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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Derek Dooley feels there's no reason to talk when he's got nothing much to say.
It's a very different approach to publicity than his predecessor, Lane Kiffin, who made it a priority to stay in the national headlines throughout the offseason.
"You can get too much of a coach," Dooley said Wednesday in some of his first public comments since being hired in January. "There's nothing to report. There's no news."
By the time Tennessee's spring practice started a year ago, Kiffin had managed to promise a win over rival Florida, accuse Gators coach Urban Meyer of committing nonexistent recruiting violations and commit a violation of his own by mentioning a recruit's name on the radio.
It was all for a reason. Kiffin felt any kind of publicity was good for the program as it tried to attract the country's top recruits.
Dooley has made only a few public appearances since he was hired Jan. 15, and he's reiterated his goals to represent Tennessee with integrity and class each time.
He held press conferences on national signing day and in advance of the start of spring practice which began Thursday, but he's turned down individual interview requests from the media.
"I think people get sick of reading and hearing the guy because ultimately I'm going to keep saying the same stuff — what else is there to talk about?" Dooley said. "I'm here to represent the program, not just get in front of the media and talk."
Freshman running back David Oku likes positive publicity for his team rather than the negative light that seemed to always be shining on the program last season.
"We don't have the whole hoopla going on, us being in the news 24/7," Oku said. "I think it's a good thing. I think (Kiffin) put our name out there in the wrong way."
Dooley said he believes it's important to reach out to the community — something former Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer excelled at — but equally important that the public appearances don't interfere with coaching responsibilities. He's also not worried his lack of publicity will have an impact on Tennessee's ticket sales, which have dropped in the past two seasons.
And if recruiting was Kiffin's measuring stick for how well his publicity worked, then Dooley didn't suffer too badly from keeping quiet.
He was hired only 19 days before signing day but landed a class ranked ninth in the nation by Rivals.com. Kiffin landed some of the recruits himself, but Dooley kept them from signing elsewhere and brought in a few players with his own efforts.
And ultimately, Dooley said, it will be those players and their successes or failures that build the image of the team, and not the coach.
"The program's not about me. It's not," he said. "It's about the players. It's their program. Whether we succeed or fail is ultimately going to be up to them."
That's exactly how senior defensive end Chris Walker sees it.
"We really didn't like all the attention that we were getting last year," he said. "We want to be there because we're winning games."
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 20
HallowedHill writes:
CDD is a breath of fresh air compared to our last, brief regime.
GO VOLS!
VOLinAthensGA writes:
RIGHT ON ROCKY TOP!!!!!!!
JV67 writes:
Man I hope Dooley can coach! No question he's brought class back to UT football. Now we just need wins to go with it.
Mark63 writes:
This is what we need in a coach. Someone who will not stick there neck out, and say try to chop it off. Since Coach Dooley came here, he has kept a very low profile, and has done the right things, to get this program back on the track of true football. Let's all forget Kiffin, he is nothing more than a flash in the pan. And get behind Dooley. He will make the vol nation proud, and we will have a team, that will go a long way, including a championship, down the road.
FWBVol writes:
I've gone back and read some of your old post. You bashed Kiffin when he was here and now Derek Dooley isn't good enough for you.
I know, I know, you played baseball at UT in the mid-1970s so that makes you an expert on everything. I'm sure you would find fault with the General and the way he handled the media. And, by the way, it's a historical fact that most members of the media were about as usual to the General as snow shoes are to someone living in Florida.
Read what the players are saying. Maybe they're just trying to get on CDD's good side, but many of them have stated the dog and pony show that Kiffin had with the media last year got old and served as a negative on the team.
If Tennessee wins under CDD, and I believe it will, everything will be fine. UT will get the good TV slots based on how the team performs on the field not how the coaches or players perform in the press conference. And, in the long run, while a few kids might come because the over hype of a coach, most want to go to a program of substance, which is something that was lacking last year.
tulelakevol writes:
Should we call you Sherlock?
VolGrad writes:
I do not buy your presumed correlation between no longer being constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons and now appearing as a boring program outside of East Tennessee.
GBO
finn writes:
I really hope the moron contingent of the UT faithful don't run this guy off and start calling for his head when we lose a few games this year. Not giving CDD enough time to turn the program around would be a crime. I think he is going to be better than anyone imagined and, if given the time, will turn UT back into a program we can be proud of on every level.
finn writes:
Good point, Volgrad. during the off-season, typically the only time a team gets in the news is an arrest, an injury, or an a-hole for a coach (aka..Kiffin.) I admit the constant UT Kiffin press circus was fun was it lasted but the hangover's been a rough one.
VolAlum2003 (Inactive) writes:
I'm a former Kiffin apologist (reformed mind you) and a Dooley skeptic, so I'm not going to bash you like everyone else, but I do think that you (and I, until recently) severely overrated Kiffin's ability.
Kiffin created the appearance and promise of success without actually delivering it on the field. In essence he created a "success bubble" (just like the "housing bubble" created by Wall Street) and we all invested in it with our enthusiasm, our time, and our money. Kiffin left and the bubble burst...but it was always going to burst.
I would also disagree with the "boring program" description. Tennessee's program probably looks like it should have looked last year at this same time, i.e. like a program that is quietly rebuilding. To say that the program is "boring" is like saying that pouring the foundation of a building is "boring." Visually it might not be exciting, but it is essential
I will agree with you that Dooley does not use the media to his advantage and that is a HUGE problem. Recruiting is a 365 day event in college football and The Groundhog's (my pet name for Dooley) media tactic seems to be to pop his head up every now and then, let everyone get a brief look at him, and then pop back into his burrow. I hope, as time goes on, Dooley will recognize the need to be more open with the press and more outgoing (I suspect it will happen right after he goes 7-5 this next season and realizes that he isn't going to beat Florida or Bama by quietly toiling away the hours).
VolAlum2003 (Inactive) writes:
Kiffin got the same type of praise, using the same language right after he was hired. "Thinking" a coach is going to be "better than anyone imagined" is great for the off-season, but looking back at that coach's record is a better indicator of his actual ability. And considering Dooley's record, I'm going to wait until I see results (I already got excited over the last young, energetic coach with a losing HC record to grace the UT Head Coach's office...so you'll forgive me if I don't get all hot and bothered over this one).
As for being proud of UT's program...you need to prepare yourself for the reality that our players will get arrested and do stupid, offensive stuff under Coach Dooley; the same as under any other football Coach. If you put 80(+) young and athletic males in a room...a few of them are going to eventually make really bad mistakes, no matter how much you try to find players of "character." It's just a reality.
The idea that Dooley is going to reinvent our program into a Vienna Boys Choir with the skill level to capture an SEC championship is worth less than "thinking" that Dooley is going to be a great coach.
vols2#227315 writes:
I think we deserve some news from Doodley about the football team. He has a 6 year contract and set for life but that security is not a reason for a UT football coach not to tell fans about the football team.
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
This is refreshing. And the truth. Coach Dooley will be fine. We don't need all the bull-sh-t. We just need young men who want to play football for Tennessee. Win or lose, It's Great to be a Tennessee Vol.
OrangeCounsel writes:
I'm not buying this business of saying Dooley's not recruiting because he doesn't see the need in giving all the newsboys a play-by-play on the team's efforts at tying their shoes in the morning. There's a very good chance he knows what he's doing, and is recruiting as hard as anyone in the nation at any given time. He's just not popping off at the mouth and making a UT football a national punch line in the process.
redskinvol1 writes:
no worries,coach knows what he is doing.The players will speak for him in the checkers.
uwdawg25#557404 writes:
Someone wake me up from this terrible dream of a Boring Coach!! I mean this guy puts me to sleep and his upper lip never moves.. Please tell me its a bad dream!!
redskinvol1 writes:
coach knows what he is doing.the players will speak for him this fall.
TNPilgrim writes:
We don't know if Dooley can coach at the SEC level or not - we'll find that out this fall. However, IMHO he's making a mistake by not being more visible and promoting the program. Maybe after basketball season is over Bruce will take Derek out to lunch and explain the basic necessity of having fannies in the seats at home games.
Back_In_The_South writes:
Great post...totally agree.
Back_In_The_South writes:
What are you basing "Tennessee is becoming a forgotten name" on?? You're constantly making unsubstantiated remarks about everything that has to do with TN football. Are you just mad at the world because everybody couldn't care less about TN baseball (In comparison to TN football)? Do you feel that your comments have greater merit to them because you played baseball at TN? I don't get it! And please explain to me how "Tennessee has become a forgotten name" in just 2 months...according to you, everyone knew who Tennessee was under the dirtbag we called a coach for 12 months up until he jumped ship and Dooley took over 2 months ago. What has dramatically changed (for the worse) in that time span that has made our name "forgotten"? If anything, things have dramatically changed for the better.
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