think very highly of MH, but how can you blame him for something like that?

He has plenty to do with it. He didn't tell them to go out there and beat the living crap out of a couple of people, but he is in charge of men's athletics at the university of tennessee. I would imagine that his job entails more than upping ticket sales and hiring coaches.

 

[TXA&M07]

He has plenty to do with it. He didn't tell them to go out there and beat the living crap out of a couple of people, but he is in charge of men's athletics at the university of tennessee. I would imagine that his job entails more than upping ticket sales and hiring coaches.

But it does not include baby sitting some college kids while they're at a bar till 2 a.m. Get real.

Its the individual's fault.

 

[txvolsfangatorh8r]

He has plenty to do with it. He didn't tell them to go out there and beat the living crap out of a couple of people, but he is in charge of men's athletics at the university of tennessee. I would imagine that his job entails more than upping ticket sales and hiring coaches.

so you are saying that who ever has the position of authority is totally responsible for the actions of those who are under the authority? in that case its the polices fault that this happened. afterall they are the authority in knoxville and they should be blamed when residents "misbehaved".

 

[bleedin' orange]

Unfortunantly not. I wish it were a simple fix by axing the AD but this will not get the job done. It will just take time and the philosophy that CDD is bringing to the table.

 

[volroadwarrior]

This is not MH's fault. He has acknowledged his responsibility, but volguess06 is right. Four and five star players are not all choir boys and have been pampered all of their lives and have little sense of reality. Exception may have been Eric Berry. I believe that Andre Lott has been hired so we can take some high risk 4 and 5 stars and mold them into players who will stay, play and not embarass the university. We would be screaming to high heaven if we continuously turned away great athletes with marginal character. Some snickered at the character program as another feel good measure, but I believe it has a real and important purpose for the program.

 

[raherndon]

It would easily be considered Dooley's problem before Hamilton. This is ridiculous and just taking up board space.

 

[Kvol87]

on the record. NO

 

[LWSVOL]

The involvement of several football players in a barroom brawl has certainly garnered its share of negative attention and criticism to be heaped onto our program, and some would say rightfully so. While this is the latest incident which now litters Tennessee’s recent history, it is neither isolated nor unique to the football program alone, but has also been evidenced by dozens of players in other major sports, as well. Given the expanse of time in which these incidents have occurred, both with undeniable and alarming regularity, it seems impossible to attribute them to any one group of players or coaches (i.e. the “bad apple” theory). Instead, I wonder if the problem isn’t much more endemic of more pervasive problems within the UTAD as a whole, and more importantly, with its leadership.

This begs the question: Given that Mike Hamilton has ultimate authority and responsibility as AD (including the hiring of coaches and dispensing of punishments), and that he is the one constant which has remained in place for several years, is he to blame for the continued off-the-field incidents which seem to plague our program? Is it Mike Hamilton who has welcomed, caused to occur, or failed to oppose and correct the very “culture” which have lead or allowed these things to occur on his watch?

Throughout his short tenure as head coach, Coach Dooley garnered widespread acclaim for his persistent efforts toward "changing the culture" of Tennessee's football program, and I wonder how everyone thought that the, “culture” got to be so misaligned to begin with.

he can certainly affect it in the future. all he has to do is imlpement the following:

Attention all coaches:

1. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not break any laws. Doing so is immendiate expulsion from the respective program.

2. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not fail any drug or alcohol tests. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

3. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not miss any scheduled classes unless the coach verifies a valid reason to miss. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

4. All Athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not be out of their dorm or home after midnight anytime they are required to be in school. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

Probably those 4 simple rules coming from Hamilton to the coaches at Tennessee would handle the problems..

 

[fernandomike]

But it does not include baby sitting some college kids while they're at a bar till 2 a.m. Get real.

Its the individual's fault.

Get real? Relax bro, it's just my opinion. Mine doesn't have to be the same as yours.
Anyway, the problem is that this is hardly an isolated incident, but your question to me treats it as one. In answer to that question, "no," Hamilton's job doesn't "include babysitting college kids at a bar till 2 a.m." What it does include is making sure that our roster isn't full of margin kids and that our coaches are both tough and consistent when handing out discipline.
If a culture change is going to be made at UT, then it's going to require folks on all levels to start taking more responsibility. And yes, I am including the players who obviously bear the most responsibility in these matters. Still, we don't need Mike Hamilton or anyone else with power in the athletic department walking around like there is nothing that they can do to fix things. That's as real as I see things.

 

[raynochonspeed]

Is Mike Hamilton to blame for Tennessee's off-the-field issues?

Sure. Why not?

 

[kptvol]

Four and five star players are not all choir boys and have been pampered all of their lives and have little sense of reality.

Someone certainly has no sense of reality.

 

[fernandomike]

You guys are saying that the CEO of the athletic department is completely incapable of positive impact within his own athletic department? If he is capable of doing something, then why hasn't he?

 

[Peter Griffin]

you cant blame hammy for the arrests but you can blame him for where tennessee football is at right now

 

[Coastypop]

he can certainly affect it in the future. all he has to do is imlpement the following:

Attention all coaches:

1. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not break any laws. Doing so is immendiate expulsion from the respective program.

2. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not fail any drug or alcohol tests. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

3. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not miss any scheduled classes unless the coach verifies a valid reason to miss. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

4. All Athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not be out of their dorm or home after midnight anytime they are required to be in school. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

Probably those 4 simple rules coming from Hamilton to the coaches at Tennessee would handle the problems..

I like it old school...just like this^^^ :good!:

 

[Coastypop]

you cant blame hammy for the arrests but you can blame him for where tennessee football is at right now

And just what would you have done different? I do not mean that being smart but... Would you have kept Fulmer, or fired hime quicker, or Not hired Kiffin, and if not who and would you ever hired Dooley... just wondering

 

[fernandomike]

Sounds like Hammy understands his job much better than most here do.

" Hamilton acknowledged that he is held accountable. Asked if incidents such as these put his job on the line, the athletics director replied, "You'd have to ask my bosses that, but, hey, part of my list of responsibilities are the image of the institution."

Frank Munger
knoxnews.com

 

[VOLNBAMA]

he can certainly affect it in the future. all he has to do is imlpement the following:

Attention all coaches:

1. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not break any laws. Doing so is immendiate expulsion from the respective program.

2. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not fail any drug or alcohol tests. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

3. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not miss any scheduled classes unless the coach verifies a valid reason to miss. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

4. All Athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not be out of their dorm or home after midnight anytime they are required to be in school. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

Probably those 4 simple rules coming from Hamilton to the coaches at Tennessee would handle the problems..

Probly wouldn't be able to field a team. Parents are more to blame than the AD.

 

[bleedorange0037]

I lay our struggles on the field at his feet much more so than our troubles off it.

 

[Lexvol]

he can certainly affect it in the future. all he has to do is imlpement the following:

Attention all coaches:

1. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not break any laws. Doing so is immendiate expulsion from the respective program.

2. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not fail any drug or alcohol tests. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

3. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not miss any scheduled classes unless the coach verifies a valid reason to miss. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

4. All Athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not be out of their dorm or home after midnight anytime they are required to be in school. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

Probably those 4 simple rules coming from Hamilton to the coaches at Tennessee would handle the problems..

:lolabove: Has Eric stolen your username and passord L'Dub?

 

[Peter Griffin]

And just what would you have done different? I do not mean that being smart but... Would you have kept Fulmer, or fired hime quicker, or Not hired Kiffin, and if not who and would you ever hired Dooley... just wondering

I would have probably let Fulmer go after 2008... A lot of people say fire him after 2005 but the man deserved a second chance and we did pretty well in 2006 and 2007... But if I was AD... I would have been going for Chris Peterson all along... Not that Lane Kiffin wasn't an attractive head coach to hire with the staff he could bring in and the recruiting credentials

 

[GahLee]

Not his fault, you cannot control these kids, they are young and dumb and are bound to make mistakes.

 

[utkell65]

he can certainly affect it in the future. all he has to do is imlpement the following:

Attention all coaches:

1. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not break any laws. Doing so is immendiate expulsion from the respective program.

2. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not fail any drug or alcohol tests. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

3. All athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not miss any scheduled classes unless the coach verifies a valid reason to miss. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

4. All Athletes on scholarship at the University of Tennessee shall not be out of their dorm or home after midnight anytime they are required to be in school. Doing so is immediate expulsion from the respective program.

Probably those 4 simple rules coming from Hamilton to the coaches at Tennessee would handle the problems..

1. Agree with a caveat, going out and getting a speeding ticket is breaking the law (yeah I know it's being nit picky, but you did say any law). I would think that the coaches would need to address what will get them a suspension and what would get them dismissed from the team.

2. Agree, but define failing an alcohol test. Is that showing up to class, team meetings or practice with alcohol on your breath or is that rolling in looking like you have been on a weekend long bar run but no smell of alcohol or is that a no drinking period rule? If it's the last one, we would be lucky to break into the top 100 in recruiting.

3. Totally agree

4. Agree, but how do you enforce the rule? You can't do it by calling. They would just say yes coach I'm at home or in my room. That means you have to hire additional people to go around to each players residence to verify that they are in fact where they are suppose to be.

Or is this what I suspect it is? A swipe at TD