Tennessee Coaching Search

I do wonder why Mullen is still coaching at Miss State though.

 

He's making over $4 million a year at a school where 7-5/8-4 is good enough.

 

Then good luck getting him out of there. And this is the rub UT and all other big schools are going to face. Either start at $10million or go find some WAC/MAC/AAC/C-USA coach.

 

So, he's satisfied with winning 7-8, too?

Telling.

 

Dan Mullen is a great coach. At Mississippi State.

 

Been a fan for years.

 

For me, Chip Kelly is first on the list and it isn't close.

Sure, you call Gruden, you call Stoops, you call Patterson, but Kelly is the target.

If they say no, my next call is Mullen, and then you start getting to less established, high upside names like Fuente and Taggart. There are a couple intriguing first-year guys in the Big Ten, but I'm nervous about offering any of them without a little more track record.

The floor should be MacIntyre, which would probably be the best coach we've had in a decade

 

I agree with all of this, but Taggart and Mullen would be pretty even.

 

I just pray this time around we are not on coach #45 before we land one. If you cannot land one of the top three guys on your list, who are all not coaching at this time, then you are either a skinflint or stupid or both. And it is time to just shut this shithole down.

 

He was allegedly a strong consideration for the Florida job when they fired Captain Caveman. Not sure what happened there.

 

What's sad is that guy #45 would be better than Jones.

 

I am less sure than many about Gruden and Stoops. I don't want to have to talk them out of retirement. If they've got the itch, then great, but a good coach with one eye on the golf course isn't the answer. Maybe to beating McElwain, but not taking us where we want to be.

(Full disclosure: I do not know anybody who knows either of these guys, so this is borne purely out of ignorance of their mental states)

 

Your list has to be longer than 3 names, or one name.

It can't just be Gruden, Kelly, Stoops, or seppuku. If it is, you take too great a chance that you'll be slitting your own belly, or worse, hiring another guy on his way to Colorado or directing athletics at LaTech.

 

And this is a fair argument. But I never looked at Stoops and thought "dude is fried and done coaching." He is only 57 (?) and I think a new start somewhere else would do wonders for him.

Gruden I agree with. If he says "I want to coach", I sit and talk with him. But the minute he moves the goal post one time, ONE TIME, I say "thank you, but we are looking elsewhere". I wouldn't even entertain any of that nonsense.

I think Kelly is someone that needs to coach. He probably cannot live without it, same as Les Miles.

 

Gruden doesn't appear to need a lot of convincing to get back on the sideline. I'm sure he's had some offers since his time in Tampa, so it kind of makes you wonder why he's waited so long.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000822754/article/jon-gruden-on-coaching-return-im-preparing

 

That last bit was hyperbole, of course, but I was just trying to make a point. You don't give up on your first bit at the first sign of blow back unless it is someone like Gruden, then you tell him thanks but no thanks. Not dancing that dance again.

But the other names at the top of your list, you hound them and hound them and hound them until someone yells "FOR **** SAKE I'LL TAKE THE JOB, JUST STOP CALLING."

 

I agree. There are a lot of really good young coaches, D.J. Durkin, P.J. Fleck, Jeff Brohm, to name a few, but they probably haven't done enough to get consideration.

 

I know, and I wasn't directing that only at you. But the universe of coaches between Jon Gruden and Butch Jones that could have Tennessee competing for championships in short order is longer than three names.

I'm all for asking out the prom queen, but if she says no, there are better options than stalking her and then eating your cyanide capsule.

 

I can't stand another cliche spouter

 

Go get Justin Fuente if you whiff on the big boys