SPRINGER AND JOHNSON RUN RUN RUN ALA ERNIE, BERNIE AND MIKE

#26
#26
USAFgolferVol said:
Dickey was gone 8 years before Mears. Dickey left at the end of 1969 and Mears left in summer of 1977. Bi-polar disorder was the catalyst to Mears resignation. At that time, it was called depression. He went on to be AD for a couple of years at UT-Martin
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Mears began in 1962 while Dickey was football coach. Neyland was AD but died not knowing Mears had been hired. 1967 was the year Mears, Dickey and Chuck Rohe won the SEC title for bb, football and track. Mears asked for a leave of absence for his disorder and the announcement he had ”resigned” came as a shock to him. He said he thought it was pay back for going over the AD’s head to Dr Boling for his budget reinstatement in 66. Mears made Woodruff a proposal to let his assistants coach on the floor and he would supervise while he was trying to get better. That was denied and the release of his “resignation “ was given to the press on March 6, 1978. Woodruff got his revenge. So BB was a danger to exceed football and that was corrected. BB now exceeds football. Karma?
 
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#27
#27
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Dickey accepted the Florida job in 1969 just before losing to Florida in the Gator Bowl. Mears quit sometime after the conclusion of the 1976-77 season.
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True, their tenures overlapped. 1967 they both won the SEC. Mears was a danger to football. Can’t have that.
 
#28
#28
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Dickey accepted the Florida job in 1969 just before losing to Florida in the Gator Bowl. Mears quit sometime after the conclusion of the 1976-77 season.
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One could speculate Dickey didnt want the bb competition. It was plain to us BB fans he thought very little of it while AD at TN.
 
#29
#29
USAFgolferVol said:
Dickey was gone 8 years before Mears. Dickey left at the end of 1969 and Mears left in summer of 1977. Bi-polar disorder was the catalyst to Mears resignation. At that time, it was called depression. He went on to be AD for a couple of years at UT-Martin
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They were there together. Both won Sec titles in 67.
 
#30
#30
beamerman said:
True, their tenures overlapped. 1967 they both won the SEC. Mears was a danger to football. Can’t have that.
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Mears was the most exciting BB coach I have seen at Tennesseein the over 75 years I have watched Tennessee basketball. It is a shame he had some mental problems. He was away from the team twice and just could not handle the demons. Stu Aberdeen, Mears' assistant, was a terrific coach in his own right, and was the best recruiter in basketball when he was with Mears at Tennessee. Mears came up with"Big Orange Country" . I don't think anyone considered Mears was a threat to football even though he brought a lot of excitement to Tennessee.
 
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#31
#31
VOLINVONORE said:
Mears was the most exciting BB coach I have seen at Tennesseein the over 75 years I have watched Tennessee basketball. It is a shame he had some mental problems. He was away from the team twice and just could not handle the demons. Stu Aberdeen, Mears' assistant, was a terrific coach in his own right, and was the best recruiter in basketball when he was with Mears at Tennessee. Mears came up with"Big Orange Country" . I don't think anyone considered Mears was a threat to football even though he brought a lot of excitement to Tennessee.
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Woodruff seemed to feel bb threat was real. Tn bb was getting more talk and was putting people in the seats. No way would it ever produce more but popularity was high. I do know for a fact Rick Barnes could have been hired before he went to Texas but Dickey went cheap not caring if bb thrived or not. I wonder if there was still some resentment from those days.
Funny thing, Coach Mears gave me some little nuggets for my youth bb teams that were amazing and gave us some wins. Great bb mind.
 
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#32
#32
VOLINVONORE said:
Mears was the most exciting BB coach I have seen at Tennesseein the over 75 years I have watched Tennessee basketball. It is a shame he had some mental problems. He was away from the team twice and just could not handle the demons. Stu Aberdeen, Mears' assistant, was a terrific coach in his own right, and was the best recruiter in basketball when he was with Mears at Tennessee. Mears came up with"Big Orange Country" . I don't think anyone considered Mears was a threat to football even though he brought a lot of excitement to Tennessee.
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Seems like good sports programs would compliment one another, not complete with each other? How does bball being good hurt football?
 
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#33
#33
beamerman said:
Woodruff seemed to feel bb threat was real. Tn bb was getting more talk and was putting people in the seats. No way would it ever produce more but popularity was high. I do know for a fact Rick Barnes could have been hired before he went to Texas but Dickey went cheap not caring if bb thrived or not. I wonder if there was still some resentment from those days.
Funny thing, Coach Mears gave me some little nuggets for my youth bb teams that were amazing and gave us some wins. Great bb mind.
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Indeed he was a great basketball mind. He made basketball what any sport should be, entertainment.
 
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#37
#37
walkenvol said:
Seems like good sports programs would compliment one another, not complete with each other? How does bball being good hurt football?
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I don’t know but I would like to hear from Bear Bryant on this subject. Adolph Rupp had it in for him when he coached Ky.
 
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