Locker Room Post Vandy Win...

Yep, just like Tiny Richardson, Maggit, Dalton Santos, AJ Johnson, McNeil, Damien Jacobs, Danny O'Brien, Byron Moore, Mo Couch, and Jason Croom. Pathetic.

 

And I hope you and everyone else has a great Thanksgiving. Good solid debate today.

 

Ten whole guys. That's impressive.

 

That I could think of off the top of my head. There are more.

 

This is what I have in Bray's right arm.

Dooley will get a 3rd year, Bray will put up some ridiculous numbers (if healthy) because he's that good and he's got two WRs that are just as good at their respective position.

Bray's arm will determine if Dooley gets a 4th year. I didn't think he was qualified, I hate his mother and I don't expect Dooley to ever do much here. I'll go ahead and say that now.

That being said, the roster wall all to shit when he got here. He had 4 classes that were about to be on their 3rd coach and to be honest, they had went from being under Fulmer and his staff (a staff that was proven to have gotten several guys into the NFL at worst, at best being a national power), then on to Kiffin (who has a track record of winning and putting guys in the NFL plus being coached by Monte Kiffin kind of sells itself) then to Dooley (look at his resume).

He managed to beat who he was supposed to beat in his first year. A God awful call took away a bowl win (which, if Waggner doesn't let a WR run free right before half, the call on JJ doesn't matter) and an unforgivable coaching error cost him the LSU game.

Enter year two and 3 injuries and one guy getting booted has made it a wash in a lot of people's eyes. I would feel worlds better if the OL could run block, if Tennessee didn't jump offsides on short yardage situations or if some of the supposed "diamonds in the rough" had gotten better and earned some PT (Propst, Crump, Clark). I think there has been some obvious coaching mistakes that have to be corrected if Dooley wants to accomplish anything here.

In my eyes, he'll get some people off his back next year because Tennessee will win a shootout against either UGA or UF and beat USCe. He'll get another year because of it. I think Bray is that good. I want to see this team quit shooting itself in the foot and the D play up to Tennessee's standards.

 

What you're saying further validates why he needs to go. You're saying his job is going to be saved by Lane Kiffin's quarterback. How good do you think Tennessee would be next year with Justin Worley under center? That's what the deciding factor should be. It's insanity to allow Dooley to ride Bray to continued employment. If Bray is the only thing between UT and disaster in Dooley's third year, that's an indictment of his ability to win at the SEC level.

 

I agree and I hope he proves me wrong not for Dooley's sake but because I'm tired of Tennessee being a shitty football team.

 

I think that is the most likely scenario, and I think it will result in us keeping a coach at least one year, and probably more, than we should. I think people will view 8-4 and 4-4 next season as some sort of evidence of coaching ability when it isn't. 4-0 OOC and 4-4 in the conference, give or take a game, is no achievement at all at UT.

Tennessee, with its tradition, facilities, pay scale, and commitment to football, is a top 15 program in the country, maybe top 10. When you list the top 15 coaches in the country, is Dooley on the list? Is he on the top 50 list?

 

Those guys? That guy and the other guy?

 

As in coaches pay scale?

 

As in ability to pay coaches.

 

In my opinion...

There are scores of legitimate excuses as to why any coach would struggle to win here. But, where are the little signs we'll be better next year? Recruiting is definitely better, but is player development? Firing a horrible DL coach and replacing him with Lance Thompson (who was here when Dooley arrived) has helped the DL, although the DEs still need to get a lot better. Baggett has done a good job with our two stud receivers. Punt and kick returns are now average which is an improvement over worst in the nation. Outside of that, what units have improved?

Point being, pro-Dooley stuff at this point seems to only be comprised of excuses as to why he's struggling. Not much, "well look at what he's done with so and so." I don't think firing Dooley after this season is an option, but unless some staff turnover occurs leading to marked improvement next year, I don't see a reason to keep him past 2012.

 

OL has looked worse and there's really no excuse for that. Pretty sure we returned the entire unit, backups and all, plus the newcomers. I'm anxious to see how the LB play is next year.

 

That's pretty much where I am.

 

I don't deny the fact that UT can pay what elite programs pay for whoever they want. But Hamilton didn't, will Hart? I have no idea, somebody that is more in the know could answer that question better than me.

General question for anyone to answer. If we said $ is not gonna be a hang up.
Who would be on the list?

 

He has some changes to make and his candle will be burning at both ends if he doesn't show the will to do it.

 

I would hope so, but the fact that we went shopping in the bargain basement to get him isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of Dooley's ability.

 

I do not know the coaching ranks well enough to answer completely without more thought and research than I am willing to do for a hypothetical. I will say that if I were conducting a search, I would be looking for resumes that showed either remarkable success at a lower level BCS or mid-major program or a coordinator for a power coach, power program with championships in his tenure.

 

Im not endorsing Dooley now and didn't before.

Hat made a statement a while back (if my memory serves me) that Dooley may not be the guy that gets us back to the top, but he may advance the effort for the next guy coming in. I agree with this and I think if he continues to recruit well this will eventually be the case.

 

Even when we win I still can't help but think "How many more times can I deny what my eyes are seeing?"

I gotta say I agree with Hat, Dooley is not the answer.

UT has to get someone that is a proven winner. That's it. Screw all that other stuff.