Perhaps The Question Has Become, "Who Would Have Us?"

[Mallicoat]

Pay no attention to the Media ahholes! We are Tennessee! The fans deserve better than the last ten years! The University is at fault not the fans for this coaching fiasco!
I say let Fulmer take the reins until a top notch coach is in place! My opinion! Please don’t go out and hiring a non effect coach! I would take Kiffin right now!

 

[VolFan..But]

Who would have us? No one that is currently employed and successful unless it is a big time step up financially. No one wants to deal with delusional fans expectations, Currie or a school that mistreated a Hall of Fame legend.

 

[MedicT]

Who would have us? No one that is currently employed and successful unless it is a big time step up financially. No one wants to deal with delusional fans expectations, Currie or a school that mistreated a Hall of Fame legend.

Very true......but the delusion is strong.

 

[jakez4ut]

there are 4 coaches that would take the job right now...

Dave Dorien
Tee Martin
Les Miles
Lane Kiffin

 

[JACK8254]

To a great extent I feel what was once an attractive destination for many coaches around the country, has become a toxic prospect. A marked institution. It didn't happen overnight, but the events of a single day sealed the deal. Clearly the swaths of this fan base that contributed greatly to the hanging of Greg Schiano, a man convicted of nothing, proven guilty of nothing, have not even a clue of the stain they have put on this program, this university, this state, by their shameful reaction to the prospect of Schiano coming here. If it was hard to get a great coach before, it's likely impossible now. Sure money talks, so does gross and self righteous indignation. You think men of honor, accomplishment and integrity would be proud to represent this fan base after what they've seen? Few if any.

Before Schiano the nation was watching this coaching search with fascination. Now they watch with disgust, and so do many coaches. We were once a program of proud tradition. Now I imagine most coaches liken coming here to swallowing poison, and honestly, I can't blame them.

I've been asking myself the past couple days what keeps me rooting for the Tennessee Volunteers. I still and always will cheer them on I think because of the memories of my childhood, the tradition of being a Vol being handed down from my father and older siblings, because of John Ward, the greatest game caller in the history of the sport. But I feel no real kinship with many of the "fans." I just don't anymore.

In a perfect world, I think we forget about searching for the perfect coach for a minute and see about replacing the fan base.

Our fan base is no worse than LSU, Aub, or Fla.

 

[Vol7777]

The fans have never been the problem. If a coach in the SEC or anywhere else is worried about the fans or a forum then he isn't the man for the job anyway. Anyone who has ever coached or even had a job with a boss he couldn't trust knows what our problem is. The job is being passed over because no one trusts the admin here , plain and simple. No one wants to play for the Browns either and it has nothing to do with the fans. How is our fan base any worse than any other school? If Alabama went 0-8 in sec play would their fans be happy?

 

[Max Headroom]

Thanks for removing any doubt about the stupidity of a certain segment of those who consider themselves fans.

It was a rhetorical question. And I'd be careful about calling names.

 

[VOLED]

we aren't serious about winning. We hire coaches and "hope" that they are better than average. We don't look to get the best - in any sport - and it shows.

 

[Voltopia]

I agree completely. We watched a segment of Tennessee fans behave uglier than anything I can recall in memory. They use two lines of testimony from a lawsuit, in which the suing party relayed what someone else told someone else, who then told him third-hand almost twenty years ago, as IRONCLAD evidence that Greg Schiano did SOMETHING, even though they cannot prove their claims or even remotely articulate Schiano's supposed actions aside from a general association with the football program. "Oh, well, he must have done this, there's just no way he didn't." And then, after these people malign this guy's character and materially damage his career, using something that has no proof and has been investigated for years, they applaud one another and say "mission accomplished." They got what they wanted.

And, after that guy withdraws, these same fans have the temerity to act astonished as other coaches take a look at the Tennessee environment and say "yeah, I'll pass." An environment where a mob used slander to threaten both the interested coach and the Tennessee athletic department itself, to get their way. I completely understand being underwhelmed by the Schiano hire, and I have wanted us to break the bank for a big name hire, but not like this. Not in such an ugly way.