Well gents, The hurricane is going to blow out our power sometime in the next 12 hours most likely... some speculate for up to 10 days, so maybe it is for the best that I miss the firing and heartless gloating of some... mostly not in this forum. So, this will be my only chance to do this most likely before it is very old news.
1. Hats off to Dooley. :hi: He has represented the University with class and has built a solid roster, stopped attrition, reduced off-field disciplinary problems, created the VFL program which appeals to parents and family oriented recruits and avoided any additional NCAA scrutiny that we were under. For these reasons, he should have our thanks and respect, regardless of what the end results were.
2. Back against the wall: The things he has had to battle, such as; staff turnover, injuries, players getting kicked off the team, NCAA investigation, strength of schedule, pretty much gave him a hand that he could do nothing with.
3. Small margin for error: We all knew the roster problems his first year, and the injuries that were sustained his second year were impossible to overcome. This was truly the first year that he had to prove his merit as a coach. Although there are still some depth issues, and some key injuries, the simple fact is that this team absolutely did have the talent to be able to beat some teams that we lost to, the only time we could accurately say that outside of the KY game last year. The sad truth is, he probably deserved another year, with only one year being a fair sample size so far. The sadder truth, is that we had no reason to believe it was going to get better, and a change is most likely the best move. I changed my avatar to the classic "I want to believe" poster from the x-files, with Dooley's head in place of the UFO. I wanted to believe... I tried... but in the end, we really can't anymore.
4. Sunseri/defense ended it: I posted earlier in this thread, that SEC defenses are averaging 21 points yielded this year. Last year, we averaged 22 points yielded. A middle of the road SEC defense of 21 points a game has us sitting at 6-2, with our only losses to FL and AL. Whether it is Sunseri or 3-4 adjustments, if we have just an average defense, Dooley is feeling pretty good right now and has an extension. Whether or not the current scenario of him leaving is a blessing or a curse, nobody knows yet.
5. Staff Turnover: I love this board for it's consistent inconsistency. As Dooley goes, most likely the entire staff goes... with the exception of maybe one. As terribly coached as people like to say we are (and I can hardly disagree), you can find scattered throughout the board, "Get rid of the whole staff except...(fill in the blank of every staff member") It's kinda funny. Personally, I think Graham, Pittman, Hinshaw, Chaney, and Palermo have earned their coin. It's a pipe dream to think that any coach would keep the lot of them though.
Good luck to Coach Dooley. He deserves every penny of his buyout. The fans give him hell and he has given his all for Tennessee. I think the second batman movie had the quote, "die a hero, or live long enough to be the villain." Every coach that does not die while coaching pretty much becomes the villain eventually.
I hope he proves us all wrong and is successful... outside of the SEC that is.
