The Train Daddy is ready to do some Dooley talk; the Volunteer organization said, “Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back.” Ultimately, they said, “You’re fired!” They also stated “Dooley, your 15-21 overall record is no good, your 0-15 record vs. Top 25 teams is even worse, and the fact that you went 4-19 in SEC play really chaps my ass.” That’s word for word what they said to Dooley! OK, maybe not quite like that, but Tennessee Director of Athletics Dave Hart stated he has no doubt that Dooley improved the Vols Football program after inheriting a tough situation three years ago. Well, I would personally have to disagree with Mr. Hart and would like to state that whatever improvements Dooley made sure didn’t show in their football program’s overall record.
The Vols 41-18 beat-down loss to Vandy last Saturday night guaranteed the Vols their third consecutive losing season and ultimately Dooley’s job. The beat down was only the second loss to in-state rival Vandy in 30 years and will cap off the first time since 1975 that the Vols have failed to reach a bowl game in back-to-back seasons. I have no doubt that Dooley had good intentions and tried his hardest, but at the end of the day, you can not ignore the results, and they sucked. So what is next for Vol nation? Who has the answers; who is the one? It’s not going to be Dooley, and we all know it isn’t going to be Neo. Who is the One? We all know who Tennessee Nation has at the top of their wish list; is it possible to take Mr. Jon Gruden away from Monday Night Football? Can we get the Chucky? I am going to now get into the talk of who I believe is available and possible for Tennessee to get and who is the best fit. First, let me state, Mr. Derek Dooley, thank you for trying. I know you put your heart into it; I listened to your radio show, and at times I agreed and disagreed with your tactics. Ultimately, Vol Nation couldn’t hide the ugly, and it was very ugly, homie. The record was ugly, the passion was ugly, the fans hated you more than liked you and it was time to part ways. Peace out, Dooley, it’s time to move on.
So let’s get back to more relevant talk: Who will be the future commander in chief of the Tennessee Vols? Well, I have a few ideas. The sexy pick obviously is Jon Gruden. The country loves the man, and he is a polarizing character that everyone talks about. Is he the right pick? It’s annual talk every single time a job opens up in college or pro football; the Chuckster’s name is brought up. Everything is in place here in Knoxville for Gruden; his wife was a cheerleader at Tennessee, his parents live there, he owns land in Sevierville, and he was hired as a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee after he graduated college. From what I hear, he wanted the job last time it was open, but money was an issue and the Monday Night gig for ESPN was a hot ticket for Gruden. The man lives and breathes football. He breaks down tape like no other, he has his show on ESPN were he breaks down the big-name college players live, Gruden and player sit together, he drills them, the good the bad and the ugly! My issues with Gruden would be that he has never been a head coach in college, and that Super Bowl he won was pretty much given to him by the previous coaching staff at Tampa. Gruden won his Super Bowl title his first year as head coach, so there weren’t many pieces of the puzzle missing; he just put them together. After that title, he went 95-81 in eleven years before getting fired.
Who else is on the table for Tennessee? I have read and heard many people support Fulmer. Yep, you heard me right; he has stated he is healthy and too young to stay retired. I know he has many loyal fans; he has not coached since ’08 when Tennessee cut him loose. I don’t think that’s an awful idea, but I don’t love the idea. Tennessee wants to move forward, obviously, and that move just feels like moving backward and hoping he can be what he was in the late ’90s. That would be a bold hire though.
What about Bobby Petrino? He is in the top three as far as I am concerned. It is a fact that he took a struggling Arkansas team and turned them overnight into a powerhouse. I am certain he is at the top of the board, and the directors at Tennessee have been looking him over. He could be a risky move or a huge reward. Sure, Tennessee wants to stay away from any scandals; with some of the past issues with Pearl and Players, you have to be careful. Yeah, he lied and slept with some chick and wrecked his motorcycle and made a fool of himself; he’s human. But there is no question that he turned crap to gold in just a season and that is what Tennessee needs.
Charlie Strong is another name on the board. He led Louisville to a remarkable season and is expected to get many offers from schools this coming season. Strong is a defensive coach; my only issue with him is that the Cardinals’ schedule was doodoo. In three seasons, he only beat one ranked team. Some other possible names: Alabama’s Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart, TCU Coach Gary Patterson, Miami’s Al Golden or Louisiana Tech’s Sonny Dykes. Or dig deep, Tennessee. What about MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill? That’s digging. Hey, he took MTSU to a 10-3 record in 2010. Or what about Tee Martin, loved by Vol Nation. One day, Tee will get a shot somewhere, he has been coaching QBs and receivers at New Mexico, Kentucky and now USC. Who else is left? What about Bob Stoops? That’s enough; we have no clue who it will be, I am just guessing now. So that’s it, Tennessee needs a new head coach and I really like the idea of Gruden or Petrino or Tim Tebow being the new ball coach, hahaha!
Alright everyone, I am out of the station and ready to see how all this plays out. Everyone remember, the Train Daddy brings the Pain Daddy. I just hope Tennessee can find the right man for the job. It’s crucial to get back in the mix of success!
