Quotes From Doug Matthews

#1

rexvol

The Minister of Defense
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#1
Let me say this, I've talked to enough key people, that at least in my own mind, I'm 100% sure of this, a change in coaching will not have anything to do with the financial situation at the University of Tennessee. I'm totally convinced of that.

Coach Dooley has made some obvious steps in the right direction, recruiting has improved, off the field stuff hasn't been a huge issues. I personally see improvement in him as a head football coach.

In my opinion he wasn't ready, and I think he's gotten better, but he also didn't come looking for the job either. We were in tough straits.

Rob Lewis & Doug Mathews
http://tennessee.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1423915
 
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#5
#5
He says the same thing I've been saying all along.

We simply don't have enough SEC type/Future NFL players on our roster...YET!

Look closely at the ONLY 2 real CDD recruiting classes and you will see alot more SEC type/future NFL players on our team so we ARE getting better and this WAS a projected 4 to 5 YEAR total rebuilding job that CDD took over and ONLY 2 recruiting classes aren't going to guarantee that UT gets a Win over top SEC teams that are all ranked in the top 15 Nationally.

Not many Sophs and Freshmen play alot in the SEC unless they're true 4* and 5* studs and they can learn the playbook fast.

I think Brian Randolph and the Croomster can become gamechangers but they're gone for the season.

Maggitt has been injured with a bad turf toe all season and that slows him down alot and he loses the push off ability to seperate from a blocker so he can make more tackles faster.

We're close to competing but changing to a 3-4 D takes NFL teams 2 YEARS to get it all down pat and we've only played 6 games.

In that article a former UT coach said he DID see our D getting better as the game went along.

We lost a fumble at the worst time and if that drive kept going and scored we still might have beaten MSU on their turf.

I see improvements and I know we're going to see more Wins and next season this team could be standing tall against the best the SEC can throw against us.

VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#8
#8
I don't see any improvements

Not sure if serious... If so look at the offensive line/running game. Im not on either side of the Dooley fence, I just want to win, but the offensive line/running game is days better than it was the past couple years.
 
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#11
#11
Not sure if serious... If so look at the offensive line/running game. Im not on either side of the Dooley fence, I just want to win, but the offensive line/running game is days better than it was the past couple years.

I've seen improvements in OL play and in the run game but we have a new line coach and new RB coach so some of the credit may need to go to those guys. OTOH, I haven't seen any improvement in concentration and on the field discipline. We continue to make boneheaded mistakes and penalties. Additionally our defense seems to have regressed tenfold. I would say that our STs are slightly better if only because we aren't muffing every single punt. So all in all I would say that we have taken one step forward and two steps back.

What worries me more though is not whether we have improved slightly it's that I don't see the gap between us and the top tier of the SEC narrowing next year either. Admittedly, I'm no expert.
 
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#13
#13
He says the same thing I've been saying all along.

We simply don't have enough SEC type/Future NFL players on our roster...YET!

Look closely at the ONLY 2 real CDD recruiting classes and you will see alot more SEC type/future NFL players on our team so we ARE getting better and this WAS a projected 4 to 5 YEAR total rebuilding job that CDD took over and ONLY 2 recruiting classes aren't going to guarantee that UT gets a Win over top SEC teams that are all ranked in the top 15 Nationally.

Not many Sophs and Freshmen play alot in the SEC unless they're true 4* and 5* studs and they can learn the playbook fast.

I think Brian Randolph and the Croomster can become gamechangers but they're gone for the season.

Maggitt has been injured with a bad turf toe all season and that slows him down alot and he loses the push off ability to seperate from a blocker so he can make more tackles faster.

We're close to competing but changing to a 3-4 D takes NFL teams 2 YEARS to get it all down pat and we've only played 6 games.

In that article a former UT coach said he DID see our D getting better as the game went along.

We lost a fumble at the worst time and if that drive kept going and scored we still might have beaten MSU on their turf.

I see improvements and I know we're going to see more Wins and next season this team could be standing tall against the best the SEC can throw against us.

VFL...GBO!!!

randolpsh and croom game changers? but their gone for the season? neither one changed a game while they were healthy. croom hopefully will be good down the road but to say he was a game changer is just plain dumb. excuses excuses....keep'em coming. nobody told clueless dooley to go to the 3-4. we can't play 4-3 or 3-4. we can't teach players how to tackle...doesn't matter where we line up. you think dooley is coaching them up?
 
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#14
#14
I've seen improvements in OL play and in the run game but we have a new line coach and new RB coach so some of the credit may need to go to those guys. OTOH, I haven't seen any improvement in concentration and on the field discipline. We continue to make boneheaded mistakes and penalties. Additionally our defense seems to have regressed tenfold. I would say that our STs are slightly better if only because we aren't muffing every single punt. So all in all I would say that we have taken one step forward and two steps back.

What worries me more though is not whether we have improved slightly it's that I don't see the gap between us and the top tier of the SEC narrowing next year either. Admittedly, I'm no expert.

we hire a running backs coach and our running game improves. how about hiring a head coach and our whole team improves. who's fault was it because he didn't think we needed a running backs coach? mmmmm dooley?
 
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#16
#16
we hire a running backs coach and our running game improves. how about hiring a head coach and our whole team improves. who's fault was it because he didn't think we needed a running backs coach? mmmmm dooley?

I think that's a good point. No matter which side of the fence you're on it has to make you wonder whether different coaches could get more out of our current roster like Graham and Pittman have.
 
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#17
#17
I don't see any improvements

I see improvements some areas, but I don't see improvements in other areas. I am really bothered that this coaching staff still has issues with time outs, counting players, and special team mistakes.

Plus until we beat a ranked team I think it is ok that you don't see any improvements. The closest Dooley ever came was year one. Beat a team that matters (we still have Bama and USCe left) and people can bang on their chest we improved.
 
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#19
#19
He says the same thing I've been saying all along.

We simply don't have enough SEC type/Future NFL players on our roster...YET!

Okay, this is BS.

Dallas Thomas, Ju'Wuan James, Antonio Richardson, CP, Hunter, Bray, AJ, McCullers aren't NFL caliber? Pretty much every scout will disagree with you. Then again, they don't hang their fandom on a school being tied to unequivocal support for what is pretty plain to see a coaching staff that has drastically under-utilized the talent on the roster.

The excuses have to stop. Just because we don't have the coaches to utilize talent doesn't mean we don't have it. This was how it was with Fulmer and Clawson.

"Arian Foster isn't an SEC type/Future NFL player."

Bad coaches will under-utilize talent. That's what Clawson/Fulmer did. That's what Dooley/Chaney/Sunseri are all doing. They have the talent. They are just not getting much out of it.
 
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#20
#20
I've seen improvements in OL play and in the run game but we have a new line coach and new RB coach so some of the credit may need to go to those guys. OTOH, I haven't seen any improvement in concentration and on the field discipline. We continue to make boneheaded mistakes and penalties. Additionally our defense seems to have regressed tenfold. I would say that our STs are slightly better if only because we aren't muffing every single punt. So all in all I would say that we have taken one step forward and two steps back.

What worries me more though is not whether we have improved slightly it's that I don't see the gap between us and the top tier of the SEC narrowing next year either. Admittedly, I'm no expert.

Not sure you can give the credit to new oline coach and rb coach and not Dooley, while putting blame on Dooley for defense, when we have all new D coaches as well. Not sure you can have it both ways.
 
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#21
#21
I think that's a good point. No matter which side of the fence you're on it has to make you wonder whether different coaches could get more out of our current roster like Graham and Pittman have.

In my mind they're the only 2 on the roster so far that will get a lot of attention in keeping their current position or even getting a promotion.

They've both done a fantastic job.
 
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#22
#22
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#23
#23
In my mind they're the only 2 on the roster so far that will get a lot of attention in keeping their current position or even getting a promotion.

They've both done a fantastic job.

Hinshaw has done a fantastic job recruiting and coaching. There maybe one or two more worthy of thought, besides who you mentioned, but definitely Hinshaw.
 
#24
#24
Not sure you can give the credit to new oline coach and rb coach and not Dooley, while putting blame on Dooley for defense, when we have all new D coaches as well. Not sure you can have it both ways.

You'll notice I said "some" of the credit in the post you quoted. But I think I agree with you that he gets credit for those two hires and he also gets the blame for the negative things. That's where the buck stops god and bad.
 
#25
#25
Not sure you can give the credit to new oline coach and rb coach and not Dooley, while putting blame on Dooley for defense, when we have all new D coaches as well. Not sure you can have it both ways.

I kind of agree with you, but I blame Dooley for stuff like timeouts, players not being managed correctly, attitude of the team, etc. Dooley just can't handle the position in a way that it needs to be handled.
 
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