The coaches of Tennessee football from 1964 through 2008 led the Vols for more than two generations, combining for a 373-151-14 record (a .706 winning percentage), 36 bowl games, seven SEC Championships and one national championship.
News Sentinel staff
Doug Dickey was UT's football coach from 1964-1969. In 1964, his Dickey's first season, his record was 4-5-1.
News Sentinel staff
Bill Battle was UT's football coach from 1970-1976. In 1970, his first season, Battle's record was 11-1.
News Sentinel staff
John Majors was UT's football coach from 1977-1992. In 1977, Majors' first season, his record was 4-7.
News Sentinel staff
Phillip Fulmer was UT football coach from 1992-2008. In 1993, Fulmer's first season, his record was 9-2-1.
When a new coach takes over a program, hope runs rampant. If it's new, it must be exciting.
For Tennessee, 2009 is such a season. The Vols are starting over with Lane Kiffin.
Among first-year UT coaches, Robert Neyland set the bar high in 1926 when his first team went 8-1.
Only Bill Battle surpassed it, by going 11-1 in 1970.
Battle, 28 when he was promoted from Doug Dickey's staff, inherited a championship caliber program when Dickey left on acrimonious terms, returning to Florida, his alma mater, after a 9-2, SEC championship season in 1969.
After a loss to Auburn in the second game, Battle's first team won 10 in a row. It shut out Alabama 24-0 and scored a 38-7 grudge win over Dickey and the Gators.
When Battle's Vols beat Air Force in the Sugar Bowl, it was a sweet ending that capped a healing season.
"It wasn't all that big a change because he'd been here,'' quarterback Bobby Scott recalled. "Everybody knew him. Some of the assistants stayed. Practices didn't change.
"We had a bunch of guys that just pulled together and were going to win. They weren't going to accept anything less.''
Battle's first season ranks among the very best in SEC history. The only better one was when Terry Bowden went 11-0 at Auburn in 1993.
Nobody has seen the extremes of first seasons like Lou Holtz. At Arkansas in 1977, Holtz replaced Frank Broyles and went 11-1.
At South Carolina in 1999, Holtz replaced Brad Scott and went 0-11.
Jerry Claiborne had a winless debut at Kentucky in 1982, 0-10-1.
Succeeding Dickey at Florida in 1979, Charlie Pell also went 0-10-1. It seems inconceivable to think Florida could have gone winless as recently as 30 years ago.
Steve Spurrier opened 9-2 at Florida in 1990. But some of the coaches associated with winning big had modest debuts.
Bear Bryant was 5-4-1 at Alabama in 1958. Pat Dye was 5-6 at Auburn in 1981.
Nick Saban was 7-6 at Alabama in 2007. (But look what happened next.)
If Battle's transition at Tennessee in 1970 was seamless, Dickey's arrival in 1964 was another story.
Dickey was hired to introduce the T-formation offense and two-platoon football. It was upheaval for a program still clinging to the single-wing offense.
The most experienced T-formation quarterback Dickey inherited was Art Galiffa who had at least used the formation while running the scout team in 1963.
Dickey's Vols went 4-5-1 and threw only two touchdown passes. Tennessee scored a mere 80 points, less than half 1963's total.
In '65, Dickey's second squad made a quantum leap forward to 8-1-2 and ranked No. 7 in the nation. His fourth team won an SEC title.
Johnny Majors took longer to gain traction.
The former Heisman runner-up returned home a hero in 1977, fresh from a national title a Pittsburgh.
But when he lost his opener (at home) to California, it was a reality check. His first team finished 4-7. Majors had only one winning season in his first four before finally refilling a depleted talent pool.
When Majors was ousted in 1992, the talent pool was overflowing for his successor, Phillip Fulmer.
Promoted from offensive coordinator Fulmer went 9-2-1 in 1993, scoring a school-record 471 points with Heisman runner-up Heath Shuler at the helm.
Now it's Kiffin's turn.
UT's coaches
Football head coaches through the years at Tennessee:
- 2009-present: Lane Kiffin
- 1992-2008: Phillip Fulmer
- 1977-1992: John Majors
- 1970-1976: Bill Battle
- 1964-1969: Doug Dickey
- 1963: Jim McDonald
- 1955-1962: Bowden Wyatt
- 1953-1954: Harvey Robinson
- 1946-1952: Robert Neyland
- 1941-1945: John Barnhill
- 1936-1940: Robert Neyland
- 1935: W.H. Britton
- 1926-1934: Robert Neyland
- 1921-1925: M.B. Banks
- 1916-1920: John R. Bender
- 1911-1915: Z.G. Clevenger
- 1910: Andrew A. Stone
- 1907-1909: George Levene
- 1905-1906: J.D. Depree
- 1904: S.D. Crawford
- 1902-1903: H.F. Fisher
- 1901: George Kelley
- 1899-1900: J.A. Pierce
Source: UT media guide
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 5
bspurlingcac#225603 writes:
Go Kiffin...Go Vols!!!
FWBVol writes:
A note to remember about Holtz, Arkansas wasn't in the SEC at the time he took over for Frank Broyles. It was still a member of the old Southwest Conference.
AllVol1 writes:
While I enjoy the Dupree jokes, I must confess: I don't know who you're talking about. Am I alone in this? If this is an "inside joke", please give the rest of us a little more info. If I have missed something really obvious, then please humor a clueless guy. Thanks!
On another note, I find it interesting that it was not specifically stated just how depleted our talent pool was for Coach Kiffin. Yes, we've all heard that only one Vol was drafted in from the 2008 team. Still, if you are going to write such an article, then give it the due diligence. Otherwise I have my suspicions the Mr. Strange might be protecting Mr. Fulmer from the glare of honest journalism scrutiny. You can spin and angle all you want (that's part of the game), but I blow the whistle on inconsistency. Fifteen yard penalty; repeat first down.
STEELMAN4VOLS writes:
As a kid growing up a Vol's fan (in Chatt.) I can still remember the excitement and thrill of seeing the Vols in person a few times in the 60's & 70's. I saw them during winning seasons, and when a loss or two was plain awful to feel (and still is). I know the times are different now, but hope the fans will continue their support of the team and CK and his staff. I live in another state now, and I've lived in various parts of the SE over the last 30 yrs and I can say I miss the thrills of being around the Vol nation in TN. in the fall. GO VOLS!!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Dupree is the possibly mythical side-kick--or illegitimate son(?)--of a frequent poster on here. He is of indeterminate age but is widely believed to have ridden the short bus to school, if he ever went. Some of his personal habits do not merit discussion in polite company. Hope that helps(;-P)!
As for your other point, if the article had gone in that direction, it would have required mention of the talent dearth Dickey and Majors both inherited, making for a rather longer and MUCH more depressing article.
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