Buzz Peterson found himself cheering for Tennessee last Saturday night against Memphis. Some UT fans might find that surprising, considering that Peterson was fired three years ago as men’s basketball coach and replaced by Bruce Pearl.
“I’m excited for the players,” Peterson said. “You have to realize all the time that I spent with those young men and all the great moments we shared together. I don’t have any regrets. But, I still wish we had had one more year to get it turned around.”
Peterson said that from day one at Tennessee, the goal was to get a kid from Pulaski named Tyler Smith.
“We went after Tyler from the first day I took the job.,” said Peterson. “There were a number of people who said that the Smith kid was the key to our rebuilding effort. We signed him with the intent that he would be the center piece for years to come. He could shoot, handle the ball, rebound, run the floor … you name it … he could do it.”
Unfortunately for Peterson, he never got a chance to coach Smith because he was let go after a 14-17 season. He said that the program was ready to take off if had that one more year he wanted. But, athletic director Mike Hamilton felt that the program needed new leadership and Peterson was paid a $1.4 million buyout to leave.
“When we watched the Memphis game at home, some of my family had a hard time watching Tennessee have that kind of success because they still think that I could have gotten them there,” Peterson said. “You know, I’ve moved past that. Coaches get fired every day. Look at John Brady at LSU, he was in the Final Four just a couple of years ago and now he can’t coach? Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. But, God has a plan and sometimes we just have to follow it.
“You have to give Bruce Pearl and his staff a lot of credit for what they’ve been able to do. He has those guys playing with a lot of energy at a very high level. If I’ve learned one thing this year, as the director of player personnel for the Charlotte Bobcats, it’s the importance of the player/coach relationship. (UT women’s coach) Pat Summitt used to tell me all the time that the most important time a coach can spend is with his/her players off the court. Man, I’ve learned that more this year than ever by talking to the players on our team about what motivates them and makes them want to play hard.
“When you watch Tennessee play, you can tell that those players love to play for Bruce. To reach No. 1 in the country, you have to have a lot of things go right. There are a lot of things that have to fit into place to reach that level. Bruce has obviously been able to put all of those pieces into place and Tennessee fans should be very proud of the job that he’s done.”
As I talked to Peterson, I could here pride in the fact that he and his staff had a big hand in putting this team together.
“To see the way those three senior guards are playing, that we recruited, makes me feel very good. We had to fight hard to get Chris Lofton away from Arkansas State and Valpo,” Peterson said with a laugh. “I remember seeing Lofton match up with Rajon Rondo at an ABC summer camp. Rondo ate his lunch. It wasn’t because he was better, it was because they had Lofton matching up with him as a point guard. I think we all know now that Lofton was not, and is not, a point guard.
“When I was recruiting Chris, he wouldn’t look me in the eye. He was a shy kid from a great family who just was real quiet and introverted. I asked his parents one Wednesday if I could come by the house and talk to Chris. They told me that I had 5 minutes because it was church night. Well, after we signed him and got him to campus we put him up 1-on-1 against the other guys on the team, guys like Scooter McFadgon and C.J. Watson. Lofton was eating their lunch. It didn’t take us long to figure out what we had.
“JaJuan Smith has always had a competitive fire that won’t let him lose. We knew that if we could teach him the game that the sky was the limit for that kid. Jordan Howell, ironically, was the most highly recruited of those those kids. He’s such a great young man and I’m so proud of what he’s been able to accomplish.
“Does it hurt? Yeah, I’m not going to lie and say that it doesn’t hurt a little bit inside to wonder what if. Any competitor is going to ask himself, what if, after he’s been fired like I was. Look, I don’t know that we would have made it to the point where the program is right now. It would be unfair of me, and real honestly, unrealistic to say that we would have. But, I always felt like we were going to get Jamont Gordon, who is now a star at Mississippi State, and I thought we might get the Delk twins. We were going to be really good, but to reach the level where Bruce Pearl and his staff have taken the program? I just don’t know the answer to that.”
What does hurt Peterson is that he hasn’t talked with the players since he left.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “And, I hate that. But, I just don’t think that I should out of respect for Bruce and his staff. You know, they are his players now. They don’t need to be talking to their old coach. It would rub me the wrong way if my players were talking to the last coach. I’ll get to catch up with them and tell them how proud I am of them when they’re done. I’m sure those guys will be calling me and asking advice about the NBA here in a few months.”
As for whether he wants to coach again?
“Yeah, I’d like to at some point,” said Peterson. “I am enjoying the opportunity to get home most days at 4 o’clock and be with Jan and the kids. At about 7, I’m watching games and scouting. Yes, I watch Tennessee a lot. It’s kind of hard to miss the Vols with how much they’re on TV now. I knew Tennessee would reach this point, I knew it. Yes, I’m disappointed that I’m not the one coaching them. But, man they are fun to watch. A friend called me and said that after the Memphis game Chris Lofton, Jordan Howell, Tyler Smith and a couple of others asked, ‘How’s Buzz doing?’ That meant a lot to me, it really did. I am so proud of those young men, as proud as a father would be of his own son.”
Mark Packer hosts the Locker Room, presented by Parkwest Medical Center, on Sunday at 10 p.m. on MyVLT2.
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Comments » 43
allvolinatlanta writes:
I was not really for letting Peterson go, but you gotta agree that he would have never got this team to the level Pearl has.
utvolz#637682 writes:
Good story. I thought Buzz should have been given another year but I couldn't be more proud of how CBP has turned this program into what it is today. Certainly Buzz didn't leave the cubbard bare for him. GO VOLS!
Frank im Miami
sidwalkvol writes:
I could "here" pride in the fact...
Honestly.
tennesseeandy#208527 writes:
Its extremely hard to forgive when you feel wronged. Maybe its even harder to root for Tennessee and see them do so well with another coach after all that. Put yourself in his shoes for a second if you haven't already. How many of us could to do that? What a wonderful, classy person Buzz is.
This is a lesson for all of us.
hdhurst writes:
I was always a Buzz fan. I, too, felt that he could have done better with one more year. But, deep down, even he knows that Bruce Pearl is the perfect fit for the VOLS. I wish Buzz all the best and hope he gets another chance at a big time school one day. He will be fine.
lpelleg1#634551 writes:
You have to feel for him a little, but Bruce inherited a roster with 3 starters remaining from a 14-17 team and turned them into a #2 seed. I'd like to think Buzz would have eventually gotten the program to the level it is now, but it doesn't seem very likely.
seviervol72 writes:
Buzz Peterson is defintely a class act. At the time i thought he deserved another year. However, CBP is a perfect fit and the ability he has to develop players such as Howell,Bradshaw and Childress helps me to believe that he is a better motivator and he has a completely different pace than Petersons slow down game. I think Buzz will continue to be successful and hopefully he will get another oppertunity at big time D1 in the future.
CrankE writes:
"One more year". Shades of Johnny Majors.
"I don't have any regrets." Neither do we Buzz.
orangebass writes:
buzz was a great man and while i was not for him being let go when he was there is little question that vols program is in much better hands. buzz always a class act and wish him the best !!!
DeeBee writes:
You're right jcvet, Fulmer's a nice guy too, and look where are football program is...no way would Peterson have come close to what Bruce has done, no way!
CoverOrange writes:
I take it that Buzz is unemployed? What does that say about his coaching ability?
JSMITH2432 writes:
Does the Sentinel check articles for errors?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
1.4Mil to leave and do nothing, if you don't want to. No sympathy here, just a little jealous. Bill Battle, mega $$$$$$$, life doesn't end when you leave Tenn.
Wish all realized that.
Beat Ky.
utalumntx writes:
I still can't figure out why the family of 500 Buzz hates Tennessee so much. I have heard many times that his family can't stand Tennessee. He became a millionaire for pretty much doing nothing for three or four years. While in Knoxville he did not qualify for even one NCAA tournament. The majority of the people in the real world have to perform to move up the ladder. Once the reach the top of that ladder they are still required to perform. If the do not they are fired and they are not giving a million dollars (I believe the exact amount was $900K but close enough) to go away. The bottom line is, the few years spent at Tennessee allowed 500 Buzz became a rich man. Tennessee received very little return on their investment. On the other hand, he received a big return on his investment. 500 Buzz would never have been any better than say, 500. That is why I gave him the nick name. What was his record the year after he left Tennessee? I think it was 15-15. He can dream all he wants about how it would be if he were still the coach. There is no way we would be close being considered one of the top basketball schools if he were here. A big part of the success is the systems that Pearl has implemented. There would also be no Prince, Williams, Tabb, and Tatum. Also, look at the recruits that have considered Tennessee since Pearl has arrived. Although we are not signing most of them yet, it is a fact that some of top recruits in the country are at least giving Tennessee the time of day. If Pearl continues to have success he will start getting some of the guys. Before Pearl arrived, most of the top recruits probably did not know Tennessee even had a basketball team. Here is something to think about. I remember when 500 Buzz was fired so many people were putting posts on this site about what a mistake it was. The biggest question that was asked, who are we going to get better than 500 Buzz? Now look were we are. Tennessee is one of the premiere sports programs in the nation. We have the exposure and the facilities. The athletic department is fiscally strong. Although we don't have the academics that schools like Duke and Vandy have and never will because we are a state school, we do have some areas that are real strong. The business school is pretty good and the executive MBA program ranks near the top. Logistics and Transportation has been considered at the top if not the top for many years. No one should ever doubt what type of coach Tennessee would be able to hire in any sport. And yes, that includes Football. I would go as far to say, that many of you might be surprised who would be interested in the head football coaching position when it opens up, whether it is in the next couple of years or ten years from now.
TommyJack writes:
utalumtx: Agree with most of your post. Don't quite get the last sentence, though. The TN HC football spot has long been a plum.
tigervol9802 writes:
Buzz seemed to be a great guy who could not have coached his way out of a paper bag. Other than being MJ's roommate, he really didn't have much going for him. Two years at Coastal and he's back living off MJ's coat tails again.
The respect players now have for Pearl versus what they had for Buzz is staggering. Don't believe me, find a player or former player who played for both and you will shake your head.
That's not even bringing up the fact of how close we really got from getting busted by the NCAA with how he was recruiting Tyler.
Buzz Peterson would not even have us as a top half SEC team, much less fighting for a #1 seed.
But, thanks for taking that gamble on #5!
Ironcity writes:
I am one of the ones that could not stand Buzz. I have never said a nice thing about him. I will this time say he sounded very classy in what he has said in this article. Good luck with the Bobcats and keep Michael happy.
GerryOP writes:
We sent him down the road to Conway, SC. 'Nuff said. As long as he can ride MJs coattails he will be OK.
dave1#220678 writes:
Buzz is hardly unemployed. He is head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, where his buddy MJ is part owner. Thus his reference to "scouting" and the UT boys calling him for advice about the NBA when they are done. Buzz was a great person and good coach. He just did not discover fritters as quickly as Bruce has!
johnnyboy381091#213934 writes:
Posted by WD40plusVol on March 1, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I take it that Buzz is unemployed? What does that say about his coaching ability?
there ought to be some sort of rule that posters have even an occasional clue....
He went to Coastal Carolina then joined up with Jordan as player personnel director with the Bobcats.
what does that say about your knowledge as a sports fan?
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
easy guys;
you'll recall that Buzz' t5eams lost a LOT of close games, a LOT of last second shots. EVen the press noticed in at the time.
I don't think Buzz was a bad coach. Hw just wasn't as good as Bruce, at least not for the SEC.
I think Buzz will be back somewhere, and he will be successful. It just has to be the right fit.
creepykev#228270 writes:
I really don't like these "this is what Buzz is doing now articles". It makes me feel guilty because he does seem to be a nice guy, but I wouldn't trade Bruce for any coach in the country.
jondadam#645313 writes:
Buzz did things the right way, unfortunately it did not lead to wins, he struggled to get his team to win in close games. Pearl has found a way with the same talent. He has done well to recruit from that point as well. The future looks bright for UT and the Vols basketball team.
doctorvol#211700 writes:
would make a nice neighbor
utalumntx writes:
TommyJack, Just to clarify the last sentence of my previous post. Every time a columnist or a poster mentions that Fulmer is on the hot seat or he should be fired at least one person responds with something similar to this "We are not going to get anyone better than Fulmer and will probably get someone worse" or “We are destined for failure when Fulmer is gone”. In the days leading up to the firing of 500 Buzz there were similar comments. According to Fulmer's own words he does not want to coach long into his 60's. I believe he just turned 60 this past season. So even if he manages to stay off the hot seat, the head coach position will still be opening up within the next few years. Tennessee has the infrastructure in place to make a big time hire despite what these people think. It is my belief that the Tennessee head coaching position is such a premier job that at least one of the candidates who shows interest will come from a coach that most people would never dream would leave his current job due to stability and his current success. No one will be able to convince me that the Tennessee head coaching position is not that prestigious because it is.
CoverOrange writes:
Johnny, don't read into my post more than what's there. I knew Buzz went to Coastal and actually had them in the championship game there his first year, losing to Winthrop. But really, I'm not so fanatic that I follow the comings and goings of every two bit program in the nation. More important things to do. Don't be so snide and holier-than-thou.
FWBVol writes:
eVOLution, Buzz Peterson shows a lot more class, and knowledge, than you do. Check the history of Tyler Smith and you will know he was orginally signed by Peterson in Peterson's last signing class. When Peterson was fired, Pearl supposedly didn't show Smith and his family enough love as Pearl was trying to get other kids in the fold. Tyler asked for a release from his scholarhip, and Pearl denied it. Smith failed to qualify, spent a year in prep school, signed with Iowa. After playing at Iowa for a year, Tyler's dad developed cancer, and Steve Alford, the Iowa coach left. That's when Tyler transfered back to UT.
Smith was a huge Buzz Peterson fan in high school and one of the reasons he orginally wanted out of his scholarship was because UT fired Buzz.
To those who said Peterson rode MJ coattails, forget it. Peterson was more highly recruited out of high school than Jordan, but had injuries that curtailed his career. Even without the injuries, Jordan would have still been a better player.
Peterson won at Appy State and Tulsa before taking the UT job, and won at Coastal Carolina after the Vols fired him. Maybe Buzz was in over his head in the SEC, but it would have been interesting to see what he could have done with another year.
That said, I'm glad Bruce Pearl is the UT coach.
It does show a lot of class for Buzz to say the things he did about the Volunteer program.
ccantrell#227456 writes:
Yeah, they use Spell Cheeker..
N2Motorsports writes:
utalumntx: Actually Buzz Peterson was 20-10 at Coastal Carolina in his first season after coaching Tenn. They also lost in the Big South Tournament Championship Game. He was 15-15 his 2nd and final season there.
I thought Buzz should have been given one more year. We were going to be good. Lofton, Watson, Tyler Smith. I don't think we would be where we are now, but that's easy to say looking back on it.
ULTIMATEVOLUNTEER writes:
Pure CLASS from Buzz.
budd#207344 writes:
wonderful Buzz is a great guy. Now lets beat KY and win an SEC championship
Hunter writes:
I was not in favor of letting Buzz go at the time, but I believe I was wrong.....
Buzz was nothing but class all the way. He did lose a lot of tight games. Jerry Green left the cupboard pretty bare. It seems like UT always had good coach, then good recruiter, then good coach, then good recruiter. Now we have both. All the best to Buzz, but my heart is with CBP and these Vols!
dowdpat#654244 writes:
Actually FWBVol Buzz allowed the illegal recruitment of Tyler Smith which Bruce wanted nothing to do with. The love that was shown from Buzz was cash from a rogue booster, let's not forget that. Also, that tulsa team he coached for one year went to the elite eight the year before (Bill Self's team I believe) and returned most of the starters from that team and failed to go to the NCAA Tourney under Buzz. As the saying goes, Nice guys finish last.
DarthVol writes:
Don't forget that Buzz had a little bit of talent when he got here as well. Yarbrough, Haislip, Slay and others. I supported Buzz in the beginning to. But his teams weren't getting better. jmo
Colliervol writes:
OK, now that we've to this one, where's the monthly Majors article?
Colliervol writes:
Sorry for the typo. Should have said "now that we've got this one". Fingers not working in conjunction with the brain yet.
newtonrail writes:
nafslov, I'm very familiar with Messrs. Adams, Strange, Griffith, Hooker, and a couple of others who do guest pieces for KNS. What is your deal with Packer? I'm not in Knoxville regularly so I would like to know if there is a point to your mud slinging or not.
txsvol#372416 writes:
doctorvol, I think you are right about Buzz' being a good neighbor, but if you are concerned about others in your neighborhood, go to www.FamilyWatchDog.us and find the perverts and other criminals in your block. For the record, the only times I cared about Buzz' basketball teams was the time they played in Austin in the Sweet 16 a few years back. I follow Bruce's team avidly. Nuff said! Go Vols! SAVol
rbatten9#231828 writes:
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/silence...
Basketball_Jones writes:
I watch Packer's Locker Room show as well as have read some of his articles. I think between him and Brent Hubbs they know about as much as the average fan. Thats what kills me about guys like these 2. They're local experts yet all they are doing is giving their opinion on what they think will happen or what state the program is in. I mean Hubbs looks like Ogilvey from the Bad News Bears and probably doesn't have an athletic bone in his body. I appreciate what they do and their insightfullness but the truth is if you or I sat down with either one of them and talked sports and strategy we'd probably be smarter.
As far as Buzz goes, I don't think he was mean enough to be a coach. I don't think if it came down to it he could light the fire under a players butt like Pearl, Coach K, Roy Williams etc etc. I truely feel outside of the X's and O's it takes a coach who can motivate kids in the heat of the game. Make them dig dip and get that one stop with the game on the line. That cost him his job. Like in the article when it said he lost alot of games on last second shots, sometimes a coach has to be the one who pushes his team to the brink to get that one stop. Coach Pearl does that, Buzz didn't
TommyJack writes:
nafslov: Packer is my 2nd favorite KNS writer behind Adams.
JHite7 writes:
It's a dead heat race for biggest idiot in the Knoxville media...and would you look here, Mark Packer has almost caught up to John Adams. In fact, he may have just won...it's certainly gonna be a photo finish. What a clown
VOLINSC writes:
Buzz did at least one good thing for UT. He found and brought Chris Lofton to Tennessee. Lofton will be remebered as the "Peyton Manning" of the basketball program. He cares so much about this team. He puts his team before himself and personnel recognition. Staying late after practice to help Jordan rather than shooting himself says everything about Lofton. (see other article) Not only is he a great player, but he is a great leader. It is time to pick a street on campus to be renamed Lofton Drive.
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