Kirby Smart at Tennessee?

buzzincuzzin

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I'll reitterate;Coach Derek Dooley is too good for the likes of the vol football program. They really don't want a straight coach that won't lie, cheat or connive, phil fulmer taught them that is the way to win.
Then hiring Dave Hart was a big mistake. This rest on his shoulders now and it will be interesting to see how he handles things.
 

bamanut_aj

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Jul 31, 2000
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if they're unhappy with the guy who has former HC experience at a lesser program, I don't know that they'd bring in a guy with no HC experience. Not a shot at Coach Smart, but I think they would look around first....my opinion.
 

Tidewater

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I'd think they would give Dooley at least 4 yrs before they made a decision one way or the other (its not like the cupboards were full when he got there). Switching coaches every couple of years will insure mediocrity.
This. If I was a Vol fan, I'd advise patience.
Since I am a Bama fan, I'd tell UT, "Go ahead and fire your coach every other year, just keep you hands off Alabama assistants."
 

BamaDude06

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Keep in mind with the mess and injuries he had to deal with,he had the the exact opposite schedule UGA had. UGA played the three West bottom dwellers and UT played the three West big boys.
 

Tide Warrior

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Not to mention the NCAA's investigation into UT is not over yet. They will have a hard time finding a coach to come into the mess CDD inherited. I think he will be there for atleast 2 more years and I also think UT will in the thick of it in 2 years. UF and USC are not moving forward at the time. USC will have a lot of players leave this year and they are not filling the coffers up with recruiting classes at the moment and UF is in a holding pattern until CWM can get his own recruits to UF. UGA benefited this year from the rest of the pitiful east and VAndy and UK are just that, Vandy and UK. I would not be surprised to see UT finish 2nd next year with everyone healthy and returning. Plus they are bringing in some huge JUCOs that will be immediate impacts the next 2 years. We see how players like Cody, Menzie, Carpenter, Dial, and Williams have help UA, Newton and Fairly at AU.
 

4Q Basket Case

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A couple of my UT friends have been posting this on FB. It's actually a pretty good read on the explanation of their downfall. If they can get this spread around, I think the writer might be right. And then we get to keep KS. :)

LINK
Interesting post from a rational UT fan. There is really no difference in the result of having several recruiting classes gutted by a combination of convenient timing of release of information and ensuing probation, versus self-inflicted recruiting failure. Either way, you get nothing for several years, and it takes a really long time to recover.

In our case, we compounded the treachery by Phil Fulmer, Roy Kramer, the SEC Office and the NCAA with our own ineptness and some incredible bad luck. Then we finally caught a break, got Saban, and got back on the road to championships. Helping us there is the fact that Alabama high school football produces a ton of major-college talent, so Saban's recruiting prowess is magnified.

Tennessee has a more intractable problem. Tennessee high school football produces a few stars every year, but just doesn't produce the numbers of players necessary to sustain championship college football. So they have to rely on out of state players for the core of their program, and that causes all manner of issues.

But I'll never forgive those guys for what they did to us, with the complicity of the institutions and persons (NCAA, the SEC Office and Roy Kramer) that are charged with preventing that very thing. Their current difficulties couldn't happen to a more deserving crew. Dooley himself seems like a class act, and as soon as he's out of Knoxville, I'll be supportive. But I wish nothing but failure to anyone wearing orange.
 

VolFan1

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I know I am not on here much anymore but I do still browse from time to time.

Had to read this thread.

This is the first place I have heard Kirby Smart to Tennessee. I don't think that will happen. If it did, the fan base would be even more outraged and upset than they are right now. Not saying Smart is not a good coach but he has no head coaching experience. The fans that want Dooley gone are the idiots that think we can fire him (and pay a $5 mil buy out) and then throw $5-8 mil at a coach like Saban, Gruden, Stoops, Cowher, or <insert big name coach here>. To me this is insane. What big time coach in their right mind would come to Tennessee if Dooley was fired right now? None, I don't think. Why would they come here with the thought in the back of their mind that if they don't succeed within 2 years then they may be shown the door? Imagine the buy out that would be written into that contract if Dooley was fired and then a big name coach hired. I would imagine it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $8+ million. I am not sure if the pay out to Fulmer has been completed yet or not but to pay Dooley a buyout and then to hire a big name for $5+ million is probably not going to happen

My thoughts on Dooley. Is he the right man for the job? I don't know, I cannot fairly answer that at this point. If next year turns out in the same boat as this season I think it is probably time to go. I think next year he needs to compete for the east. How many wins is that? I am not sure. If UT wins 7 or 8 games next season who will those wins be against? Where will that put us in the SEC race? If we win 8 does that put us at 4-4 or 5-3 in the SEC? 3 non conference wins next season should be givens (Georgia St, Akron, and Troy). That puts us at 5-3 in the SEC with 8 wins. Is that good enough to compete in the east? Probably...but that is assuming we get 8 wins next year. I would like to still consider Vandy and Kentucky wins in the conference but as this year showed that is not guarantee.

I want to see Dooley succeed. I love UT football and want to see wins on the field. I want to get back to the days of stepping on the field and know going into the game with Bama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia is going to be a good game and that UT has a legit shot of winning. Right now this is not the case. We hope we can make a game of these games and others (Ark, Auburn, USC) and be in the game late with a shot of pulling it out. Right now that is not happening.

Back to the topic of this thread. I am not sure Smart would really be a smart hire (no pun intended) for UT at this point if Dooley was ran out of town.
 
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BamaFanVA

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Mar 12, 2010
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Smart can do better than TN! with the currect coaching landscape of the SEC, it is hard for a medicore coach to complete for championships. I believe muschamp will evidently be good mostly because of the instate talent available in Fla. but I don't see anyone other than a premier coach doing well at UT and Dools is not a premier coach. Smart would be a 'smart' choice as he would instantly give credibility to the recruiting of defensive studs and defensive wins championships. When Smart takes a HC gig, i hope he takes a better one than TN.
 

TiderJack

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Smart can do better than TN! with the currect coaching landscape of the SEC, it is hard for a medicore coach to complete for championships. I believe muschamp will evidently be good mostly because of the instate talent available in Fla. but I don't see anyone other than a premier coach doing well at UT and Dools is not a premier coach. Smart would be a 'smart' choice as he would instantly give credibility to the recruiting of defensive studs and defensive wins championships. When Smart takes a HC gig, i hope he takes a better one than TN.
TN is the 2nd most winning program in the SEC so I disagree he could do better. The program is in a bad place now but there is great potential at TN. As far as Kirby is concerned I hope he gets some experience somewhere and then comes back to Bama when Coach Saban retires.
 

Padreruf

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I know I am not on here much anymore but I do still browse from time to time.

Had to read this thread.

This is the first place I have heard Kirby Smart to Tennessee. I don't think that will happen. If it did, the fan base would be even more outraged and upset than they are right now. Not saying Smart is not a good coach but he has no head coaching experience. The fans that want Dooley gone are the idiots that think we can fire him (and pay a $5 mil buy out) and then throw $5-8 mil at a coach like Saban, Gruden, Stoops, Cowher, or <insert big name coach here>. To me this is insane. What big time coach in their right mind would come to Tennessee if Dooley was fired right now? None, I don't think. Why would they come here with the thought in the back of their mind that if they don't succeed within 2 years then they may be shown the door? Imagine the buy out that would be written into that contract if Dooley was fired and then a big name coach hired. I would imagine it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $8+ million. I am not sure if the pay out to Fulmer has been completed yet or not but to pay Dooley a buyout and then to hire a big name for $5+ million is probably not going to happen

My thoughts on Dooley. Is he the right man for the job? I don't know, I cannot fairly answer that at this point. If next year turns out in the same boat as this season I think it is probably time to go. I think next year he needs to compete for the east. How many wins is that? I am not sure. If UT wins 7 or 8 games next season who will those wins be against? Where will that put us in the SEC race? If we win 8 does that put us at 4-4 or 5-3 in the SEC? 3 non conference wins next season should be givens (Georgia St, Akron, and Troy). That puts us at 5-3 in the SEC with 8 wins. Is that good enough to compete in the east? Probably...but that is assuming we get 8 wins next year. I would like to still consider Vandy and Kentucky wins in the conference but as this year showed that is not guarantee.

I want to see Dooley succeed. I love UT football and want to see wins on the field. I want to get back to the days of stepping on the field and know going into the game with Bama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia is going to be a good game and that UT has a legit shot of winning. Right now this is not the case. We hope we can make a game of these games and others (Ark, Auburn, USC) and be in the game late with a shot of pulling it out. Right now that is not happening.

Back to the topic of this thread. I am not sure Smart would really be a smart hire (no pun intended) for UT at this point if Dooley was ran out of town.
I wholeheartedly agree. Dooley has not had a real chance, given injuries, turmoil, recruiting, etc. Quite frankly, I thought they played us well the first half and then wore out. This is going to sound crazy, but UA needs for UT to be strong...competition never hurts anyone. We need for a strong SEC from top to bottom so that all our wins count for something. Having UT, MSU, OM, and AU be so weak this year did not help any of us. Besides, it makes for some really good internet discussions!
 

TrampLineman

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How'd that work out for Texas with Muschamp?
We're not even sure Kirby wants a top job yet, so why not? Just because it didn't work at Texas doesn't mean we don't have to do it. If we do it and he leaves, then that's on him and nobody would blame him.
 

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