OT-ish: Reports that Tennessee has fired their AD.

At what point does Tennessee have to just save face and stick with Hoke for a year to stop the bleeding? As far as I can tell they've been rejected by, or completely botched the deal for, 10 different candidates: Gruden, Frost, Kelly, Schiano, Doeren, Leach, Cutcliffe, Gundy, Brohm, and Mullen. Possibly more. 

Do you risk dipping down into the lower ranks of FBS or even FCS and taking a flier on an unknown? Or do you just stick with what you have for now, let the program probably tank for a year, and start fresh with your search in the Fall? 

The latter seems like an awful option, both from a program stability and recruiting standpoint. But the program is so toxic right now that most any coach worth his salt won't want to come within 100 miles of Knoxville. I guess it's the question of definitely sucking in the short term vs. possibly sucking not only in the short term, but in the long term as well. 

Maybe if they're lucky, then can hold out for a few weeks and look for some NFL coordinator who's looking to cut his teeth in college for a couple years. If Penn State could find O'Brien after the Sandusky scandal, Tennessee could do the same. Either way, unless they find a real diamond in the rough in the G5 or FCS ranks, or pull a rabbit out of their ass with some hot shot coordinator from the league heading down to the college ranks, Tennessee is in for at least a few very, very rough years. 

Well, at least this will let people move past the Fulmer Cup standings.

and then there is Tennessee.

I think Arizona State was on a glide path to something similar, but they put out the fire by hiring Herm Edwards.  I don't think that's a good hire, but it avoids this kind of shit show.

There's not a day goes by that I'm not thankful we have Harbaugh as the head coach at Michigan.  Anyone who thinks we can get a better coach is delusional.  Who, exactly, do such people have in mind?  There just aren't many difference-maker coaches out there.  Harbaugh is one.  We got him.  Be thankful.

The whole college game seems to be spinning out of control.  I hate the playoff structure.  Hate it.  The pressure to get into the playoffs is creating incentives to do stupid things.  ASU should not have fired Todd Graham, only to keep the coordinators and bring in Edwards.  If people at FSU are pushing Jimbo Fisher out, then they're idiots.  The Tennessee goat rodeo is being driven by delusional UT people who think they can become Alabama with a coaching hire.  Bah, I preferred the days when part of the fun was arguing about who was #1 until the start of baseball spring training.

Report is that next may be the University Chancellor -- no f'ing joke.

Basically no one is actually in charge.

Why would anyone want to work in this type of situation except out of desperation. The job is already tough enough - your existence week to week depends at times on the judgement of 17-22 year old young men.

Each year, Jim Hackett's handling of things looks better and better and note he was wise enough to get out and not be the permanent AD - he knew what his primary mission was, he did it, and he moved on.

U Tenn is a bad scene for coaches. Two of their three most successful coaches--Majors and Fulmer--were forced out. Think about that for a moment. 

They have made two of the most baffling hires in recent major college football, Derek Dooley and Layne Kiffin. Fulmer got the Ziggy one year after winning 10 games. Jones was fired one year after back-to-back nine wine seasons, that had been the Vols best seasons in ten years. 

Fullmer is the new AD

You might wind up in a body bag.

If I had to guess, they end up going back to Cutcliffe. It's pretty clear now that Fulmer was telling people not to take the job when Currie was offering it to keep him from making the hire. Cutcliffe has always been loyal to Fulmer. With Fulmer making the hire, that changes things re: Cutcliffe.

You've just made our 2007 coaching search look completely functional by comparison.  

Rockytop you'll always be

the coaching graveyard of the SEC

            Good 'ol Rockytop

            Rockytop Tennessee.

Johnny Majors, Phil Fulmer and then....nothing?

• Fulmer was HC @ UT for 17 years vs. LC's 13 years @ UofM
• 152-52 (0.745) vs. 122-40 (0.753)
• 2 SEC & 5 East Division titles vs 5 Big 10 titles
• Both won a national title
• Both very loyal to school
• Both of their coaching careers tailed off a little near the end of their tenure
• Coaches that followed were controversial
• etc.