Steele should have never been interim!

#26
#26
Steele was the wrong guy at the wrong time to be interim. If there were to be an interim it should have been Chaney a true interim who dorsn't want to be a HC and has a rapport with the kids on campus now. Even this piece has been highly bungled IMO.
 
#27
#27
supersmo18 said:
As painful as this is, it makes the most sense. We essentially gave ourselves as close to a death penalty as possible, hoping that the 'AA will go easier. Who knows what they actually do? At the end of the day, we needed someone to guide us through this with the hopes of being a stable adult and doing things the right way. And at least if he's gonna cheat, be good at it and hide his tracks.
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What's up with you and your Avi? You always have that actor?
 
#28
#28
I highly doubt Pruitt or Fulmer hired Steele. The timing is too suspect. Steele was hired by the administration to be the interim. I don't despise the hire. I think it makes sense and provides stability.
 
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#29
#29
dcibrando said:
Steele was a good move IMO because we need someone who’s an adult with some stability right now and he might even be the next DC if we bring in a younger HC

Or he may end up as HC is no one good wants the job.
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We don't need another young coach, what we need is a coach who knows how to develope players and prepare them for their chance at the next level.
 
#32
#32
T.N. Buckingham said:
It isn't if you bring a great reputation with you and have the kind of connections that can attract quality coaches into this disaster. Garner will be a great addition to this staff and a complete upgrade in every way, shape, and form over Jeremy Pruitt (Who seemed to believe he was God's gift to coaching defensive linemen.). If the rumors are true about Levorn Harbin, then we're getting a good man there as well for a difficult recruiting fight ahead.

Steele's track record as a head coach is terrible. His reputation in the coaching community, however, is as strong as you'll see.

In a situation where you may well find yourself short on depth, you need to have someone here in the interim who has the ability to get guys in here who can develop what exists and lay a foundation for a future head coach to work with.
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Steele will let his coaches coach and not meddle and micro manage and mess it up more. A great staff, coming together as one, with one focus going in the right direction can do wonders.
Glad we didn’t pull a Dooley this time....not yet any ways.
 
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#33
#33
Border Vol said:
Tennessee had no choice because this gives them time to find a legit person before December.
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Exactly...we don’t need to make another quick (bad) hire now...Steele is here while Tennessee looks to find an AD and then will be here while the new AD works with the NCAA to resolve our violations. Since the administration essentially admitted guilt to numerous violations maybe we can get the final letter (with sanctions) by the end of summer (instead of sometime in 2022). I think Steele coaches the 2021 season and Tennessee hires a new coach before the season ends so the new coach can focus on recruiting.

Tennessee is going to be as close to a total rebuild as you can have without actually receiving the death penalty.
 
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#34
#34
I’m not a fan of Kevin Steele because it sounds like he was doing the same snake-like politicking behind Malzahn’s back at Auburn that Fulmer did to Majors that led to him getting the HC job. Probably why Fulmer was attracted to the hire...
 
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#35
#35
The Steele hire was for this very situation. The investigation launched by UT discovered a 100% likelihood of being hammered by the NCAA so they went out and got a very vanilla guy to lead the program briefly (1-2 years) through this NCAA mess caused by Pruitt and his reckless staff.
 
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#36
#36
rockytop36 said:
Don’t get me wrong Steele is a good defensive coach, but what kind of backwards thinking is it to hire a guy supposedly by Pruitt and then turn around and make him the interim? It looks shady as hell to any player and I think this is the cause for some(not all) of the transfers. If I played I would feel betrayed by the program for this and would much rather have seen one of the coaches who I’ve been dealing with be put in place to hold over the program at a time like this. Again my 2 cents which aren’t worth a damn but I just don’t see how Steele could hold this position going into 2021 and expect the players to have any respect for him going forward.
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Fulmer wanted a friend in the position.
 
#37
#37
I am wondering if elevating Steele might have partly been in hopes of retaining Henry T due to Coach Steele’s reputation coaching LBs. If so, it apparently failed
 
#38
#38
rockytop36 said:
Don’t get me wrong Steele is a good defensive coach, but what kind of backwards thinking is it to hire a guy supposedly by Pruitt and then turn around and make him the interim? It looks shady as hell to any player and I think this is the cause for some(not all) of the transfers. If I played I would feel betrayed by the program for this and would much rather have seen one of the coaches who I’ve been dealing with be put in place to hold over the program at a time like this. Again my 2 cents which aren’t worth a damn but I just don’t see how Steele could hold this position going into 2021 and expect the players to have any respect for him going forward.
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Not sure there is a “good way” to respond to what transpired this year. Typically a school will replace the AD or the HC, not both at the same time. You have to try and keep the program going while filling the empty spots, and you don’t want to saddle a new AD with a new coach under contract, nor do you want to make a panic hire for HC or you end back up with Precious and his bamboo
 
#39
#39
The only guess I have about them bringing in an outsider, Steele or anyone else, is that they still don’t know how many more staff members might eventually be tainted by this. But it does seem odd. These players might know of him, but they have no relationship with him unless there were some recruiting ties. But it just obviously makes more sense to go with someone already on staff. I know that it’s been said, but they cannot possibly be thinking he is going to be the head coach this fall. How long do they plan on taking to hire an AD? Surely any respectable AD can make a hire in under a month, regardless of what time of year it is. They think we can’t get a coach in here by March? Why the hell not?
 
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#40
#40
supersmo18 said:
Well, Chaney has never lost a game as head coach of UT and Tee won a Natty. Sounds like proven winners to me!






In all seriousness, however..... No.
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How many of you remember that Tee received some "questionable" benefits in signing with the Vols originally? As I recall it involved some car repairs and eventually came out at the end of his playing days. Because of this UT stayed away from Tee for several years. Can anyone else site these details?
 
#41
#41
rocytop2624 said:
What's up with you and your Avi? You always have that actor?
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Not sure what you mean by "what's up with me and my avatar." I'm just a big fan of the Blacklist and thought that Raymond Reddington was one of the best characters ever to be played by James Spader. Is that what you're looking for?
 
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#42
#42
Spook1 said:
How many of you remember that Tee received some "questionable" benefits in signing with the Vols originally? As I recall it involved some car repairs and eventually came out at the end of his playing days. Because of this UT stayed away from Tee for several years. Can anyone else site these details?
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I don't know what Tee got and didn't get and how much we did or didn't back off of him. I was obviously just being sarcastic because I totally disagree with him being anywhere near a head coaching position with us, much less OC.
 
#43
#43
Gentle Jesus, Kevin Steele hasn't been with the program long enough for the ink to dry on his letterhead and we already have a "FAHR STEELE!" thread.

facepalm-stooges.jpg
 
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#45
#45
Pruitt had NOTHING to do with the Steele hire and it was mentioned by people quite a bit when it broke. Some just chose to believe that Gomer was coming back and that he put his stamp on it. Heavy brought in Steele - probably telling him most of what was going on - and told him to be the adult in charge when this all goes to hell in the next week. Fulmer may not have realized (I don't buy it but I can't confirm it) that things were as bad as they actually were and he was going to be chopped also. Or maybe he just thought he was bulletproof and overestimated his own worth.

Either way, Steele was brought in by Fulmer because of what was coming down. Fulmer knew Pruitt was going to be ousted.

I don't agree with those that say just let Steele be interim for a couple of years since we are going to be in such disarray anyway. This would be the perfect opportunity for Manning to convince either Chadwell or Napier to take this job. Because honestly at this point it would be a no pressure job for awhile to produce anything other than a football team that tried hard and looked well coached. They bring either of the young guys in and say we are going to surround you with some good SEC assistant coaches (and you can choose some of your own) and you will be able to build this from the ground up.

It's actually a better scenario especially for a guy like Chadwell for it to be such a dumpster fire right now. Because if Pruitt was just fired because he sucked and none of this other stuff came out and we retained most of the players for next year people right off the bat you'd have some people that would want 6-6 or 7-5 immediately. And that would have been do-able without the chaos and players getting ran out of town. But now a guy like Chadwell could come in and put his system in place and if they win 3 or 4 games in 2021 it's going to be ok. If they improve to 5 in 2022 its still going to be ok - we're likely bowl banned for at least 1-2 years anyway. Just come in and you don't have the pressure of instant results or the fanbase is angry due to the circumstances.

ALL I ask for in a head coach is that they are competent, develop players, and put well coached teams on the field. Pruitt showed gross incompetence starting with the Georgia State game in year two. When you don't prepare your team for every opponent, no matter who they are, you have shown you don't know what the heck you are doing. And he continued to prove that over and over again. Plus if you have started hearing the stories about how he treated support staff and other administration at UT it seems that Cornbread may have not been that great of a dude anyway, even on a personal level.

Manning needs to work the magic and bring in Napier or Chadwell and sell them on having the time they'll need to rebuild the program. Give whoever it is a 6 or 7 year contract because at this point it really is going to take a few years to get back to solid ground and then another couple to compete again more than likely.
 
#46
#46
rockytop36 said:
Don’t get me wrong Steele is a good defensive coach, but what kind of backwards thinking is it to hire a guy supposedly by Pruitt and then turn around and make him the interim? It looks shady as hell to any player and I think this is the cause for some(not all) of the transfers. If I played I would feel betrayed by the program for this and would much rather have seen one of the coaches who I’ve been dealing with be put in place to hold over the program at a time like this. Again my 2 cents which aren’t worth a damn but I just don’t see how Steele could hold this position going into 2021 and expect the players to have any respect for him going forward.
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There is no guarantee we get an HC soon, especially since we have to find a new AD first. Clock is ticking and we have to hold onto recruits. There are day to day decisions that have to be made now. That said, I think Chaney would have been a better choice
 
#47
#47
rockytop36 said:
Don’t get me wrong Steele is a good defensive coach, but what kind of backwards thinking is it to hire a guy supposedly by Pruitt and then turn around and make him the interim? It looks shady as hell to any player and I think this is the cause for some(not all) of the transfers. If I played I would feel betrayed by the program for this and would much rather have seen one of the coaches who I’ve been dealing with be put in place to hold over the program at a time like this. Again my 2 cents which aren’t worth a damn but I just don’t see how Steele could hold this position going into 2021 and expect the players to have any respect for him going forward.
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Steele is not "interim", Plowman said he's "acting" HC.
 
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