It's interesting to see how many don't see us as top 10 destination.
It just seems contrary to our remarks on how easy it should be to hire a top 5 coach and staff.
i think most any school on this list could be a top 5 program, if it decided it wanted to be.
that said, i do think the past 10 years has run us down the list quite a bit. and there's always been some natural berriers for us...specifically in state recruiting historically. TN was always viewed as a program that had to recruit nationally to stay at/near the top. that's changed somewhat over the last 5-10 years with the up tick in in-state talent.
the biggest hurdle i think is simply the overall leadership dynamic, coming off the title IX, and having 4 coaches in 10 years, and the future of this one kind of in question.
despite all that, and my current feelings on CBJ, i do think we still have a good opportunity to get back to being a regular fixture in the top 2-3 of the East, and the SEC.
a lot depends on what happens with the AD hire, and the next year's recruiting cycle, and seeing if all these coaching changes are what turns the corner.
it's an opportunity to do more, but we won't know the result probalby for a year or two.
for now, i think the ranking is fair. if CBJ flames out, we'll drop, as more evidence of the leadership and direction of the program shift in the wrong direction, if the opportunity is taken advantage of, we should move up.