Blunt Truth Trauma

You missed the point. But I'll explain it: Don't throw your players under the bus. Period. Especially when some of the more grievous errors are coaching related.

Great coaches make bad mistakes while they figure things out. Bad coaches can make use of good talent, until it runs out, and look good. And, while I cannot predict the future (as if such an obvious statement need be made), I can use what I see now to form a conclusion, for now. If things change, everyone will be happy and Dooley will be at UT for a long time. If things stay the same, he won't and we won't. That much is simple, no?

If nothing changes, do we keep Dooley? No.

At the end of the day, Dooley is a charismatic head coach with no notable wins and a lot of excuses. And I like him and want him to succeed, because he is charismatic. At the same time, I've been duped by a charismatic man with lots of excuses before, and though I can't predict whether he'll turn it around, either, I don't have a lot of faith, at this point. Faith in Dooley is running out as well, although I still think he gets two more years, even if he is 6-6 in 2012.

 

6-6 in 2012, and his seat would be so searing hot that it might be worse to keep him than to just let him go assuming we have a good candidate lined up.

 

If he goes 6-6 in 2012, barring a catastrophic rash of injuries, I'll have lost all faith in him.

 

Some of the errors are coaching related but I have no problem with him calling out the players. He's essentially been doing that since day one with the "cupboard is bare" comment. I agree with everything else you said. He is a charismatic coach but if he goes 6-6 next year we'll know he's not the guy plain and simple. I don't expect to win the SEC next year but I do expect to be ranked in the top 25 and a 9 win season.

 

Seriously. .500 with what will be the best offense in the conference is not acceptable next year.

 

I don't want to have to find out what the end game would be at .500... Don't think I'll have to though.

I think improvement will continue going forward, but I honestly don't know if Derek will be here to see UT once again approach beast status. He may not get to see the bamboo go zhoom.

 

Some of his remarks regarding the players have been to get them to step it up. He called Poole out on the way down to media day. Fantastic, no problem. Get that shit done.

Continuing to do it, though, is pointless. We know the cupboard is bare. We know players have attrition. We know there is a skill issue. So why say it?

Do I need to come out today and say: sky is blue, clouds are white, will get dark when the sun goes down? No.

So, instead, let's be productive. Let's analyze something.

Justin Wilcox: Known for doing more with less. Take a look at the roster, forget everything you've seen this year. How many of our defensive players start for Boise St two years ago? Would they be successful against Boise opponents? If the answer is most, or all and that yes, Boise would have been successful... what does that say about Wilcox? Will he be just absolutely fantastic with dynamic, fast and explosive players? Probably, yea. Who wouldn't be? When they learn how to tackle.

Chaney: Good offensive system? Get the line to push, throw some weight around, run the ball? Yea, probably. When they learn how to orchestrate the highly complex action of the snap.

Game plan. Seen good ones? I mean, maybe the players can't execute the plan. We'll find out, presumably.

And honestly, which is it, this week?

We water and water and water, and then bam, growth... or... no matter how much water, they'll never grow, because they are bad.

The cupboard is bare (implying that there is nothing there)... or... we're just young. (meaning the tools are there, just not refined yet)

Which is it, Dooley? Which excuse are we using this week?

 

I'm right there with you float.

I get the lack of talent, but other than 59:15 of LSU last year and perhaps Cinnci this year (that win does look better by the week), I've not seen anything out of this staff that instill confidence.

This staff desparately needs a win against an SEC team that is better than us.

 

Damn, Float doesn't want to take any more shit.

 

If Tennessee is 6-6 next year, it will simply mean Dooley is an awful coach. There's really no other way around that, IMO.

It will also make everyone have to think about how much he's actually upgrading the roster.

 

Barring season ending injuries to about 16 starters, if Dooley goes 6-6 in 2012 he's fired.

 

I don't think anyone would be surprised. Except LWSVol and the other guy I was arguing with on volnation in the most recent thread about 2012.

The sad thing is, even at 6-6 next year, we would still hear, "Kiffin really screwed things up, Dooley needs more time", "no one else would take this job", and other crap about how a coach that has never won more than 7 regular season games in 6 years as a head coach was about to turn things around and start competing with some of the best coaches in the country. Not to mention countless comparisons to Saban's record at Michigan State. Is there any other historically top 10 (or top 20) program that would put up with mediocrity for so long?

 

LWS can't help himself. It's a knee jerk response to feel better about Fulmer's record.

 

I think Dooley has what it takes to be a winner, his comments have been on the money. You have to let players know where they stand, and what they need to do to improve. Fact is he did inherit a fractured, down trodden program that had been miscoached for several years. It takes more than one year to turn it around, and now this season is pretty much a wash with Bray out. The teams first half play is encouraging, there is talent and effort, but the lack of depth catches up to us in the second half. I do agree we should expect better than a .500 season next year.

 

That's an understatement. I'd say 7-5 next year should be grounds for termination.

8-4 may well keep him, but I wouldn't be confident in Dooley if that's where UT is next season.

 

If one of those wins was Alabama, I believe he would get another year for sure, probably would in any case with showing that much improvement.

 

7-5 would be 'that much' improvement?

But agree, beating Bama would go a long way for Dooley.

 

Over 5-7 or whatever we have, maybe 4-7? Yes that fits the description of Improvement.

 

didn't we have only 50 something players last year? that's telling in itself. dooley is basically having to rebuild the program from scratch. basically missing out on a recruiting class(since most of kiffins recruits are no longer here) is tough. i think if dooley is given time then he will be fine. like rockytop said it's not something that will turn around in 1-2 years. depth is still an issue. i honestly think it'll take 3-4 recruiting classes before we actually see improvement no matter who the coach is. fulmer drove the program into the ground, kiffin leaving dug the hole deeper.

70% of the team is either frsh or soph, 17 frsh played this year. think about that. almost half the guys who play are frsh. there's a learning curve when you go from hs to college, needless to say hs to the sec. there's been bumps along the way and there will be more to come. eventually we will be back, just going to take time.

 

the voice of reason.