When Auburn coach Jeff Lebo joined the SEC media teleconference Thursday, persistent barking could be heard in the background.
I was relieved to learn it was merely a dog, coming from a reporter's end of the conversation. My first thought was that the wolves were at Lebo's door, having moved on from Dennis Felton's.
The heat is on in the SEC. Two basketball coaches have been dismissed this week. Counting LSU's John Brady last February, that's three in less than a year.
When Georgia's turn came on the teleconference, it was interim coach Pete Herrmann speaking up. After a late-night arrival home from a loss at Florida, his morning began by learning he was taking over for Felton.
Herrmann's first game will be Saturday at Alabama - against interim coach Philip Pearson. Pearson was so designated Monday when Mark Gottfried was dismissed.
"I know everyone's going to think of this as the interim game,'' said Herrmann, "and that's too bad. These are two proud schools.''
Digest this: Andy Kennedy is in his third season at Ole Miss. He already ranks in the top half of the league in seniority.
Bruce Pearl is in his fourth season at Tennessee. Only four coaches have been in the league longer: Billy Donovan, Kevin Stallings, Rick Stansbury and Lebo.
Pearl didn't do Felton any favors, going 7-0 against him and bringing bus loads of UT fans to Stegeman Coliseum.
"Dennis inherited a really difficult situation that perhaps he just wasn't ever able to overcome,'' Pearl said.
Felton had once interviewed at UT in the transition from Jerry Green to Buzz Peterson. Felton was a hot ticket at Western Kentucky then. He landed at Georgia in 2003, a straight arrow hired to clean up Jim Harrick's mess. Felton did, but he didn't win enough in the bargain. He was 26-59 in SEC play.
Lebo is only 21-48 in SEC play in four-plus undistinguished years at Auburn. But at the moment his team at least has hope for a decent finish this year. That couldn't be said for Georgia.
Gottfried, on the other hand, enjoyed a nice run at his alma mater before the program stagnated. Brady wasn't even two years removed from a Final Four appearance when he got the heave-ho at LSU.
"They've been nothing but total class,'' said Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. "But that being said, we're all making a lot of money. ... I understand the nature of the business.''
So does Pearl and he doesn't necessarily like where it's headed. He watched Phillip Fulmer forced out nine games into a 12-game football season. Pearl views mid-season firings as an ominous development.
"Players aren't happy when you're not winning,'' he said. "Neither are coaches.
"It sends the student-athletes the wrong message. All you've got to do is walk down to the office and complain and you've got a chance to get your coach fired.''
Pearl also suggested that what happened to Gottfried and Brady is a cautionary tale for coaches to strike while their iron is hot.
"Should Mark Gottfried have left after he got to an Elite Eight with Alabama a couple of years ago and taken advantage of his success to move on?'' Pearl wondered.
"There, of course, would have been a lot of criticism for him not being loyal. But he decided to stay and three (four-and-a-half, actually) years later he doesn't win and he's done.''
Getting "Meeksed": Ole Miss held Kentucky's Jodie Meeks to 21 points Tuesday night. That's a strong night for most players, but 33 fewer points than Meeks scored against the Vols on Jan. 13.
Ole Miss' Kennedy acknowledged what Meeks did to Tennessee got the Rebels' attention.
"No question,'' said Kennedy. "We can all attest to fear being a great motivator.
"Our guys took that challenge to the floor.''
100 Years: LSU celebrates its 100th year of basketball this weekend.
"I'd challenge anybody in the country to have four better players than Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Jackson and Bob Pettit,'' said coach Trent Johnson.
Fair point.
An alumni game is among the festivities.
"My concern is the city of Baton Rouge needs to have medical people on hand,'' said Johnson. "That alumni game could get ugly.''
Last Word: Darrin Horn, anticipating his first trip as South Carolina coach to his hometown, Lexington, this weekend:
"Everything is Kentucky basketball, the SEC, the level they play at. To a lot of people at home that means I've arrived in some sense.''
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 8
txvolsfan writes:
Is Pearl on the hot seat? I love the man and all he has done for the university. He is a great asset to this University BUT that being said??? Where has he set the bar now?
CoverOrange writes:
I'd challenge anybody in the country to have four better players than Pete Maravich, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Jackson and Bob Pettit,'' said coach Trent Johnson.
Not that I'm a BB afficionado but for laughs and giggles: Bernard King, Ernie Grunfield, Dale Ellis, and Alan Houston all had good careers in the NBA. None dominated like Shaq does/did. Although Jackson and Maravich weren't as nearly phenomenal in the NBA as they were in college. Pettit was way before my time.
CoverOrange writes:
I said I wasn't an afficionado. 24 is slightly more than half what Pistol Pete averaged in college.
FLVOL62 writes:
"Should Mark Gottfried have left after he got to an Elite Eight with Alabama a couple of years ago and taken advantage of his success to move on?'' Pearl wondered.
This makes you wonder if Pearl has similar thoughts of his own?
jasonn1970 writes:
It seems moronic to me to fire a college basketball coach in the middle of a season. Football is a different story. But in college BB you have a chance to win the conference tourney and make the NCAA's.
ihateuga writes:
dennis felton? who cares?
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Just give everybody less money and let's move on. Nothing ventured nothing gained. That's what money is for, in this sport, you get paid for winning, you roll the dice, it's a job. These sportswriters are as jealous as heck, they are the most underpaid , overpriviledged group around. That's why they never get canned, because you can pay any hack to write a story and be controversial. Heck, many many of people who post here would be good sportswriters. Maybe we are not a s good looking as Mr. John Adams and crew, but the principle still applies. It's just human psychology, we are all created equal, but some more equal than others. Anyone want to talk about the merit system? Versus tenure? Why don't these sportswriters expand on this subject and also tell us their yearly salaries?
richvol writes:
So any player that walks down to the athletic office to complain has a chance to get the coach fired? Has that happened here? Are the players complaining?
If so,they need to shut up and play because their performance doesn't warrant the right to complain.
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