The Doormats

#26
#26
Manning Up said:
When my brother called to tell me that Kiffin was leaving, I told him that it would set the football program back 10 years. Only time in my life I wish I'd been wrong.
Click to expand...
Yep. The sad part is that it didn't have to set the program back that far. The 2010 season was going to be a loss no matter what, but the act that set the program back years wasn't Kiffin's departure as much as it was Hamilton's panic hire of Dooley to replace him. Kiffin bolting set into motion a series of events that, honestly, we still haven't been able to break the cycle of.

Dooley was doomed and set up to fail from the moment he took the job, and after his 3-year tenure the sheen was so far off the program that Butch Jones was the best guy we could get.

I'd love to see an alternate history in which after Kiffin leaves we either hire Cutcliffe or appoint an interim coach for the 2010 season and have basically 12 months to look for a new coach.
 
#28
#28
XknoxvolsX said:
There is something to the OP's question. The academic requirements for entrance into the University of Tennessee changed or rather increased with Schumaker when he was president. I guess I need to remind you of all of his grandiose plans. He wanted the University to function even more as a research institution. Therefore, increased funding through grants, fees and other addin's. To improve the University's outlook, he wanted it to more resemble an IVY league type school. He kinda/sorta did that with Louisville. The problem was/is that to increase all of the test scores and required GPA's for entrance into the University, that also meant the same for the athletes. So, therefore, yes, that has caused us to miss on some potential athletes that go elsewhere to play.

I don't know if many of you are aware of this but, several years ago, Vany lowered their requirements. Therefore, a degree from in-state Vanderbilt isn't what it used to be but not many are understanding of this.
Click to expand...
Right we suck at football due to high academic standards. Give me a break, our standards are below Ga. and many other SEC schools. We just had very poor results from our recruiting. Poor coaching or poor selection of recruits( over rated) who knows, our players didn’t perform as expected. I’m sure Vandy has higher standards than ut. They’ve just had better players or better coaching.
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfanhill, G8R8U2, Mtnvol80 and 2 others
#29
#29
Botch and Dooley ran this program into the ground. Things looked hopeful during Butch's tenure, especially with Dobbs, but that ended up being a facade.

The staff that Pruitt has put together is truly impressive. We won't be a doormat this season, and I expect notable improvement offensively (OL in specific).
 
#30
#30
05_never_again said:
Yep. The sad part is that it didn't have to set the program back that far. The 2010 season was going to be a loss no matter what, but the act that set the program back years wasn't Kiffin's departure as much as it was Hamilton's panic hire of Dooley to replace him. Kiffin bolting set into motion a series of events that, honestly, we still haven't been able to break the cycle of.

Dooley was doomed and set up to fail from the moment he took the job, and after his 3-year tenure the sheen was so far off the program that Butch Jones was the best guy we could get.

I'd love to see an alternate history in which after Kiffin leaves we either hire Cutcliffe or appoint an interim coach for the 2010 season and have basically 12 months to look for a new coach.
Click to expand...

Chaney would’ve been a good one as interim.
 
#32
#32
Jack Burton said:
Our lack of commitment to winning has been the problem since Dickey left in 2004. With the way we’re spending money now I think it can shift the other direction finally.

The AD is on board it seems. We have a great staff and now we need great recruits.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. You cannot hire on the cheap (whether it be the HC, coordinators or position coaches) and expect to beat those that pay to hire the best. So many in so many industries fail to get this, but it is true.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jack Burton and BigOrangeMojo
#36
#36
KYSkipper said:
Prior to 2005 The Vols lost to Vandy 6 times and tied once from 1938 until 2005.

Since 2005 We have lost 6 times. We have not beat the Doormats in 4 years and the last time we did the team made a spectacle of it.

I keep hearing the talking heads say "Our problem is the academic requirements at UT are causing us to lose recruits."

I'm calling Bull Crap on that theory.
Click to expand...


The problem we have had against the likes of Vandy and Mizzou can be boiled down to Dooley not recruiting offensive linemen, then Butch thinking his infallible system would take the SEC by storm and recruiting undersized linemen. You have to be strong up front to win in this league, no two ways about it. The staff we have now understands that, and you can tell by recent recruits. Once both lines are shored up, the wins will come.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MEDVOL, preacherwebb and Big Al Orange
#37
#37
Vol-in-Atlanta said:
No one has ever said that about the academic requirements. We've just stunk for the last decade.
Click to expand...
No, it was said back around 2010 ish. People wanted to blame Susan Martin, and other faculty members for the downfall of UT football. Kinda silly in a way.
 
#38
#38
EZE said:
Post of the year...no. Decade...no. Century...no. Millennium...ding, ding, ding!

Hiring Dooley and Jones back-to-back absolutely killed the program.
Click to expand...

You missed something. Firing Fulmer the way that happened, Hiring Kiffin, then Dooley then Jones, Killed the program!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Backwards K
#39
#39
I don't think we have been particularly bad the past few years. After all, we're Tennessee. I think it is more a parity issue in the SEC. Vanderbilt, like almost all of college football, is just better. Same for Missouri, South Carolina, and Kentucky. Unfortunately, Alabama and Georgia have outpaced the rest of us. When everyone is pretty much equal, you just randomly lose more games. An example is that when identical twins fight, its a pretty equal fight. When a 6 year old fights high 17 yo brother, not so even. We're just in a new era like we're all twins.
 
#40
#40
tennesseeduke said:
You missed something. Firing Fulmer the way that happened, Hiring Kiffin, then Dooley then Jones, Killed the program!
Click to expand...

I’m actually in the camp that felt like it was time for Fulmer to go. Maybe it could have been handled better, but he was sliding down hill fast.

I also liked the Kiffin hire at the time. Obviously, in hindsight, it started the train wreck, but I don’t think I can complain about it now. The only thing I will complain about is Hammy’s failure to require a legitimate buyout in the contract. That was incredibly naive and a case of AD malpractice.

And then it was just a comedy of errors...all the way through Schiano.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woke and MAD
#41
#41
Good first goals:

Beat Vandy
Beat UK
Beat USC

We should do that without thought or concern year after year.
 
#44
#44
KYSkipper said:
Prior to 2005 The Vols lost to Vandy 6 times and tied once from 1938 until 2005.

Since 2005 We have lost 6 times. We have not beat the Doormats in 4 years and the last time we did the team made a spectacle of it.

I keep hearing the talking heads say "Our problem is the academic requirements at UT are causing us to lose recruits."

I'm calling Bull Crap on that theory.
Click to expand...

So let's see: we're losing to the team with (reputedly) the highest academic standards in the SEC and the talking heads say the problem is the academic requirements at UT?

I think you're right to call BC on that theory. Bright guys like Josh Dobbs and Peyton Manning and many others seem to do pretty well on The Hill.
 
#45
#45
KYSkipper said:
Prior to 2005 The Vols lost to Vandy 6 times and tied once from 1938 until 2005.

Since 2005 We have lost 6 times. We have not beat the Doormats in 4 years and the last time we did the team made a spectacle of it.

I keep hearing the talking heads say "Our problem is the academic requirements at UT are causing us to lose recruits."

I'm calling Bull Crap on that theory.
Click to expand...


In what universe does UT have high academic standards?
 
  • Like
Reactions: vettefool
#47
#47
The last 10 years would have been worse if Kiffin had stayed. NCAA sanctions would have knocked us lower than bad coaches. I see that now. Kiffin was a time bomb and we were lucky it misfired and went off prematurely.
 
#48
#48
SpookyAction said:
The last 10 years would have been worse if Kiffin had stayed. NCAA sanctions would have knocked us lower than bad coaches. I see that now. Kiffin was a time bomb and we were lucky it misfired and went off prematurely.
Click to expand...

Plus, he has proven himself to be a terrible coach. Did well at UT and at USC with his predecessor's talent but his team quickly deteriorated at USC and he was unceremoniously dumped at the airport. Same with his current job. Started out solidly, went into last year with high hopes, crashed badly and is not expected to do any good this year.

With the exception of his classless exit from Tennessee, he has been quickly and unceremoniously fired from every job he has ever had: Raiders (quit midseason ahead of the ax), UT (left in the middle of the night and tried to steal as many recruits as he could), USC (fired at the airport), FIU, FAU, one of those large schools in Florida surrounded by talent who hamstrung themselves with a 10 year contract and there is a bad hole in that ship.

No doubt the best thing he ever did for UT was quit. Too bad, UT had an idiot running the athletic dept at the time.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SpookyAction
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top