While coach Lane Kiffin will ultimately be graded on what Tennessee's football team does in the fall, his early marks are exemplary.
UT's football team earned a combined 2.56 grade-point average in the spring semester, the highest team GPA since the 2004 fall semester when the Vols scored a 2.57.
It also is one of the largest jumps in team GPA from one semester to another in recent memory, approximately .2 over the 2008 fall semester.
'That's why we spend so much time and energy making sure our kids are going to class, making sure our kids are excelling in the classroom and making sure they're doing the right thing on campus to represent the University of Tennessee,' Kiffin said Wednesday on the News Sentinel's radio show, The Sports Page.
'I think anybody involved with Tennessee, any fans right now, can be so excited about what our players are doing and the way they are representing all of us.'
And not just in the classroom. UT hasn't had a player arrested under Kiffin's watch. Kiffin, who was announced as UT's head coach on Dec. 1, said he's 'extremely proud' of that streak.
'I think it gets missed a little bit around here and especially nationally,' Kiffin said. 'To me, when you evaluate a program in the first year…I want to know about player discipline.
'Are players going to class? What is their GPA? And are they staying out of trouble?
'I love what our players are doing — and our coaches — right now. I think we're a very disciplined program and a very disciplined team.'
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
Tennessee Lady Vols 82, Auburn Tigers 64
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 32
volguy#211935 writes:
This won't get any play outside of this story, unfortunately, especially not down here in Florida (behind enemy lines).
TD_4_UT writes:
Grades up & I don't think there have been any arrest's. Isn't that great. How about that Gator's.
panties4tebow writes:
Smart coaches will produce smarter players!
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
panties4tebow writes:
UTWINSALOT with Kiffin & Company!!!!!!!!!!
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kiffownsfla writes:
Keep up the great work coach. I think your doing a great job discipline job thats a MUST! And weve been lacking that lately! GO VOLS FEAR THE KIFF 73 DAYS GUYS!
txvolsfan writes:
You have to give the man credit for the discipline that he has instilled in the program. I've heard more than once in recent years that we lack discipline!!!
Let's just hope this carries over to the playing field.
I look for great things in the future if it does.
GREAT JOB COACH, You should be proud of your efforts!!!
tums writes:
The article.... knock on wood.
GaytorsSuckAndBamaBlows writes:
Great Job Guys! Keep up the good work.
NobodyCares (Inactive) writes:
Yup, just like the Crocs sitting in jail count against the UF APR. But lil' Urbie ain't worried, he'll be in South Bend this time next year -- living his dream!
kiffownsfla writes:
Rich I would say jon had a warm glass of fat free milk and a half of a banana and read 2pages of us weekly and called it a night! lmfao GO VOLS!
kingsportvolfan writes:
this is awesome news! Go Vols, discipline off the field means discipline on the field!!
swordandshield27#325334 writes:
NICE!
Caveman writes:
Caveman say Kowabunga!
Pigball players taking care of business so they can take care of business.
Fire say NUFF SAID!!
PrideOfTheSouthlandBand writes:
This is great to hear a coach talk about and come through with. It is easier to win with smart players. It doesn't matter how insanely built your players are, if they are a bunch of idiots that can't add 2+2 how do we expect them to understand complex plays? or much less, recognize the other team's play calling and react to it? It doesn't matter if you can bench 500 lbs 35 times if you don't understand what a tampa 2 coverage scheme is.
teampenny#658108 writes:
Good job players! Go Vols
Colliervol writes:
And you can dang sure bet that the dim bulbs in the national media won't bring up the grades or the lack of arrests. That would interrupt their non-stop criticism of Kiffin and they can't have that. Kind of makes them look a little silly, doesn't it?
Geez, better grades and some new found discipline. What will they think of next?
teampenny#658108 writes:
Let remember this is just a c+ average. Solid but nothing to brag about. Go Vols
kabzs writes:
UTC is so terrible it doesn't matter they are banned from post season play due to their APR.
If they don't win within 3 yrs, they will pull an ETSU and kill the football program. Just enough time for BJ Coleman to finish both his MBA and his football eligibility. Both paid for by someone else. He's no dummy.
1manningfan writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
ethanfrome writes:
A 2.56 is nothing to put on a resume, true. However, you should be proud that the coach is installing more discipline. This is not BIG news; this is notable and I am proud of them.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Either way, it shows that the "bad apples" are no longer welcome or tolerated on the Hill. Great job, Kiff & Co.!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well, obviously the fact that an AGING and INJURED Bucs defense was left on the field too long by an incompetent offense didn't have anything to do with it. Legendary NFL defensive coach Monte Kiffin just got stupid overnight...yeah, that's the ticket(;-P)!
shoalcreekvol writes:
I put up another new pic yesterday to go with the handcuffs:
http://shoalcreekvol.blogspot.com/
notoriousBIGorange writes:
This is GREAT news especially for all of the critics of CLK. NO arrests since he has been HC.
It has been ___?___ days since a FLA player has been arrested....
volgrog#210164 writes:
Seriously, the first story on ESPN- our football team has a C+ average? I'm happy for the improvement, but a C+ average as a team isn't front page news as far as I'm concerned. My guess is this is just the start and Kiffin will expect more from them as time goes by.
sstarnes#216340 writes:
Don't put the cart before the horse CLK. Summer has just begun and before the end of the summer, someone will be in trouble with the Po Po. You can't watch them all the time and there are too many individuals out there that are just out for themselves and are going to make a mistake. This streak will NOT survive the end of the summer. You better "knock on wood" for speaking too soon on this one.
Psychovol writes:
This is perhaps the best indicator of what's going on at the hill of anything to date. Discipline was sorely lacking under Fulmer's regime and it showed up big time on the football field in addition to the classroom and the police blotter.
GerryOP writes:
Good job coaches and players!
72 -- Fear The Kiffin...
Gate21 writes:
say what? my mom bragged about all my C+'s...two of her proudest moments!
Volunatic writes:
Good point. Besides, most of those who left the team quit around the time of Spring football, which is well past the "drop deadline". Any of those who were getting poor grades at the time would have been figured into the totals for the team GPA.
Volunatic writes:
What tweetdriver63 said.
hueypilot writes:
Really good reporting might have told us what the average GPA of the full time student body was. Kind of like comparing the graduation rate within five (or six) years for the football team with the grad rate of the student body as a whole, but that would have required a little bit of work. I don't see a lot of journalists working too hard.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.