Per Basilio (yesterday's show), [ddiapos] ran roughshod over everyone during his time at Tennessee. Many mid/low-level staffers and others around the program were routinely bullied, chided, demeaned and excoriated, seemingly at his whim. From the time of his hiring until early in his last season, his over-the-top antics were further emboldened by the refusal of leadership - including the boosters and Hamilton - to confront or correct him. Basilio alleges that Blackburn finally got fed up with both Dooley's antics and leadership's coddling of him, and is said to have approached Dooley in the midst of some rant, in a room full of people, and said: And, yes, we're about to pass this guy over for Phil Fulmer - a failed coach who tried to burn the world down on his way out the door, who once demanded a raise and extension for any 8-win season, who we just fired 8 years ago, who once personally met with and tried to convince a witness of an alleged sexual assault from reporting to the police, and who has absolutely zero experience in running an athletic department. Because this is Tennessee, and that's what we've allowed a select few, albeit very well-financed narcissists, to turn us into. Link: http://tonybasilio.com/index.php?page=tony (I think you may need the Basilio app to listen to it, but am not certain)
Rock bottom is rushing to meet us, whether we can see where it is or not. We are a program in free fall for the last 15 years
That DD attitude has got to be pretty obvious with even just a cursory glance, much less any pre-hire due diligence. Even if the losing record can be overlooked (??), how can UT be stupid enough to hire a d-bag like that?
My understanding is that a small group went to Ruston, LA to interview him, offered him the job on the spot, and were heading back to Knoxville with him before Hamilton was even aware that he was under consideration. Also, if memory serves me correctly, the only dissenting voice of consequence to Dooley's hiring was from the one guy who had actually vetted him just one year before, when Fulmer was fired, and who told the boosters / Hamilton that they were making a panicked mistake in hiring him, was David Blackburn. Blackburn told them, directly and in no uncertain terms, that Dooley was not only roundly despised by everyone, and at everywhere he had ever been, but more importantly, that he was a shitty coach who could not - and would not - win at Tennessee. Of course, his calling what was such an obvious collection of selflessly motivated super-geniuses to task was seen as the worst of all betrayals, in and of itself, but which only grew so much sickeningly worse as time and events proved him to have been exactly correct, and several times over. Perhaps some may continue to see this as an unforgivable slight, and still greatly begrudge him for it, to this very day. Or, perhaps some simply want any means of re-installing their lackey friend Fulmer back into the machinations of Tennessee, and opposing Blackburn's candidacy is seen as being a required - and entirely justified - means to that self-serving end. And perhaps still others, maybe no more than a very select few, are firmly entrenched in both camps - who neither want Blackburn, nor will they accept anyone but Fulmer. It's that last group that is trickiest, and who will almost certainly win the day. All allegedly, of course. This is just pure speculation, really, and is best read as a work of pure delusion, of absolute fiction, or which is the mere product of an overactive imagination. No one should believe it to contain any truth, however partial and unintentional, or assign any credence to it, whatsoever.
Funny thing is that 99% of our fans would have been rooting for Blackburn to be crucified had that story about Dooley been known at the time it happened.
You're such an optimist. 75% of our fanbase would still see his talking to any HC like that as an act of BIG ARNGE betrayal, even now, with the full benefit of hindsight.
I think we saw that Kiffin seemed to have some positive momentum and he was an assistant for ultra-successful Pete Carroll. So we'll just hire an assistant from ultra-successful Nick Saban, and he'll do well, too. Plus, he's all culturey and whatnot.
I think they wanted someone who had the appearance of a good, young southern coach, and they didn't even think about if looks could be deceiving. Good hair, wears a tucked in collared shirt every day. Southern drawl and pedigree. Hired.
Unless I loved Tennessee and wanted to see the University and the athletics there succeed again like they rightfully ought to be doing...
I think he realizes how screwed up the AD is. Even though he loves Tennessee, he may not want to subject himself to this cluster.
Has your tune on Blackburn turned in favor of him? I remember you saying however long ago that you weren't even sure Blackburn was the best man for the job, and were uncertain of his qualifications other than him loving UT.