Vols All the way with Battle

[ksgovols]

Majors record from 1977 thru 1990 when he finally won 9 games 2 years in a row. 4-7, 5-5-1, 7-5, 5-6, 8-4, 6-5-1, 9-3, 7-4-1, 9-1-2, 7-5, 10-2-1, 5-6, 11-1, 9-2-2. These were the 6 game SEC schedule days mostly when the Vols played Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama every year and rotated the other 5 teams. Wildly inconsistent. SEC records during those same years were 1-5, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 3-2-1, 4-2, 3-3, 5-1, 3-3, 4-1-1, 3-4, 6-1, 5-1-1. So first 14 years 101-56-8 overall (.636) and 49-35-3 (.5805).

Loved the Sugar Vols of 1985, but Tennessee didn't arrive until 1989 under Majors. 12 years after he took the job. 89, 90 and 91 teams were his best by far. 29-6-2 (16-3-1 SEC)

 

[knox73]

Battle was only a 28 year old tight ends coach when hired by Woodruff in what had to be a drunken state. Woodruff tried to duplicate the rabbit out of a hat success he had when hiring Dickey who was basically unknown but had been a qb for Woodruff at Florida and Bob knew Dickey well. The saddest part is that Majors could have sustained Dickey's program and would not have been a reach hire if he had the chance in 1970. Battle took over the best program in the SEC and tanked it in 5 years. Great - great man - never coached another day in his life after leaving Knoxville. One of the worst hires of all time in collegiate sports and we said at the time that Majors who had to rebuild from a disaster would have a coaching record at UT with seasons paying for Battle's clueless recruiting while Battle who did not have a losing record would look ok in the future to those who were not there at the time. I was there and Battle left Majors with a mid level OVC squad that might have won one game for Bill in 1977 if he had not been fired. One of Johnny's staff told me that the Vol squad they took over was much worse that the Pitt squad that won 1 game the year before Majors was hired. Why get our blood pressure up and dredge up these nightmare memories????????? That button/pin is a nice collector's item I must say!

 

[VOLINVONORE]

We really went down under him. Remember how he referred to the other team? "Rascals"!

He was a good coach except for recruiting. His record declined as his recruits starting playing. I remember when Majors took over, he addressed about 1000 fans in Atlanta before the season. Someone asked how our team would be that year and he answered, well, we are not very big but we are SLOW. It turned out that his answer was correct. Battle did very well after coaching his few years. He bought a clothing manufacturing company and acquired a license form the SEC to manufacture SEC sports clothing and retired a very wealthy man and did not have to put up with recruiting and kissing the butts of parents and fans.

 

[onevol74]

He sure did. Remember the final straw? Our defense was so bad against Georgia we couldn't stop them. So, late in the game we went for it on fourth and one on our 41 yard line. Didn't make it, they ran repeatedly down our throats for the winning score.

Actually, that game was in 1973 and he was not fired until after the 1976 season.

 

[WiseOlVol]

1970 Tennessee 24 Alabama 0

 

[GreveHaller]

this is what I'm scared of

 

[Backwards K]

Majors record from 1977 thru 1990 when he finally won 9 games 2 years in a row. 4-7, 5-5-1, 7-5, 5-6, 8-4, 6-5-1, 9-3, 7-4-1, 9-1-2, 7-5, 10-2-1, 5-6, 11-1, 9-2-2. These were the 6 game SEC schedule days mostly when the Vols played Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama every year and rotated the other 5 teams. Wildly inconsistent. SEC records during those same years were 1-5, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 3-3, 3-2-1, 4-2, 3-3, 5-1, 3-3, 4-1-1, 3-4, 6-1, 5-1-1. So first 14 years 101-56-8 overall (.636) and 49-35-3 (.5805).

Loved the Sugar Vols of 1985, but Tennessee didn't arrive until 1989 under Majors. 12 years after he took the job. 89, 90 and 91 teams were his best by far. 29-6-2 (16-3-1 SEC)

Yeah, but Johnny even squandered the talent and the possibilities of the 85, 89, 90, and 91 teams:
-- 1985: went ultra conservative in 4th Qtr of UCLA game and entire Ga Tech game which resulted in ties.
-- 1989: Typical Alabama choke job to lose that game to Alabama
-- 1990: Waited too late to open up offense vs Colorado (tie), blew a big lead late to Auburn by going conservative (tie), scared to death of a mediocre Alabama team and lost 9-6.
-- 1991: Lost to lesser ranked and lesser talented Alabama and Florida teams. A stretch here, but Johnny froze up vs Alabama every year.

Battle was a very good game day coach but even made the statement that he didn't like to recruit and it showed. Terrible hire to put a 28 yr old in charge of what was the best program in the SEC at the time. He let everything that Dickey had built slowly crumble.

 

[VolGirl81]

There’s a Major change in Tennessee! I remember it well. We also lost to Virginia the next year after losing to Pitt.