Finebaum on Gruden to TN

March 1st, Butch's buyout (to leave) drops to $2M, and stays there through the end of his contract on Feb. 28th, 2021

 

Up for confirmation at the next BoT meeting December 15. Not sure when she actually will begin, and that it matters

 

He are the facts:
1: Butch will be our coach next season unless something crazy happens. It is his plan and the University's plan for him the remain for 2017
2: If Blackburn becomes AD and Butch has a bad 2017, Blackburn would initiate talks again with Gruden. I seriously believe that these talks would be way more fruitful than last time and Blackburn has the relationships with all involved to work this out.
3: The checkbook would be opened up for the best assistant coaches in the game. UT currently pays its assistant football coaches crap compared with the rest of the top schools.

 

The thing that's hard to believe about that is if Gruden really is in play, why wait? Why not pay the extra 3 million or so to dump Hart and Botch early if you know who you want to take the job? Everyone would be on board. Circumstances change in a year. The East may still suck next year. What if we somehow win? Have to wait another year?

Bottom line is if Gruden is really on the table, not trying to get him in place sooner rather than later is just silly.

 

Criminally negligent is more like it...

 

Agree wholeheartedly

There's enough left on the roster to make a run next year, if we can get Gruden or another big name coach. Not sure we'll be able to say the same this time next year, because recruiting is going to continue to spiral down, and I'm sure some will leave the program also.

 

I don't think Gruden is in play right now. Would be once the right people are in place.

 

Then, after the new chancellor is brought in and Blackburn is hired shortly after, clean house, get the big money people together and make it happen.

 

You're always spot on, DTO, and I welcome you to post more.

I'll only add that there is long-standing interest and observation on each side, and that they've talked it damned-near to death with mutual friends. It's routinely - albeit completely unofficially - discussed. I can't fathom, and think you'll agree, that you won't hear anything from the only shills that most TN fans would believe (Hubbs, Hyans, etc.) until it's done, simply because the circle of those involved is so much and naturally tighter (they speak as friends, well beyond normal TN channels) as to prevent their normal access.

This is one of the reasons that so many media members scoff at the idea of Gruden to Tennessee. First, they know to pull Hart's line or suffer being frozen out. Second, their normal sources of info are largely useless, as being uninvolved with or even aware of these conversations taking place outside of the normal structures and where some inkling of their existence inevitably filters through the AD. And finally, the entire media conglomerate, at every level, on every topic and in every market is still, flailingly and mightily struggling to keep and defend their role as the "single-source of all truth" in this increasingly connected, voracious and unblinking world of the internet. If our local and regional media were to somehow be beaten to the scoop on something as monumentally important as the Tennessee coach being fired, or Gruden being hired, well, at that point, much of the increasingly transparent ghost would be given up, - and perhaps irrevocably. And so, if you notice, they'll go well out of their way to laugh, make jokes, chide and even downright demean anyone who suggested it then, or dares do so now, in what will prove to be a vain effort at preventing it from even threatening to occur, again. I don't blame them, at all, it's business and they have mouths to feed. It's futile to think they'll hold out and hold on forever, because the internet is already eating them all as we speak, but no shame in fighting valiantly to hold on.

Curiously, for as much as some of you guys chide and decry Basilio, he's infinitely closer to a long-term model to ensure for a sustainable future than all of the rest, combined, with the possible exception of Hubbs.

 

Weird how these poor as hell recruits can be strung along and then cut at any moment, but we can't fire a millionaire to replace him with someone better.

 

You are correct.

 

It was amazing how our sources from completely different areas and backgrounds, were saying the same thing. It was an exciting time that ultimately fell through due to incompetence and ego.

 

Hopefully Blackburn rectifies the situation. If he comes in and hires another Butch type, I will quit for good.

 

The latest quote from LWS about Gruden...I hope to goodness it happens just so this idiot can eat his words...

"let's see...

5 million for head coach and 20 million for assistants? Nope, wouldn't before and won't again.

Didn't want to report to the athletic director? Nope, wouldn't before and won't again, ever.

No compliance oversight? Nope and hell no..

with demands like those (and there were others) the message was clear. He was 100% not interested in coaching at Tennessee.

Won't happen ever, but let the rumors percolate every couple of years and he gets further and further away from coaching."

 

You'd think even that moron would have enough sense to avoid stupid ass comments about no compliance. It's clearly a stupid ask and didn't happen.

 

Unfortunately, he'd post it was happening at the eleventh hour and say he knew it first.

 

At one time, Larry actually was a pretty good source, am I remembering that correctly? What happened to him?

 

Fulmer got fired

 

And clearly he became distracted with being a persona.