Who Would You Have Hired?

[chattavol420]

Patterson would require big money to get him here. He still has 6 years on his deal at TCU at about 3 million a year. The whole contract is guaranteed. He would make 18 million dollars if he lost the next 50 games. To get him to consider UT, your talking 4.25 a year for 5-6 years and it being guaranteed. Not sure Hart is looking for that type of deal.

Not that I spend much time keeping up with these things but I'm surprised tcu pays this kind of money. 3 mil/yr. and 18mil guaranteed. That's crazy

 

[ajvol01]

He was the OC for the Houston Texans...Believe me, He could recruit just fine.

Not sure how OC in NFL translates to great recruiter.

Jim Chaney spent a lot of years in NFL and we don't hear much about his recruiting prowess.

UT is very unique job that requires regional/national recruiting. I was just saying that I don't think the name Troy Calhoun would mean much/anything to 17-18 year old HS kids.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

Bret Bielema is another one I would have, still would consider. I like the offense they run with it being a pro style. Solid defense and does it with decent recruiting. It's got to be tough to recruit to Wisconsin. He makes 2.5 million per year and is like 65-21 in his career.

 

[ajvol01]

Kyle Whittingham. Overall record of 68-29. What y'all say?

just lost to Utah State - it seems Utah is declining

no thanks

 

[VolsNSkinsFan]

We should have giving the job to Kippy Brown for a year or two

 

[ChaucerVol]

I'm not even sure what your point is. Hamilton had a low budget in mind. Why? Because he's strictly a numbers guy. Spend lavishly on upgrades for the rich suites (catering to the boosters) while nickel and diming HC candidates, as if they were a contractor bidding on a construction project. The HC is the pilot of your entire money-making operation. You DO NOT want to go budget shopping for such a position.

Don't want to over pay either, but again, whomever is brought in, is asked to compete and prevail over teams with coaches making twice the amount being offered.

That means you target HC's of the same caliber as those they are competing with. And you offer a commensurate salary for the responsibility assigned to them. Hamilton believed all the accolades given him from fans, praising him for hiring a diamond in the rough...in Bruce Pearl. That's fine for Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, etc. But NOT your money-maker. That is precisely where Hamilton screwed the pooch.

He put his chips on a coach with a last name people would recognize and was an assistant under Saban. Neither commended him as a qualified candidate for the job. Had Hamilton chosen Sumlin (who was qualified and a rising star among HC's), he might very well still be the AD. He went for the fools gold and now we are paying for it.

I agree. My point is Dooley has done a satisfactory job for the position he was given and the realistic expectations for the state of the program when Kiffin got out of dodge. We all knew it would be a long road back and we are still on the road. I think there are a number of options that would be an upgrade.

My point of this whole post is that there are a number of people to blame beside Dooley mainly Hamilton and Kiffin. At least Dooley has embraced the position, made strides, ran a clean program in terms of players and not dug us a legal hole with the NCAA.

It could be much worse. Remember the post Gene Stallings pre Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa?

 

[VOLorNuttin]

Kyle Whittingham. Overall record of 68-29. What y'all say?

He was actually my No.1 candidate at the time. I still think he would be a good hire, even though Utah hasn't seen as much success since they moved to the PAC 12.

Strong is my No.1 behind Gruden (I think the program is much more attractive now than it was the last time around, plus he has stated he would consider coaching again if it were the right situation and even said doing so at the College level was a possibility), but I still think Gruden is a long shot.

Strong has most everything you want in an up n' coming HC right now. Coached defenses for UF, successfully...recruits lights out for a Louisville program, that's not easy to recruit to. Brought that team out of the doldrums rapidly. I don't think we'd lose any committed recruits and would actually see a spike.

As for Patterson, yeah...with the recent extension he got, it would be harder now to nab him. But that's generally the case for most upper tier candidates. You got to pay to play.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

Not sure how OC in NFL translates to great recruiter.

Jim Chaney spent a lot of years in NFL and we don't hear much about his recruiting prowess.

UT is very unique job that requires regional/national recruiting. I was just saying that I don't think the name Troy Calhoun would mean much/anything to 17-18 year old HS kids.

I would argue that Dooley was not a big time recruiter. I would call him a solid recruiter. Tennessee recruits itself in alot of ways on past tradition. Yes, it takes a guy willing to travel to the recruits to talk UT traditions, but Tennessee is not North Dakota State.

 

[orange_peel]

What should have happened is Kippy Brown needed to be hired as an interm coach and then have a year to find an acceptable coach for UT instead of a rushed hire in Dooley.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

What should have happened is Kippy Brown needed to be hired as an interm coach and then have a year to find an acceptable coach for UT instead of a rushed hire in Dooley.

People have said Kippy would not have signed on to coach for just 1 year. He would have wanted a multi year deal.

 

[alaVOL]

Everyone should have known that this was going to be a transitional coaching staff more than likely. Few times in history has a college been able to turn around very quickly and still be built for the long haul. So even though I thought Coach David Cutcliffe maybe had too many ties to Fulmer that he'd been a great transition hire. He loves Tennessee and he's been here plus the fact he's an excellent coach.

 

[VOLorNuttin]

I agree. My point is Dooley has done a satisfactory job for the position he was given and the realistic expectations for the state of the program when Kiffin got out of dodge. We all knew it would be a long road back and we are still on the road. I think there are a number of options that would be an upgrade.

My point of this whole post is that there are a number of people to blame beside Dooley mainly Hamilton and Kiffin. At least Dooley has embraced the position, made strides, ran a clean program in terms of players and not dug us a legal hole with the NCAA.

It could be much worse. Remember the post Gene Stallings pre Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa?

The issue isn't finding who is at fault here. It's to point out where the mistakes were made and hope like heck we don't make the same ones again.

Dooley simply didn't have the credentials to even get the La Tech job, much less the UT HC job. He wasn't even qualified to be a coordinator. They reached pretty far, grabbing a TE coach under Saban. Hamilton made the same mistake. Putting stock in the wrong things.

The number one criteria should be..."Has he proven himself to be an effective HC previously?" If Sumlin was in this same position, I'd probably want to give him another year. Why? Cause he has already proven he can coach above the talent he has on the roster (at Houston). Because Dooley hasn't, then I'm more inclined to make a correction/change sooner rather than later.

 

[PennVol]

When your coach leaves in January it's like hooking your drive in US Open rough. Don't be a fool and try to still make birdie, take your medicine and go to the next hole. There was no realistic way to salvage 2010, but one recruiting class was not worth this 3 year misery.

Hamilton should of gone the interim route, whoever would accept it, and spent the year finding the right guy.

 

[TNRazor]

Gary Patterson definitely would have been top choice and then Whittingham, but they both turned us down. Kevin Sumlin would have been good. I would have even been ok with bringing Cutcliffe back. Bottom line I think I would rather have had anybody than some coach from a mid-major with a losing record. I hated the hire the day they made it and I still hate it.

 

[VOLorNuttin]

I would argue that Dooley was not a big time recruiter. I would call him a solid recruiter. Tennessee recruits itself in alot of ways on past tradition. Yes, it takes a guy willing to travel to the recruits to talk UT traditions, but Tennessee is not North Dakota State.

I agree with that. If Hamilton had offered Kiffin a salary more commensurate to the task/responsibility...not just how much the guy would accept...then not only would Kiffin have been more satisfied staying here, but it would have been extremely hard for USC to pay several millions of dollars to buyout his contract, and offer him $4mill/yr on top of that. Lowballing Kiffin (knowing he didn't have a lot of leverage after being fired by Oakland) and not placing a standard buyout clause in his contract was an invitation to leave for the next offer that would come along.

Kiffin was a recruiting machine, and I have no doubt that this roster would be considerably more talented/deeper...despite the off field issues with some.
If you get Charlie Strong in here, I bet you will see the same level of recruiting...probably Top 5-10 each year.

Losing to KY is where things turned on Dooley. Had he pulled that out and this team gone to a Bowl Game, most would consider that making some progress. But, that was the seminal moment in his career here. Losing 7 staff members is costing him ultimately.

 

[ajvol01]

I would argue that Dooley was not a big time recruiter. I would call him a solid recruiter. Tennessee recruits itself in alot of ways on past tradition. Yes, it takes a guy willing to travel to the recruits to talk UT traditions, but Tennessee is not North Dakota State.

Yes, but Dooley was very familiar with what it takes to recruit at a high level in SEC from his time with Saban @ LSU.

At the AFA Calhoun does not recruit at an SEC level - I know it is a service academey and there are built-in disadvantages, but I'm not sure how his recruiting experience/skill translates to the SEC.

Paul Johnson (ex Navy coach) has done alright at Ga Tech, but the competition in the ACC is not at SEC level.

After a fast start (ACC champs in year 2), Johnson has had a remarkable downward trend - a clear indicator of weak/inconsistent recruiting.

Paul Johnson (American football coach) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[VOLorNuttin]

When your coach leaves in January it's like hooking your drive in US Open rough. Don't be a fool and try to still make birdie, take your medicine and go to the next hole. There was no realistic way to salvage 2010, but one recruiting class was not worth this 3 year misery.

Hamilton should of gone the interim route, whoever would accept it, and spent the year finding the right guy.

Uh....he had a "right guy" ready and waiting. Kevin Sumlin. Didn't have the lengthy resume of Patterson, Peterson and Wittingham, but he was the next best thing. All I ask is no more than a board of investors would expect for a new CEO. Proven record.

Hamilton could NOT be blamed if he had chosen Sumlin. The guy was coaching the heck out of the Houston Cougars. Now, he's coaching the heck out of TAM.

 

[golfballs]

Bill Belichick

 

[PennVol]

Uh....he had a "right guy" ready and waiting. Kevin Sumlin. Didn't have the lengthy resume of Patterson, Peterson and Wittingham, but he was the next best thing. All I ask is no more than a board of investors would expect for a new CEO. Proven record.

Hamilton could NOT be blamed if he had chosen Sumlin. The guy was coaching the heck out of the Houston Cougars. Now, he's coaching the heck out of TAM.

I think Sumlin is a good coach, better than Dooley, not sure he would of been "the guy."

 

[VOLorNuttin]

Gary Patterson definitely would have been top choice and then Whittingham, but they both turned us down. Kevin Sumlin would have been good. I would have even been ok with bringing Cutcliffe back. Bottom line I think I would rather have had anybody than some coach from a mid-major with a losing record. I hated the hire the day they made it and I still hate it.

Because Hamilton wasn't offering a salary commensurate with their credentials and the enormous responsibility they would have.

Just because a prospect says "No"...that doesn't mean they declined the job outright. Have you ever went to a job interview or filled out an application for a position, only to find out it pays WAY below your expectations? Would it have changed your mind if the salary/benefits was about what you expected?

Hamilton got Kiffin on the cheap cause he was able to get him on the rebound (got fired at Oakland). That and the hiring of Bruce Pearl, made him feel like a savvy negotiator and coaching evaluator (able to find a diamond in the rough...and on the cheap).

We DO NOT need to be looking for a good coach on the cheap. If we have a good, proven candidate, we need to pay what the job commands. If I'm desperate for a job, and have to settle for less than what a job should pay...I may take it out of desperation (to work), but I will absolutely be looking for a better job from day one.

In the short term it might appear to be a good value to lowball employess, but in the long run, it's just a recipe for constant turnover.

 

[oregonvol]

It's tough to play "what if" here, because of the Dooley lovers who will insist, no matter what name you throw out, that Dooley was the only guy willing to take the job for any amount of money.

First off, I would have offered an insane amount of money to Gruden, Petersen, Patterson, etc. Kiffin left us in a very tough spot, one where we had to overpay in order to get someone quick. It was Hamilton's fault too that he didn't have much of a buyout and could leave so easily. A high buyout may not have kept Kiffin here, but it would have given us some extra money to find a coach on short notice once he left. But still, we had a good deal of money and Hamilton should have until it hurt to make up for his mistake. I would have offered Nick Saban money to any high profile candidate, because, realistically, that's what you have to do to fix something like that in that window of time.

But let's say no one wanted a 100% raise to come here on short notice. Then I go with a very successful mid major. But let's say I can't get one of those either. Then Kippy is the interim coach for a year while I recruit another guy. It would be a situation like Ohio State last year. Kippy has a shot at the job, but it depends on how the season goes. Would it hurt recruiting? Probably, but it's better than hiring a loser and mediocre recruiter long term. Would Kippy go for it? He's been a journeyman for awhile, seems like the risk is worth the reward, so I think he would.

But let's say Kippy doesn't go for it. Then you hire another interim, maybe Chaney. But the last thing you do is give a long term deal to a guy who can't win at a lower level. That's the definition of stupidity.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

Because Hamilton wasn't offering a salary commensurate with their credentials and the enormous responsibility they would have.

Just because a prospect says "No"...that doesn't mean they declined the job outright. Have you ever went to a job interview or filled out an application for a position, only to find out it pays WAY below your expectations? Would it have changed your mind if the salary/benefits was about what you expected?

+1

Hamilton calls Peterson.

"Chris I would like to talk to you about the opening we have for a HC at Tennessee".

"Mike, what type of salary does that position demand"?

"Chris, it is bottom of the SEC money". "You will make more than Kentucky's HC, but not Vandy or anyone else". "I like to think it's fair as we are looking to rebuild on a budget".

"CLICK".

"Chris, you there.....Hello, Chris".

 

[VolDat2012]

What do y'all think about the La. Tech head coach and the job he's done?

First, let me preface this by saying I hope this is one of few threads throughout the history of this board that brings logical discussion.

Now to the post: For all you who dislike Dooley for his coaching record so far, I ask a simple question. Who did you want to take over the program when Kiffin left? For everyone who feels like answering with an ignorant answer such as "anyone" or "someone who wins", save your effort. That's a ridiculous answer.

I'll be willing to assume that your answer is not anyone who wasn't considered. No one, that I know of, was turned away because they wanted too much money and Hamilton was cheap. Note: Don't misconstrue this to assume I want Hamilton back. I never supported his Kiffin hire and think that alone was enough to pack his bags when Kiffin packed his.

I really want a name of someone you thought would have taken the helm in the middle of recruiting season with a program that was in shambles and done what Dooley has.

In a perfect world where a coach retires after a national championship, would Dooley have been my first choice? No, but that wasn't even close to reality.

What Dooley has done has been run a clean program, fought through a season full of injuries, recruited what I consider admirably and don't say I accept mediocrity because I don't. Dooley has also made strides throughout coaches coming and going.

Again, who would you have picked over Dooley that we know was even entertaining the idea of taking the job?

I don't know anyone you could answer who was a realistic possibility that anyone positively say would have a better record at this point.

 

[peyton4heisman]

If you are trying to say that nobody could do what Dooley has done, you're crazy. Not my choice but Coach Cut would have at least beat Kentucky.

 

[LebanonVolunteer]

What do y'all think about the La. Tech head coach and the job he's done?

I think Dykes has shown he can coach. He has done a good job there this year. His team has a good offense and just about took A&M out the other night.