Poaching season is officially open at Tennessee.
Wide receivers coach Frank Wilson is already gone. Special teams coach Eddie Gran could be next, and there might soon be a line of suitors for defensive line coach Ed Orgeron.
But whether other programs swoop in quickly like LSU did Saturday for Wilson or take a bit longer to evaluate the UT staff, Lane Kiffin won’t be rushed to replace any of them. The first-year UT coach can already start the process for Wilson’s old job, but he appears to be in no great hurry for a conclusion.
“We take a long time as you’ve seen before in this process, we’re very thorough,” Kiffin said. “When we hire people, we actually interview them and sit down and put them on a board and figure out what they know, so that process takes a long time.
“We’re just glad for Frank from the standpoint of he does get to go home, that’s a big deal to him and his wife and family. They have so many people down there in Louisiana. Obviously that was a big reason because he knows the direction of our program and where we’re going and what our offense did this year. I think we ended up ranked (33rd) in scoring and they ended up ranked 100 (in passing offense).”
Along with his invaluable recruiting ties in the Louisiana area, that’s clearly part of the appeal for the Tigers in picking up Wilson, who will head to LSU as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
His impact in helping the Vols (7-5, 4-4 SEC) overcome some early offensive struggles and earn a Chick-fil-A Bowl bid today to play Virginia Tech was perhaps undervalued throughout the season, but he clearly had an impact on a short-handed group of receivers.
“Oh man, I think so,” junior Gerald Jones said. “I really wouldn’t say overlooked, but I think he deserved more credit than he’s getting because at the beginning of the year, the receiving corps was suspect. It was, ‘Oh my god, the receiver’s not in the right spot. (Jonathan) Crompton’s overthrowing them. Whose fault is it? Whose fault is it?’
“Now you barely see drops by the receivers, you see big-time plays be Denarius (Moore), big-time blocks by Marsalis (Teague), plays by me and Quintin (Hancock), so you see as a corps us coming together and we’re becoming I think one of the best receiving corps in the nation. All credit is due to him.”
More money is also coming Wilson’s way now, and UT likely would have had a difficult time matching a package that was valuable more than financially.
Wilson and his family get to go home, and he’ll get a new title as a recruiting coordinator for LSU in addition to the larger checks. A similar situation could play itself out with Gran at Florida State over the next couple days, but for now Kiffin just has to find somebody to fill in with the receivers — which he’s more than qualified to do himself.
“We lose a lot in Frank,” Kiffin said. “He’s a great coach and a great recruiter with a lot of ties, but if there was a position we could handle losing from a schematic standpoint, that would be it just because it’s what I’ve done before. That does make it a little bit easier. We have people here that will help out and we’ll get this figured out eventually.
“(There’s no timetable) at all. We’ve got to make sure that we do it right. The last thing we want to do is hire the wrong people and make quick hires, then have to make changes. It’s more important to get it done right than get it done fast.”
That leaves the Vols mainly as targets right now. They’re not narrowing the sights elsewhere just yet.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
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Comments » 95
mdvol writes:
T-R-O-O-P-E-R!!!
mdvol writes:
Oh, and nice call on the Tide, Kiff.
SEAL_9821 writes:
Trust in Kiffin Vol fans. He's a leader and knows what he is doing. We'll be fine.
UTByrd writes:
Let's hope he doesn't take any recruits with him. Anyway, Thanks to Frank and the job he's done since he's been here. Best of luck to you (except against UT).
heyitsme writes:
LOL...
I hear those black helicopters circling your house trailer...
Kiffin_fan writes:
Bye Bye Kman... forever... lmao... Florida is a joke to the SEC..
jimr07 writes:
such as
volsfan4ever writes:
How's it feel?your team just got beat by 19 pts!just shut your mouth and get a life besides goin on other team's sites and talkin smack!
appalachianvol writes:
Bama just beat Florida! Tebow is crying!! yep, crying on national TV!
globadoc writes:
Is Kippy Brown available? Surely this is a better job than the Detroit Lions...
appalachianvol writes:
Do the Gators have a message board? I didn't know that . I thought that's why they were always on this link.
volsfan4ever writes:
Couldn't have said it better!Fans that go on other team sites and talk smack are LOSERS!!!
volfan8#549730 writes:
Nice job Bama!
mattnchatt writes:
Tebow is a crybaby. Deal with it.
Gator_Hater (Inactive) writes:
Oh, we've had that player. Name was Al Wilson. Single-handedly beat Florida in 1998. Oh yeah, and he actually led a team to an undefeated season. I don't need to remind you that Tebow never did that, nor will he make a Pro-Bowl like Al did.
Why do you keep trying, Carlos?
By the way, Tebow was outshined by McElroy. McElroy has never lost a game he started. Yet another claim you can never make about Tebow.
V_O_L_S_GO_VOLS_GO writes:
So, are you on to another article on OUR board to spread you bafoonery again? You're such a leech.
Obviously, you have no life.
Btw, the sight of TIMMAY crying tonight made me laugh. What a sissy.
Rockytop98 writes:
Put your PROOF where you lame mouth is! GO VOLS, the rest of the SEC is starting to get wary of us again!!
jet writes:
LOL..... a real jewel you are. Go to your hole and cry with Tebow and be sure and tune in tomorrow to watch Peyton. Oh and by the way, round up all those fans and head to Neyland next year and watch your Tebowless team face the team that lost by 2 points to the team that just beat your little azzes by 19, because they took a knee on the 10 with 1:26 to go in the game.
How pathetic you are. Sad. Very sad. and it will get sadder. Bet on it.
AllforTenn writes:
Did you ever consider defending a libel suit? Gets pretty expensive.
V_O_L_S_GO_VOLS_GO writes:
Did anyone just see the slo-mo replay of Teblow getting his head rubbed while he wept?
GEEEEEEEEZZZZZ.... Sissy.
VolMoment writes:
Peyton Mannings is so far above the fake Tebow in class it isn't even funny. Peyton is real and never was and is not today about himself. Tebow is all about himself. Some Fla. players say privately they are glad he is gone, but can't say it because Myersbow would not play them. I have watched many games and I never saw a suppose to be leader and team player cry like Tebow did. He cried for him self!
RollAFatty writes:
Maybe Tebow can be the wide receiver coach. He surely isn't going to make it in the NFL.
richvol writes:
32-13
panties4tebow writes:
ALABAMA 32 THE PANTIES TEAM 13!!!!!!
MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!!!!!!!!!!
bfowler1161#262198 writes:
LSU can pay more???
volsfan4ever writes:
Thing I can't stand about tebow is that he claims to be a great christian guy but when he scores a TD he acts like he's never scored a TD before and sitting there and rubbing it in the other teams face is not very christian like...
panties4tebow writes:
32-13
panties4tebow writes:
32-13 don't you feel sorry for timmy
panties4tebow writes:
THE PANTIES TEAM STILL DOESN'T HAVE A PERFECT SEASON!!!!!
BBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ccjackson40#254643 writes:
Bama played a comparible schedule to Florida and slid through some games they should have lost (Tennessee and Auburn). That point of yours is kinda siily. Florida will never have a perfect season because great players still need good coaching. But don't just assume Bama will win just being there doesn't win a game for you.
formerflgranny writes:
RRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
TTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TommyJack writes:
What a disappointing mismatch this game was.
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahhahahhahahhhahah
NKY_Smokey writes:
It's called emotion. There are many christians that get excited in football games. It's just a part of the game.
huntined#565710 writes:
In Ga deer hunting but having crow for supper..I thought FLA wins this game by 10-14..Got to hand it to ROLL TIDE and all BAMA fans as that was a great win.. I watch the game with a great GATOR fan and he said the defense QUIT in the last quarter..thought that is what they said about TENN year before last.. oh well life is still good as I have about 6 more hunting days with my Grandson and we will wind it up this year.
dlobh writes:
Possibly the most pathetic post on this site in history. Never post anything again until you know how to write legitimate and understandable sentences.
TommyJack writes:
Whut???
VolFanFtl writes:
Really Nancy? Nothing is more fun than being on a Vol board? Is your life so pathetic, pitiful and worthless that your enjoyment is spending time here?
Obviously, even your fellow gator fans don't want to be around.
What a sad, creepy life you lead Nancy.
sampears writes:
yea, man, I can not wait to hear what a gang banger wanna be, convict has to say.....
oldvoldude writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Voicesnmyhead writes:
I believe that with Kiffs conections in the big league and the former players at wide receiver u, we should be able to find a quality replacement. I heard that he was the weak link in our staff anyway. I don't know who said that when I turned around to see no one was there.
UrbanStopCallingMe writes:
You did until we stole him from you at the last minute.
VolFanInTheBoro writes:
32-13
PlaidinOrangeandWhite writes:
Uh.... Dude.... we average more per game in the SEC than anyone. When we have 100,000 we have empty seats; Florida's Benny Hill stadium's capacity is 88,000. Let's think before we post.
chrisw2967 writes:
100% right
The1 writes:
Nukeese seems to be a troubled young man. Hopefully he will get one more chance somewhere.
What could he possibly "drop" on the NCAA? Perhaps he could tell them he was being paid so much to play that he had to try to arm rob two poor rednecks to get beer money. Nukeese's credibility is going to be a little suspect ... I don't expect any issues to come of this Nukeese thing - just hope it works out for him somewhere else.
PlaidinOrangeandWhite writes:
Folks, let's get back on task. Any idea's on a wide receiver coach?
The1 writes:
I dont know any receiver coaches, but I know of a few guys that can probably hire any one they want for the job.
The1 writes:
To me, the key is to keep the Kiffins and Ogeron. These guys are so driven that they will find good coaches and, if they hire a bad apple, they won't hesitate to move him aside and get another one.
bluetick writes:
I agree that Wilson should be replaced easily. To lose Gran and Coach O the same season would not be so great.
baldfan writes:
Hire Alvin Harper to replace Frank Wilson!!
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