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New Tennessee assistant coach Ed Orgeron is introducted to the media on Jan. 2.
I wasn't trying to write a sports column on Wednesday morning. I was trying to sleep.
But unfortunately, a loud, metallic banging sound kept me from doing so.
Jarred awake, I soon realized that a piece of siding near the roof of my house had come loose - again - and was blowing in the morning wind gusts. I rolled my eyes, muttered an obscenity and dropped my head back to the pillow.
But who can sleep with a 20-foot Energizer bunny pounding away outside?
So, at 5:30am, I flipped on one of the national television news networks. Talk about repetitive noise.
"Jobs report looks bad." "Housing rates dropping." "Economy could be bad forever." "Bury your cash in Mason jars." "Ayyyyy-ahhhhhh!" OK, I made up the shriek of terror, but you get the picture.
The national media was trying to scare the hell out of people. And being a former TV news guy myself, I can tell you that SCARE sells every bit as well as SEX.
Watching this stuff, it was easy to see why Americans are panicking, even though they shouldn't be. We don't have a shortage of money. We just have a shortage of confidence. And that's leading toward a shortage of money. So, thanks for the pep talk, national media.
Why if we'd had this type of 24-hour fearmongering decades ago, I don't think we'd have ever gotten through an actual depression.
I can imagine it now. FDR trying to steady and calm millions of Americans with a fireside radio chat. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself," he would say confidently. And then a pipsqueak like Sean Hannity would call him Satan and the drones at CNN would tell folks to hoard their money and start eating bark.
Sickened by this, I dove into my day job of working on my Web site, MrSEC.com. Each day I try to read darn near every article written about SEC teams and then summarize them, comment on them and link folks to them.
Reading site after site and paper after paper, I kept finding mentions of how much money Tennessee is spending for their assistant coaches.
"Does any school spend money as recklessly as Tennessee," asked one columnist. Another was amazed that only 30 percent of respondents to a govolsxtra.com poll felt UT was overspending for its staff.
Those salaries are big news, and reading the reports, it's pretty clear that most folks think the Kiffin Kash plan is also bad news.
There are a couple of reasons for that. One, schools always get taken to the woodshed when they fire a coach.
When coach Phillip Fulmer was forced to resign (and paid millions to do so), the attack point on Tennessee went from "how could they do this" to "how much money is athletic director Mike Hamilton going to throw around in desperation?"
Question: When did spending become a bad thing? If Tennessee wants to compete for championships with Florida, Alabama and LSU, then it only figures that UT will have to try to match the spending of Florida, Alabama and LSU.
Judging from what UT says is a record interest in season tickets, it appears that most folks are just fine with Tennessee keeping up with the Joneses. Big money, in this case, equals big excitement.
Neyland Stadium filled with Alabama fans is bad. Neyland Stadium filled with Vol fans is good. And if you have to spend cash to make that happen then spend it. Pretty simple, really.
Another reason some media folks are making a big deal over UT's spending is that it's different. Some would say it's downright shocking.
Only it's not really as different as suggested. Tennessee isn't baking the world's biggest pie. Tennessee is just slicing their pie differently than other schools.
According to The Birmingham News, Alabama paid their coaching staff more than $7 million last year. Hamilton says the Vols' staff will still make less than $6 million.
In Tuscaloosa, the majority of the cash goes to Nick Saban. In Knoxville, Lane Kiffin will make a little more than half of Saban's salary. The leftover dough is going to big name aides like Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron.
That's not shocking. That's just shuffling checks around.
Further, Tennessee isn't the only school paying assistants big dollars. Texas bumped defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to $900,000. Les Miles will pay John Chavis $500,000 at LSU. He also supposedly offered $900,000 to Orgeron.
New Auburn running backs coach Curtis Luper has been hired at a salary of $400,000. Have you ever even heard of Curtis Luper? I didn't think so.
Sadly, none of that matters to the guys who enjoy writing sensational headlines. "Wall Street now trading beads and pelts!" "Vols outspending NASA!"
But, as is the case with the coverage of the national economy, it's probably best if you just ignore the doom-sayers and dread-peddlers for now.
If Kiffin and his Band of Moneyed Men win, Hamilton's cash dispersion plan will be praised as a new business model. If they don't, it'll be curtains for the lot of them.
And just what was the alternative, anyway? Hiring a cheapie staff? "Sure, we went 3-9, but our man, Hamilton, saved the athletic department millions by going with a flea market coaching staff. Way to go, Mike." Keep dreaming.
So go ahead and be excited by the new hires. UT is just trying to compete with the Floridas of the world and they're dispersing their cash a little bit differently to do so.
Leave the doom and gloom to the national media. They do it better than anyone.
John Pennington hosts the Hall's Salvage Sports Source on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WATE.
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Comments » 66
FLAVOLS writes:
I actually enjoyed this one John.
Nice job.
Regulator writes:
What a thoroughly insightful and informative piece of journalism!!
FlaVol2 writes:
Usually you get what you pay for. I hope this is the case here.
asleep#212036 writes:
Yeah, nobody remembers we are saving over $1 million/yr on Kiffin's salary compared to Fulmer's. And really, who does most of the coaching? The assistants do and they are smart to pay for top shelf people, especially with the lack of coaching our kids have suffered the past few years. IF Lane is successful and IF we can fill Neyland every week and IF we return to elite status in our conference and the nation, THEN Lane's salary can be bumped up to a more league-competitive rate. But until then, I say throw all the money you can at your assistants - they are the worker bees charged with turning our sow's ear of a team into a silk purse. Go Vols!!!
DennisVols writes:
I have to agree with John on this one. No one will know if this plan will work till we see the results on the field. Every leader who became successful did so by placing other great leaders/teachers around them.
UT is building a support staff of coaches that could be or have been headcoaches. National Championship or Superbowl winners. Give it time and the talented recruits will sign on to be taught by the best complete staff in college football and we will be competitive again.
NoogaVol55 writes:
Hey...I like Sean Hannity!
BillVol writes:
Not only do you have to pay a lot of money to lure the coaching staff that will allow you to win championships, but winning championships will bring in money that will make this investment more than worth the salaries we are paying. VASF donations will increase, concessions will increase, sales of apparel, TV and radio revenue.......
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Finally a journalist tells the truth! Wow, now maybe we can make some headway, instead of us looking around for somebody to save us, help us, inspire us, why don't we all get the going and start doing things again? Look at Tebow, at Manning, at others, they don't need others to inspire them, they inspire others! Ask not what my country can do for you, but what you......can do.....for your country. As a rich man once said, where there is darkness sow light, sadness sow joy, sorrow sow comfort, for it is in giving that you receive. So instead of a bunch of takers let's begin becoming a bunch of givers.
MrBamSeydu writes:
Saying this is a good article would be an understatement. The writing and use of language isn't the best ever, but the point of the article is great.
I refuse to watch the news for this very reason. Americans are too gullable and consumed with worry and the news networks take full advantage of that.
Recessions are needed. They will come and go. Just because the economy is bad, doesn't mean I'm going to feel bad for it and go out of my way to buy a plasma TV to try and "do my part". If you own a business and it tanks (this is for you GMC) it's because you didn't run it properly, not because of "the economy". That's what foresight, planning, and being financially aware are for. I'm sure these CEO's took Business 101 at some point in college.
As for UT's spending, you have to spend money to make money. I wouldn't have bought a ticket to a single game next year with Fulmer at the healm. I might just do that now with the new changes..... and not to do my part to save the economy.
checkerboard10 writes:
nicely said... cant say it any better... even inspired me a little haha
VolunteerMan writes:
Extremely well said. Thank you for that post.
SemperVol writes:
Nooga... ditto that.
Maybe he meant Alan Colmes.. definitely more pipsqueakish.
bluetick writes:
Just win baby!
writer#358485 writes:
Nice article John, well-written. Not sure yet on the premise, that throwing money at everything from salary-bloated autoworkers to assistant coaches is the correct idea. Adam Smith and Milton Friedman didn't think so. They said the money eventually would become worthless. John Maynard Keynes disagreed. We'll finally see which of those economists was right. But as applied to football, UT obviously is taking the Keynesian approach. If it works, great, if it doesent.....well nothing human-made lasts forever, football dynasties, nations, etc. We'll see, and pretty soon.
richvol writes:
Finally...this is just good business management being recognized. I don't care what other journalists think about this matter because it's just plain ole common sense to spend the money where it can do the most good...with the coaches that do the actual coaching and the recruiting.
If Kiffin is given time to recruit his own players and get the results that I think he will this model will change the way schools approach their football staffs hiring.
Tennessee is ahead of the curve for the first time in a long time. We needed this change if we are to succeed.
NoogaVol55 writes:
Was more truth ever spoken about our our program than the three words above?
I think not!
Go Vols!!!
ethanfrome writes:
I cannot justify complaining about the staff's salary being too high when other schools are paying 2 million more than we are to their head coach.It is wise to pay more for the assistant coaches. If we recognize the entire staff's contributions we will be better for it. The quarterback gets too much blame or too much credit on the field, the head coach gets too much blame or too much credit as well. Fulmer was at the top of his game when he had the better assistants, look at what happened last year when he didn't...
beachvol1 writes:
Who the hell is Curtis Luper?????
invisiblekid writes:
"Sickened by this, I dove into my day job of working on my Web site, MrSEC.com. Each day I try to read darn near every article written about SEC teams and then summarize them, comment on them and link folks to them."
Shameless plug anyone?
Cherokee writes:
Great column today. Pennington is an excellent writer and brings well-reasoned opinions even on the rare occasions I disagree with him.
I was pretty sure that UT wouldn't be significantly outspending the other top programs in the nation, and this basically confirms it.
invisiblekid writes:
Seriously, I agree with the overall point that the article is making. For all those junior budget analysts out there who keep fretting over the salaries being thrown around, there are a few factors that need to be added to the equation.
* According to Hamilton, UT lost more than 750,000 dollars in ticket revenue last year in 2-3 thousand unsold season tickets
* According to Hamilton, they cut 2.5 million dollars in the overall athletic budget in November
* The amount of Kiffin's buyout was 0
* Fulmer had a 1 million dollar longevity bonus due in 2010
*Fulmer's 2008 salary was 2.4 million, Kiffin's 2009 salary will be 2 million
All that being said, I do think that salaries for coaches and, athletics in general, are ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous that they won't fix Newton's towel dispenser and do more to make going to the games fan-friendly. The reality of the situation is that I doubt any of us are in a position to change any of it. And I do understand the reasoning behind the salaries, football is the engine that makes the whole business go.
sameolvolalum writes:
Your numbers are dwindling. Hang on to your guns and ditto head memorabilia. Nice article John.
Volunteer writes:
Great article!
I think this is an idea that came from Hamilton and CLK. To be a successful coach you have to be surrounded by a successful staff! CLK knows this, props to him by not demanding a bigger salary... This is the main reson we can hire such an ALL-STAR staff. Dont be surprised when many other Universitys follow suite with the Vols. Great move Hamilton and again nice article John!
MidTennVol writes:
Rarely in the history of sportswriting have so many words been used to communicate so little to so few who care so much.
rllipscomb#212376 writes:
Very good article.
One other thing. As a result of the upcoming ESPN TV contract, each team in the SEC will get an average of $14 million per year, per team over 15 years. This does not include other TV packages or bowl games or whatever. Not only will this amp up the intra-conference competition for coaches, a secondary effect of this will be amped up competition for coaches between the SEC and other conferences and even the NFL. Hamilton seems to be leading the way.
rootin4volz writes:
Wow...you finally won me over with an article, JP. I couldn't agree more.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Good analysis except for his comment on Sean Hannity, being a pipsqueak would be an upgrade for Hannity.
VOLinAthensGA writes:
Great Article.
murrayvol writes:
Couldn't have said it better. You are definitely awake, asleep.
murrayvol writes:
And the Knox County Merchants Association will be delirious with joy.
murrayvol writes:
You would've appreciated Alan's appearance on The Colbert Report.
cjraney writes:
Fix Newton's towel dispenser! Fix Newton's towel dispenser! Fix Newton's towel dispenser!
murrayvol writes:
From all indications a lot of people would've declined to buy tickets in 09'.
What happened over the last couple of months had to happen. Now we'll see how it works.
murrayvol writes:
Dang, WeLove. That's good stuff.
murrayvol writes:
Hey....I don't.
arkyvol writes:
its heartening to learn that our athletic department is competitive with the lsu's and bama's. what would be even more encouraging would be to open up the paper and read that the academic department (remember it?) is competitive with the michigans, californias, and wisconsins.
murrayvol writes:
Former running backs coach at Okie St. They led the Big 12 in rushing last year.
murrayvol writes:
Thanks for the background ivk.
As we view the SEC landscape we're left with 2 choices:
1)Capitulate and become a mid-echelon football program averaging 7-9 wins per year.
2)Pony up the cash and try (really hard) to stay in the same competitive zipcode as UF, UGA, Bama, LSU, and their counterparts on the Natl. scene.
Hamilton chose door #2 and I applaud him for it.
murrayvol writes:
:).
murrayvol writes:
Now! Please! And I'll front the money.
murrayvol writes:
Absolutely!
JTinCharlotte writes:
Being that this is an economics based article and a great read, I wonder if he was just trying to demonstrate economically based advertising. :) What's better than free advertising? How about getting paid to write your free advertising.
Really good read.
TommyJack writes:
I'll throw down.
cainclifton23 writes:
SEC Predictions.
East
1.Florida
2.Tennessee
3.Georgia
4.South Carolina
5.Vandy
6.Kentucky
West
1.Alabama
2.Ole Miss
3.LSU
4.Auburn
5.Arkansas
6.Miss St
SECCG
Florida v.s. Alabama
W=FL
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Now, thats stepping up.
Hmmm, I can see you hobnobbing in the suites fairly soon.
Now get to work on reinventing Ashley and his countdown. Some days TJ just plain forgets.
Geezer thing.
Swifgriff writes:
Good One John...
With the big money coming from the TV people.Whats the big deal anyway.You have to spend money to make money.Some
people want the best for a dollar or two.To those people I say.... GET OVER IT...........Thanks John
GO VOLS
murrayvol writes:
I don't think TJ can be coached up to be point man in the countdown. Not his strength.
TommyJack writes:
Prefer "seasoned citizen".
238 days til W.KY.
TommyJack writes:
238 Murray. Give or take a day or two either way.
murrayvol writes:
Close enough....at least until we get to double digits.
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