CROSSVILLE - They say football is driving the conference expansion train in college sports and they're right. It's the Big Kahuna.
When the Big Orange Caravan rolled out of the station Monday morning, however, Bruce Pearl was behind the wheel.
The University of Tennessee has many reasons to be thankful it hired Pearl five years ago. Several of them were apparent when the caravan arrived at the Cumberland County Community Complex for a breakfast rally.
If you didn't know better, this could have been a Kansas caravan or a Duke caravan. To bring it closer to home, it could have been a Memphis caravan or a Kentucky caravan.
A couple of university officials got a nice welcome. A representative from women's basketball said a few words to appreciative applause.
Then a football spokesman took the microphone. He praised the direction a new coach would guide the program, but warned there might be rough waters ahead.
Finally, the men's basketball coach took the podium - to a standing ovation.
In short, this is a good time for Tennessee to have a men's basketball program that is not only relevant but capable of flying the UT flag.
To be fair, Derek Dooley might well have received a standing ovation, too, if he had been in the house. Pat Summitt, likewise.
But they weren't. Pearl was the headline act and the Cumberland Countians wanted to show him how thankful they were to have big-time basketball success to rally around.
"I appreciate being your basketball coach,'' Pearl said. "It means so much to me because it means so much to you all.''
Football, of course, means a lot to them, too. Several attendees privately expressed disappointment Dooley wasn't present at the first caravan stop.
One alum said he needed to look Dooley in the eye and hear what he had to say. Another said Dooley should be cultivating the fan base at every opportunity because he's going to need their good will in the fall.
Dooley had planned to join the caravan later in the day for lunch in Clarksville and dinner in Columbia. Both were cancelled because of flooding.
Of the 16 caravan stops, Dooley was scheduled for 12 and Pearl 13. It's routine that not every coach makes every appearance. Summitt has only one date, in Dallas.
Condredge Holloway, a 1970s quarterback legend and assistant athletic director, spoke on behalf of football Monday.
He didn't sugar-coat things.
The Vols are on their third coach in three seasons, attrition has taken a toll and nobody's projecting UT in the SEC title hunt in 2010.
"It's going to be a little bare, guys,'' Holloway said.
"Can anybody here raise their hand and tell me who's our All-SEC or All-American?''
Nobody could.
"That's right,'' Holloway said. "We don't have one. For the first time in a long time.''
Last time Tennessee football was this bare was the mid-1970s and early 1980s. The Ernie & Bernie Show was a nice distraction. So were Don DeVoe's early years with Dale Ellis.
Now that there's a void again, Pearl is filling it with regular wins over Florida, an occasional SEC title or No. 1 ranking, and, most recently, with headline-grabbing upsets and Elite Eight thrillers.
But among Pearl's admirable qualities is that he is a team player. If football is down, he's not going to step on its back to promote his own program.
His first words Monday:
"You all didn't stand up for Condredge Holloway? And you stand up for Bruce Pearl? I couldn't carry his water.''
But he and his program can carry the UT flag until football gets back on its feet.
Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6276.
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Comments » 21
DarthWilson writes:
Behind you all the way Bruce. I love his comment about Condredge. The man is a great ambassador for our University and teams.
GO VOLS!
CoverOrange writes:
All SEC and possible All American - Luke Stocker.
eduardo writes:
Thank goodness basketball is right around the corner!!
easleychuck writes:
Coach Pearl is a gem. UK should have hired him when Billy ran in the ditch for the last time. So glad he is leading the Tennessee Volunteers on the hardwood.
Great comment he made about Condredge, Coach just has a skill that is so integral to his personality to say the right thing at just the right time.
bspurlingcac#225603 writes:
I agree...Bruce has won everywhere he has been. Here is a lot like a Bob Huggins in that respect. He is great at pumping people up...Fans, Players etc. He also has a great work ethic!!!
I just hope our football coach can take his experences and make it happen now that he has everthing he needs to build a great progam. He has to be given 3-4 years to have a true shot at this but the process will tell us everything we need to know. I like his class at this point. Now he needs to coach them up and recruit like crazy.
arkyvol writes:
pearl is doing for vol b-ball what neyland did for vol football.
Chris4Vols22 writes:
"Another said Dooley should be cultivating the fan base at every opportunity because he's going to need their good will in the fall."
He should be doing this, because there are some, including me, who feel very uneasy and not confident about him. At least Bruce has always had the right idea! GO BASKETVOLS!!
GerryOP writes:
It's great ... to be ... a Tennessee Vol!
I say again,
It's great ... to be ... a Tennessee Vol!
Bigger_Al writes:
In my opinion, Bruce is much more charismatic and much less caustic than "Huggy Bear", which is a juxtaposition. I wouldn't trade Bruce for any other coach out there - not saying he is even a Top 10 coach at this point, but his teams have accomplished goals no other UT teams have, he knows how to win, his teams are fun to watch, and most importantly, he has shown loyalty to Tennessee.
DaddyVol writes:
Palardy
VolunteerLifer writes:
And his teams are getting better. Don't be surprised if this year's team is better than last one.
jimr07 writes:
It is amazing to me how KNS will take any opportunity to knock the current football coach. Way to go KNS.
jimr07 writes:
Well, i will be surprised.
woodwr#217203 writes:
I remember looking a former UT foorball coach in the eye at the caravan, when it came to Cincinnati.
I was disturbed and disappointed.
Lane Kiffin was more shallow and immature in person than I had imagined.
I suddenly felt bad for the Assistant Coaches. Kiffin had assembled a dream team of Assistant Coasches, but some were eager to leave and some eager to stay behind when he left. That tells you a LOT.
Tony Jones HOWEVER, was solid, real and had depth. He treated relatively ignorant fans like real people and was easy to like, easy to trust, and easy to root for.
Let's hope Bruce Pearl stays a LONG time and let's hope Bruce Pearl keeps his staff together. Could someone just teach those guys to practice free throws?
murrayvol writes:
I agree.....if we can get the ball to him.
murrayvol writes:
"...I couldn't carry his water." Bruce knows how to work a crowd.
Don't know if next years BasketVols can top this year's edition but I can't wait to find out.
VolunteerLifer writes:
We'll be a deep, talented, and experienced team. 8 players are four star recruits or higher (2 - 5 star, 6 - 4 star), 7 players will be upper classment (4 seniors, 3 juniors). There will be an established player or highly regarded recruit at each of the starting and backup slots of the five positions. A senior center and a senior point guard. Terrific athletes on the wings. The #1 power forward recruit. And then of course there's the terrific coaching staff. I may be biased, but it looks real good to me.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I will, too! No question, next year's team will have lots of promising talent and, if Harris is all everybody says he is, they could be really tough by the end of the season. However, there is no proven "go-to guy" on that team to equal a Lofton, Chism, or Prince. Pearl's system is made to order for a "committee" approach, but his better UT teams have had somebody to make the big play virtually on-demand. If Hopson should really come into his own and Williams or Hall become consistent inside scoring threats, the Vols could really be something, but anything over 20 wins will be gravy to me as it stands right now.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
That is the optimist's view, it has merit, and I would love to see it. Just remember that none of those guys have consistently done it at the SEC level YET, though several of them have potential.
cubs_fantoo#1339500 writes:
It has been mentioned in the report about how many colleges or programs could have hired Brucie. However, take a reflection of his career and see if he would have fit in any other program in the nation as he does here in Tennessee. I dont think he would have survived at UK because it is a program that has success. Duke is not going to rid of Coach K nor would Kansas run out Self. Bruce thrive in places because of his winning attitude and loves taking risk and selling. He came in and built this house faster than any coach that I have seen in quiet some time. Bruce survives in "poe dunk' ville where he can build it from the ground up.
The best thing about UT Athletics in the 80s and 90s was Coach Dickey at the helm paving way for the awesome buildings we have and allowing Bruce to come in and play "hoosier" style of basketball.
Bruce is a master mind and bringing Xs and Os on the pine and we were just a hard play away from winning it all. He is going to land some top players and take Tennessee to the very top, but we need help across the board. We could have won it all this year if the guys we had werent up and down with health and size. We played too conservative from time to time and it killed us a few times. But, I hope we can bring back the pace that we had in the first two or three seasons in the Pearl Era. I love the full court basketball that Pearl has instilled on the Summitt, cant wait to see it again!
Bruce is going to die wearing his Orange Blazer because it is a fit that only Bruce could pull off on Rocky Top!
TraitorLane writes:
I guess the fans aren't old enough or they have forgotten, but I surely would have stood for Condredge Holloway. I was at UT in the 70's and he was pure excitement with the football. In a different era he could have been an NFL star. He's a great ambassador for the school and left a legacy we shouldn't forget.
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