KNOXVILLE — Ja'Wuan James and Jacques Smith know how the uncertainty feels.
Both Tennessee football players remember the program's last coaching change when Lane Kiffin bolted to Southern California in 2009 the night before they were to attend their first classes of college.
With Derek Dooley's dismissal as coach earlier this week, a chunk of Tennessee's roster is now in a similar state. The unknown is eerily familiar.
Continue reading at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Comments » 15
wigmeister writes:
Hope they all stay! They decided to come to UT because they loved the school. The school hasn't changed. They are still going to get a degree from an excellent university.
On another lighter note, maybe we should bring in John Madden! Most have played the video game, so know his system!
AlpharettaVol writes:
I hope all of them stay, but you are kidding yourself if you believe all of them came here because they loved the school. I'm sure most of them had NFL aspirations coming out of HS and made their college choice based on how they could best showcase themselves to the pros. The days of loyalty to the school went the way of the Model-T and 20 cent a gallon gasoline.
SummittsCourt writes:
You want stability = get rid of cheek and hart, hire Fulmer as AD
sameolvolalum writes:
OK guys. Play basic, sound foutball. Hit 'em in the mouth every play. Play as if coach (fill in the blank) is looking at this game to pick his starters for 2013. Keep your heads up, as those great big orange T's on your helmets mean an awful lot to an awful lot of us........minus, of course, that AWFUL lot of whiners who'd even cry about a 12-1 season. We're with y'all all the way!
signalcorps writes:
they should play for themselfs,,finish school and they can't lose,,,,,coach dooley should have taken care of these things with these kids,,,no what did he do rand out of town like someones taken the ball from mama's boy and they want let him play no more....the SEC IS A GROWN MAN'S LEAUGE,,no mama's boys.....
signalcorps writes:
yep I would say 95% thinking one more step to playing on sundays
Vol_in_Mich writes:
Yeah, Players are left wondering what the heck they're gonna do on the field. You know "hey coach, where do I line up" Sal: "How the heII should I know, just run around some" I doubt that will change much Saturday,
Please try not to be the first Vol team to lose right games in a season.
RememberWhen writes:
why? because he has so much AD experience? Or are you just wanting to continue the inbreeding?
VolGrad writes:
I still think there is a big difference between what happened in the minds of players with Kiffin bolting and with Dooley being fired. In the former, there had to be a sense of betrayal..., like everything the coach had said was hollow- lies and violation of trusts. With the latter, it is probably more disappointment with even some of the guys feeling like they bear some of the responsibility. It is similar in that you have nobody at the helm. They're left to wonder as they wait for a decision to be made. And for some, that decision could very well impact decisions of their own going forward. The uncertainty is the same.
I hope Hart can reel in a proven coach who will embrace the history of Tennessee football and restore the winning tradition. I want the best for each and every one of these guys. Would love for there to be a decision by early December.
Go Vols! This is Big Orange Country!!!
gobigorange5090 writes:
Amen & Amen!
JonGrudensAgent writes:
Installing a self-serving politician who worried more about HIS image and legacy than doing the work it takes to be a good football coach and running a program is the last thing this program needs.
If Fulmer was marketable for anything without Cutcliffe and Chavis, he would have been hired somewhere by now.
CCLC writes:
The biggest feat that UT should have is, with other programs passing them by, it gets even harder. Why leave California to go to Knoxville when Oregon is much closer? Or even UCLA? TN has to be careful, today’s recruits were were pretty young when they won their last SEC title, and they haven’t been getting the prime time, featured games or attractive bowls in the past decade either.
just sayin'
notfunanymore writes:
Dooley is nothing but a scumbag lawyer and a pathetic coach. He is the reason the football program is at an unrecoverable level. It will take years to get over what he has done. I hope someone shoves that stupid ceramic dog up his sorry arse. I wish him nothing but misery and misfortune!
govolsdid writes:
J.Smith "LOOKS THE PART" but he has been like "McDonald" another 4-5 star that has not produced. It is time to PLAY like you were ranked! If you are going to talk the walk then you better walk the talk! If not go home!
pcorange writes:
Good Lord, guys. This program is nowhere near "unrecoverable". Make a slam dunk hire, and it's back in 2 to 3 years. Get a solid hire without as much name recognition as a slam dunk hire would have, and it might take a bit longer to challenge for an SEC championship, but we would be relevant. Go out and make another Dooley type hire, and we're done for a long, long time.
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