This week, the Rod Delmonico Era came to a close at Tennessee. According to call-ins and online polls, the majority of Vol fans were glad to see change at the top of the UT baseball program.

Fans use the word "accountability" a lot. And Delmonico was held accountable for all those so-so seasons in between his trips to Omaha for the College World Series.

Now there's the promise of a new day at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. There's hope of becoming a national power on the college baseball scene. Of competing for SEC titles on a yearly basis.

Just one thing to temper all of that joy, though -- Tennessee got 18 years, 699 wins, three College World Series trips, and a clean program out of the lowest paid coach in the SEC.

In terms of accounting (not accountability) that's a pretty good return on investment.

So what does Tennessee do moving forward? Do they go after one of the biggest and best coaches in the country? Do they take solid, obvious steps toward becoming a more consistent winner when it comes baseball tournament time?

Here's a simpler question: Will Tennessee pay?

Well, one week into their search the Vols may have an interest in the coach at Austin Peay, they have asked to speak to the coach at College of Charleston, and rumor has it they have the interest of several assistant coaches from across America.

So, no, apparently Tennessee is not willing to pay big bucks for a baseball coach.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton decided to make a move on Delmonico due to the former coach's inconsistent seasons. But from early returns, he hasn't decided to go after anyone with a longer, stronger or more consistent track record than the man he just fired.

Doesn't Tennessee need to take some "high percentage" steps to improve the program? If UT goes the up-and-comer route (and continues to pay bottom third of the conference money), isn't it a longer crapshoot to find someone who can win more consistently than Delmonico?

"Bruce Pearl came from a smaller school," you say. Yes, but the UT men's basketball coach also had one of the best win-loss records in America over a decade-long resume. He came from a smaller school, but he had a proven track record.

The Pearl hire was brilliant, perfect, inspired, insert-yourown-term-of-praise here.

But to think that Hamilton will hit a home run with another up-and-comer is to believe that lightning can be caught in the same bottle twice.

Orson Welles made "Citizen Kane" when he was 26 years old. And over the next 44 years of his life he never came close to equaling it.

Catching lightning in a bottle twice is miraculous. It's not something to be counted on.

That's why, if Tennessee is serious about raising the bar on UT baseball, the Vols should be focusing on America's top coaches. They should be looking for proven track records. Preferably resumes that include at least one trip to a College World Series.

The only drawback is that known commodities are more expensive than Delmonico was ... and more expensive than a coach still looking for his big break.

Where would that money come from? Why the fans, of course. Which is where it all comes full circle.

Many fans wanted Delmonico gone. Those fans want UT baseball to compete for SEC and national titles on a regular basis. Yet most of those fans don't want to see donation levels at the UT Athletic Department go up any further.

"I want a new coach, but don't come asking me to pay for him."

And that leaves Hamilton to remove his top hat and dig around for another rabbit in there.

I'm not saying that Tennessee can't catch lightning in a bottle twice, but if they are going in that direction, they should at least talk to the best of the up-andcomers available.

Perhaps someone like former Delmonico assistant Dave Serrano.

In just his third year on the job, Serrano has Cal-Irvine ranked No. 4 in the nation. He just led the Anteaters over fifth-ranked Texas to win their regional. And this weekend Cal-Irvine is playing Wichita State for a chance to reach the College World Series.

If the Vols are looking for lightning, they should head to where the Shockers are playing. They should try to catch up with Serrano.

Otherwise, Hamilton and UT's fans might be shocked to some day realize that replacing 699 wins and three trips to Omaha, while keeping the coach's salary among the lowest in the league isn't easy.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.