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Tennessee assistant football coach Trooper Taylor made what appears to be a smart career move Wednesday. Maybe UT head coach Phillip Fulmer did the same.
Taylor accepted a co-offensive coordinator's job at Oklahoma State. If he succeeds in that role, his resume will be complete.
He already has excelled as a recruiter and a position coach. Combine that with a successful stint as a coordinator and he should become a prime head-coaching candidate.
Surely, Taylor would have preferred being the offensive coordinator at UT, where he has coached the last three years. But he didn't have that option.
So he made the smart move. I'm not so sure about Fulmer.
Obviously, Fulmer thought he could hire a better offensive coordinator than Taylor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked losing such a valuable member of his staff.
I can appreciate Fulmer's hesitance in promoting Taylor to the job. Even if Taylor had demonstrated the ability to call plays, he has no track record at it. And UT is no place for tryouts, right?
It shouldn't be a place for middle-of-the-pack offenses, either.
If Fulmer intends to shake up the offense by bringing in an innovative coordinator with no ties to an offensive system that seemingly was in place when Columbus found our shores, I can understand letting Taylor go.
But if Fulmer is intent on rehiring a former UT assistant as his coordinator and maintaining offensive status quo, why allow Taylor to leave?
Instead, Fulmer could have promoted Taylor to offensive coordinator and then hired the best quarterbacks coach he could find to replace David Cutcliffe, who served as both coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
If Taylor struggled in his new role, there would have been plenty of support nearby. Fulmer knows this offense as well as anyone. He was a line coach and a coordinator in this system before he was a head coach. He could have shouldered more of the load while breaking in his new coordinator.
But that's the worst-case scenario. Suppose Taylor had flourished in his new job. Then, you would have added a good play caller and kept a good recruiter, who also has a great rapport with players, media and fans.
The Vols already have lost one ace recruiter in Cutcliffe. He could recruit quarterbacks on reputation alone. Having helped develop NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, Cutcliffe had an automatic in with almost any high school quarterback who aspired to make a living at that position.
Fulmer might hire a play caller as adept as Cutcliffe. But I doubt he will hire one that has the same allure for quarterback recruits.
You also have to wonder if he can hire an assistant as valuable as Taylor.
You can cite statistics which prove UT running backs and wide receivers improved under Taylor, who coached both positions in his three years at UT. There are no stats to measure his enthusiasm, which provided a significant change of pace on a staff that's generally much more low key.
Oklahoma State will be the beneficiary of Taylor's towel-waving, chest-bumping enthusiasm. If it also benefits from his play-calling, UT will have lost more than it realized.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
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Comments » 52
DroopyDrawers writes:
Asams, why don't you go with Trooper? Put a spin on that.
bshell12 writes:
Trooper you will be missed greatly....best of luck
Bigger_Al writes:
We should hire John Adams as Head Coach.
By the way, Fulmer is the guy who brought Trooper to Knoxville. Just like he brought Rodney Garner. And he promoted Cutcliffe and Chavis. And he hired Lovey Smith as Secondary Coach, and Doug Marrone as an assistant coach as well.
That said, Trooper will be missed. But those who criticize should remember who brought him to Knoxville to begin with.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Yeah, there's definitely lots going on behind the scenes that we don't know about--good and bad. Fulmer obviously had a reason for not upping the ante to keep him. I doubt we'll ever know why.
Now, we'll see what kind of quality replacements we get in. It'll make or break Fulmer. This is why you don't give extensions and raises to head coaches until the SEASON IS OVER!
Perry writes:
I think Phil has a great opportunity here. He gets to replace his whole offensive staff without having to fire anybody. Because we all know Phil is loyal to a fault sometimes.
skyhawk836 writes:
Bigger Al,
Good post. I said on another thread that CPF has been coaching for 30 years. He'll hire good people and sign good players.
james#216392 writes:
Good Luck Trooper. I love your towel waving style.
Now let's get on with getting a new offensive coach in place and hit the recruiting trail. Steve Spurrier, come on down.
Volalumnus writes:
I agree with the article. If Fulmer hires someone thats been there before then the move makes no sense
watkigm#258755 writes:
John, you think that being offensive coordinator is primarily about making play calls? How could you be a sport's editor/writer for this long and know so very little about football.
paulvol writes:
We need an offensive cordinator like Steve Spurrior that has both experience as a college quarterback and as a college coach, who knows the good trick plays to win the big games and is not afraid to use them, someone familiar and successful with the spread offense, run pass option offense, and good old ground it pound it attack. We also need someone who will recruite both passing and running combination quarterbacks to mix our offense up more and make it so much more unpredictable and more effective.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Here's what Coach Fulmer needs to do: go find Rodney Garner and bring him back. He was our recruiting magnet for the late-90's when we won the NC.
How are we going to do this? Cut Chavis's salary in half and give the other portion to Garner, in addition to the salary that would have gone to Trooper.
dfreeman writes:
Because Chavis and Taylor didn't get along with each other... so whispers the wind!! One didn't like the attention the other was getting and the other was too cocky around the other!!
texan writes:
CHP is not going to make a status quo move again. he got burned with Randy Sanders. Look for him to go with someone like Gus Malzahn. he will then have someone to blame if he fails.
Harrygh writes:
According to the two most popular recruiting websites (Rivals & Scout), this was already the worst recruiting season in years. Now with just seven weeks left, the two best recruiters (arguably) are gone. Doesn't sound good. Very few four or five star recruits have UT on their maybe list.
tlatham writes:
Losing Cutcliffe has its drawbacks. However, I prefer to focus on the positive. Look at all the other programs turning out great offenses with dynamic quarterbacks. They did not have Coach Cutcliffe doing their recruiting or running their offenses and they still got talented players and had productive offenses. Coach Cutcliffe can attract talented young quarterbacks and is a good coordinator, that is not in question. Instead of focusing on what Tennesse is losing in the present, focus on the opportunity that Tennesse now has for the future. That starts by remembering the days when Tennessee was known as Wide Receiver U. In addition, Tennessee could still line up and run power football. I know that Tennessee has used the same playbook as long as I have been alive, but there are some great plays in that book. What Fulmer needs is someone who can help Tennessee by bringing back its identity not creating a new one. I am not saying there isn't a need for some change. I would like to see some modifications to the offense. A little less predictability would be great. That starts by winning the battle in the trenches. When you win at the line all things become possible. Furthermore, gone will be the days of a Tennessee coordinator saying "We had to take what the defense was giving us". I hope that Fulmer uses this opportunity to bring back the intensity, passion, and overall identity that is/was Tennesse football.
dfreeman writes:
Like Coach Fulmer can win no matter what he does!! If we fail, then it was Fulmer's fault and if we win then it must have been the new OC's doing!! At this point you guys would still want him fired if we went 14-0!!! Now where Fulmer wins is if he gets the axe or retires and we get a coach like Dubose, Franchione, Saban, Price, Mike Shula or anyone else like them and drag around the bottom of the SEC for a decade!! Then Fulmer could say what Bill Curry or Gene Stallings CAN say now!! Alabama has just over a .500 winning percentage since 02!! From '58 to '02 they had a .700+ winning percentage. Alabama fans expected to much and they got nothing in return after they got what they wanted!!
tennisvol writes:
I think this is really going to hurt recruiting this year. So far, TN is already ranked 9th in recruiting in the SEC just ahead of Mississippi State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Maybe Fulmer has something up his sleeve fans don't know about.
jonesboroughvolfan writes:
There's good ole Adams talking out of both sides of his mouth again. "Surely, Taylor would have preferred being the offensive coordinator at UT, where he has coached the last three years. But he didn't have that option. So he made the smart move. I'm not so sure about Fulmer." -- and one paragraph later --
"I can appreciate Fulmer's hesitance in promoting Taylor to the job. Even if Taylor had demonstrated the ability to call plays, he has no track record at it." Make up your mind and quit talking out of the hole down south and around back for once!
TommyJack writes:
dfreeman: OTOH, YOU would want to keep CPF if he went 0-14. Am I not right?
snowvol writes:
It never ceases to amaze me, the folks here who have issues with John Adams. Good thing you people don't live in New York City and follow NY teams. It's real simple: Adams tells it like it is, sans orange-colored glasses. It just kills most of you, but he won't ever tow the party line like a few others in the Knoxville media. If you attempt to read between the lines and connect the dots to what he's been saying of late, he's stating the obvious: Coach Phillip Fulmer needs to venture forth outside of his comfort zone -- the same comfort zone that has been pervasive to UT football for 75 years -- and hire a top-shelf, great-as-he-can-find offensive coordinator that will jump-start what has long been a middle-of-the-pack offense. For all the things you can name to recommend David Cutcliffe, and there are many, this offense didn't change much with respect to production when he came back...look it up. This football program is desperately in need of a whole new offense and that's what Adams -- and, in the event you didn't know, many others on UT's BOT and within the UTAD -- is trying to say.
Take off your blinders folks: Florida, LSU and Georgia have passed us by. And that's just in the SEC. Who's next?
BigVolinCarolina writes:
jonesborough, I thought the same thing about Adams when I read the article. Adams does talk out of both sides of his mouth.
Adams seems to get onto Fulmer for second-guessing, yet Adams does it all the time in his articles. He's a classic journalist--never take a stand so that there's always stones to throw. Must be nice to have a job like that.
THE_VOL writes:
I think FOOLmer would look fantastic in West By-God Virginia blue and gold! Don't ya'll????? So far we haven't lost a coach that matters as both Cutcliffe and Taylor are way overrated. And losing FOOLmer wouldn't hurt a bit either. Unfortunately there just aren't too many places you can get rid of junk!
TommyJack writes:
snowvol is on the mark. He is, of course, a loser/hater.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
dfreeman, you're a clown. Of course we would still want him gone if they went 14-0. This is because we would know that the next 10 seasons would be filled with underachieving. There are MAJOR problems on the Hill and if Phil was smart, he would step down because things are going to get ugly the next few years.
jamesarobertson#633301 writes:
Losing Cutcliff and Cooper at this time of the year will be devastating to UT recruiting. Fulmer made a serious mistake letting Cooper go. Just like he made the same mistake in letting University of Georgia steal R.Gardner was a serious mistake. Gardner has help make UGA one of the top scholls in football talent. They alread have 24 committments, UT only 12 and by the way only 2 lineman, can you believe that!
TommyJack writes:
er, ah james...
Pullingguard writes:
Good for Trooper.... UT has lost assistants who are now in the Pro's as head coach. Wish Trooper well, and Adams had good points although you have a few readers that cannot understand the message and lets everyone know they are not smarter than a 5th grader..So, good luck Trooper and keep on writing Adams in hope that these muscle shells will get the drift.
dfreeman writes:
Tammy - The answer to that simply is NO, but then Fulmer hasn't ever done that has he? He has gone 13-0 though!! If Fulmer has another 5-6 season, then fine c-ya bye!! I'm not under the assumption that there isn't a problem, I'm just not sure getting rid of Fulmer is the fix YET! I think Fulmer is going to leave on his own terms in about 2 years and I think he deserves it! I don't have a personal problem with the man and I would never call the man who has dedicated his life to "our" beloved Vols degrading names.
PLEASEGETRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE - I am a joker from time to time thanks!! Poofter!!
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
How soon your forget, John Adams. Not a word about the Randy Sanders experiment -- based precisely on the rationale you outlined for Fulmer making Taylor OC.
Why not a probing, investigative piece on who really called plays in 2005?
Wasn't Fulmer the real wizard behind the curtains then, as is widely believed out here? Wasn't Sanders OC in name only?
FWBVol writes:
Who is Cooper? Isn't he Peyton's older brother?
Tennessee will be able to get a top man for the job. It's up to Phillip Fulmer to do so. Being a co-coordinator at Oklahoma State isn't the same as being the main guy in charge of the offense at Tennessee. Even flying solo at OC at Okla. State isn't the same.
As for the concerns about recruiting, anyone that has followed recruiting for years knows that the recruiting class of 2008 wasn't going to be as highly rated as some of the classes in the past. UT has a huge class last February and that translate into a smaller, lower rated class this year.
The Vols may lose a few recruits that wanted to play for David Cutcliffe or Trooper Taylor. I say let them go. I want guys that want to wear the Orange and run through the T on a Saturday. That said, I agree that it is important to get the best OC possible and the best receivers coach too.
This may open things up where someone like a Kippy Brown or another coach with a similar background of coaching receivers and being an OC, without UT ties could come in as the OC.
That would open up the market for a hot young QB coach too.
Hey mcbrim, your break is over, time to get back and clean the parking lot at Mickey D's in Gainesville. If you are real good they might even let you work at the one close to the Florida campus so you can clean up after your beloved Gators.
invisiblekid writes:
Simple really, Fulmer didn't think Taylor was ready for the challenge and Gundy did, we'll find out who was right next year. Hopefully, Fulmer hire someone who makes us forget about OK ST, otherwise the second-guessing will never end.
invisiblekid writes:
BTW TJ, you forgot the prerequisite "Adams Sucks" comment.
invisiblekid writes:
Cooper Taylor is Trooper's evil doppelganger, and with that I bid everyone good night.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Well,
I have returned from the jungle and as I expected, the fruit hit the fan... although I thought it would be Baylor.
Exciting and nervous time to be a VOL fan. Let's see how this shakes out.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
tngeoff, lose the facts. One top 10 in 7 years does not play well here to some, true or not.
Phil will be under the gun starting with the Wisconsin game. Hamilton will not let him forget that. Others point to this team or that. I prefer to calmly look at the VOLS record lately. Ok, but not top 10 football. That is my standard. Maybe not Phil's or others, but it is makeable with what Tenn provides a HC. Others think 8 wins or so are fine, but check us out against the quality opponents the last 5 years.
I don't ever remember us even DREAMING of giving up 59 points to anyone. Feel better now.
Let's pull them thru this Badger game! Win this thing, Phil's going to hire who he wants, best or not. His choice, his future. Pray its a smart one! Merry Christmas.
leedsvol2007 writes:
As we've seen there is more to being an offensive coordinator than being a creative play caller.
Unfortunately for both Fulmer and Taylor the acrimony among our fan base simply would not allow letting Taylor learn on the job.
If Taylor was great from the get go everything would have been fine. On the other hand, if he was learning and Fulmer was having to assist him in the coordinators role he would have been accused of reigning him in and Fulmer would be blamed for any problems.
Taylor and Fulmer both made the correct moves for their careers at this time.
For what its worth I think the odds are great that Taylor will become a fine coordinator and then a head coach.
Down the road when Fulmer retires or leaves we might see Taylor on our sidelines again, as the head coach.
GoVols!
TommyJack writes:
SloFog: I feel no "euforia" about TT or Cut leaving. I WILL, however, feel euphoria when the Large One leaves. Wear the blinders Fog. Stay the course. Pound the rock.
88volgrad writes:
We truly have the most moronic fan base in the country. Most of you knuckle draggers should be hanging out at http://www.FairWeatherVols.com
CoverOrange writes:
Snowvol, the problem some of us has with John Adams is that he does no research, hangs around with his media buddies at media days to get ideas, plagiarizes, and generally sits in his office and pontifcates for articles. He doesn't interview players or coaches, current or former.
Geoff, care to provide the wiki website for "pontificates"?
oasis3#214380 writes:
The Sentinel seems to be big on sports polls on govolsxtra.com. How about one on John Adams? Should he be given a raise and extension? Either? Neither? Asked to leave town? Run out of town on a rail? Could be interesting. Come on Sentinel. Dare ya!
TommyJack writes:
WD40: Please don't encourage Geoffrey to post sites!! Just kiddin, Geoff.
TommyJack writes:
Geoff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley
waterskier3#226480 writes:
we will suffer in the short term from recruiting... in the 90's when we were so good RG was key recruiter.... he left to ga and they got better and we got worse.......TT joined and our recruting got better...but the team isn't performing on the field like in the 90's... so is that talent or coaching... now TT leaves talent will drop and we're average now so if this class suxs along with the average class after the 2005 that's 2 out 3 that's average to below average which will in turn cause us to lose more games...
that's a fact jack............. great recruiting turns into wins... the most talented teams in the nfl win and also in college... so we have to have great recruiting.......
Colliervol writes:
Agree with ilovefootball. This article gets the "Duh" award for the week.
jsc1973#233920 writes:
"I don't ever remember us even DREAMING of giving up 59 points to anyone. Feel better now."
We gave up 62 in a game in 1995, and ended the season ranked third in the country. That's the nature of the game today. Have a bad day against an explosive offense and you'll give up a ton of points. Was Ohio State as bad as it looked in last year's NC game? Was Oklahoma as bad as it looked when it gave up 55 to USC?
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Yep, remember that game jcs...we were even leading up to halftime. Come out second half and Jay Graham starts coughing up the ball and the whole thing just snow balled...brutal.
Speaking of blowouts, I also remember a Nebraska team spanking UF in the championship game in the 90's. That one got ugly to...it happens.
budrhon writes:
When next season rolls round and we're looking at a record of 3-3 going into our 7th games I wonder if the fans will blame the departures of Coach Taylor and Coach Cutcliffe or will fingers point to Coach Fulmer?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
budrhon - some will point-some will defend and spin. Let's pray 3-3 is not the case.
gillblog writes:
Adams: "You can cite statistics which prove UT running backs and wide receivers improved under Taylor, who coached both positions in his three years at UT."
Ok. Go ahead and give us those statistics. Admittedly without having any statistics in my post, I can say honestly that I can't remember outstanding relative improvements from either of those positions while Taylor was coaching.I CAN remember outstanding receivers and running backs BEFORE he arrrived. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Taylor getting a better job (he's headed to a more progressive football program to say the least) but the only improvement he showed me was in recruiting, and even there we can't say UT has gained significant ground nationally in the last few years now can we?
Well, sorry but maybe he DID make improvements in game time chest-bumping, facial jewelry, and alternative baseball-cap styles.
hoskinsfive#468391 writes:
Fulmer wants someone who actually played at UT for the job. Like that makes any friggin inbred difference.
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