OK Gentlemen I am a newbe to this board; I was not sure where to post my comment so give me a newbe break if I am in the wrong place.
I am a huge Vol fan from afar; I have actually visited Knoxville 20 years or more ago and that visit is one of the main reasons I stated following the Vols.
My confusion is this: I have always been under the impression that TN has always been a "Big Time" coaching job that great coaches want to identify with. A job like Oklahoma, TX, FSU, OSU, etc. But I look at the past and see guys like Kiffin, BJ, and Dooley. These are not Big Time coaches IMO. Hell, I had never heard of two of these guys before they were hired. If I were the AD at TN, elite coaches are all I would consider. But look at the past....does someone tie this guy's hands behind his back and dictate who he hires, or maybe he just has a different philosophy when it comes to what makes a successful coach? And even if he does, surely his last three hires would make him change his way of thinking? It just looks to me like it is not only time for a new HC, but a new AD as well. If I performed in my gig like he does, I would be looking for new work in a heart beat. I am not an idiot, but there has got to be something obvious I am missing here. I read all of your comments about we owe these past coaches so much, I get it. But this does not seem to be a fallback excuse at other major programs, so I am not able to completely buy in to this excuse. This just seems simple to me, but apparently the powers at TN just don't see it my way.
Thanks,
Shark.