Comments by willtowin

Written on Cuonzo Martin: Turnovers a sore spot for Vols:

in response to jandjhome#228397:

Face it folks, we have very little tallent and a weak coach.

Agreed

Written on Tennessee to pay Jones $18.2 million over six years :

Let's show some class guys. Other coaches do take notice and if there comes a time we need to make another change they will remember how we treated Jones. Not only that, if Jones is successful and another school comes calling we want Jones to be loyal and make the decision difficult for him to leave. We need to be smart here.

Written on Cincinnati AD: Dave Hart was "first class" throughout process:

Let's show some class guys. Other coaches do take notice and if there comes a time we need to make another change they will remember how we treated Jones. Not only that, if Jones is successful and another school comes calling we want Jones to be loyal and make the decision difficult for him to leave. We need to be smart here.

Written on Players, recruits respond to hiring :

I think this is a better hire than most people think. I like the fact he has already reached out to Tee Martin to get him here. It shows he appreciates our history and understands the importance of having Tennessee flavour on his staff. Let's show some class and get behind our new coach. Welcome Coach Jones!

Written on As Tennessee resets coaching search, Cincinnati's Butch Jones appears to be target :

He has been a winner wherever he has been.He has beaten charlie strong, frank beamer, and James franklin. He has been named big east coach of the year twice.Give him a chance.

Written on As Tennessee resets coaching search, Cincinnati's Butch Jones appears to be target :

He has been a winner wherever he has been.He has beaten charlie strong, frank beamer, and has been named big east coach of the year twice.Give him a chance.

Written on UT out? Gundy, Strong negotiating to stay at their schools:

I hope Strong decides to stay at Loisville. I am not impressed with a 24-14 record in the Big Est Conference. I also don't like the fact that Strong and his wife have both played the race card before. We don't need that stuff here.After the deal with Debbie Jennings, I think Hart would be playing with fire. I don't want our hands tied if we ever needed to make a change because we were afraid of the race card being played.

Written on Gruden tells Tennessee no thanks:

in response to Mikeah:

Would not have aproblem with Jim Tressel

He is not allowed to coach per NCAA. Let's be serious.

Written on Tennessee beats Kentucky 37-17 :

Couldnt help but notice that without Dooley, we were the team that made the halftime adjustments. Good job Chaney.

Written on Tennessee, Kentucky prepare for kickoff at Neyland Stadium :

I really think Sunseri is working for Tennessee and Alabama. NO defense can be THIS bad!!!!!!

Written on Cutcliffe says he's staying at Duke in 2013:

I am glad he is staying at Duke. We don't need to try and go back in time and relive the past. It rarely works out the way you envision.

Written on John Adams: Derek Dooley inherited a 'short stick' and did little with it :

in response to SummittsCourt:

The Dooley haters get on my nerves. You never gave him a chance - no one would have done better than what he did.

A big name coach doesn't guarantee anything.

I am not a Dooley hater at all. I was skeptical when he was hired because he had no proven track record but I supported him up until the Florida game this year. He did have a chance. He had three years just to show some progress. That isn't much to ask for. No championships were demanded , just progress. I really wanted him to succeed because if he did so would my Vols. A good coach can turn things around in a hurry. Look at Sumlin at A&M, Strong at louisville, Patterson at TCU. I disagree that a big name coach will not make a difference.

Written on An early look at candidates to replace Derek Dooley as Vols' coach:

I would seriously consider Petrino but I would make sure to include an ethics clause in his contract. If he does something unethical to warrant dismissal he loses buyout as contract would become null and void. This is the only way that most Tennessee fans would be ok with the hire.

Written on Tennessee fires Derek Dooley:

in response to UTKin1992:

Why is everyone kissing this losers @ss?? He took the program to an all time low and in the process gets paid more than any of you will ever see! All for doing absolutely nothing more than what any normal, garden variety fan could do.

Cut the boy scout - great guy - horse$h!t. Makes me wanna puke.

We live in a society today where mediocrity is rewarded. Whether it be kids getting trophies for finishing last or presidents getting reelected for being cool. Dooley would have been rank out of here on a rail if this had happened 20 years ago. A lot of people aren't results oriented anymore. It's all about the cult of personality. Thus the Dooley apologists.

Written on Tennessee-Vanderbilt Report Card :

I wish I had this guy grading my papers back when I was in school.

Written on John Adams: Derek Dooley's firing should be announced right away :

in response to FireJohnAdams:

"Its a safety issue now"??????

I don't know Adams.... Tennessee fans have waited for years and years for you to be fired... no one has "stormed" your office have they?

What is it with you and John Adams? He is just stating the very obvious. You can't sugarcoat everything Tennessee does. I have seen Adams heap praise on the Vols but this team does not desserve it.

Written on Vanderblowout: Tennessee loses to Vanderbilt in Nashville for first time since 1982 :

in response to djohnnyg:

Do you any of you see any possibility Dooley remains as coach?

The only way and I mean the ONLY way he stays on as coach would be if Hart is truly trying to sabotage the program. The fact he has been so silent has given some credibility to that theory. I would hate to think our athletic dept has been infiltrated but who knows?

Written on FINAL: Tennessee loses to Vandy 41-18:

If Hart doesn't make an announcement soon there may be riots on campus. If I were Dooley I would be careful on campus. There is a lot of negative passion right now.

Written on Halftime: Vanderbilt 13, Tennessee 10 :

in response to AZ_Vol:

He'll be hired as either a coach or an athletic director.

His stint here at UT will be an aberration; and, it will be viewed as such. No coach wanted to come here, remember?

The problems at UT are at a higher level than a football coach. Any research you may have done would have told you that. It's all there.

Dooley will NEVER ever be hired as a coach in college football. Maybe not even high school football. I don't know how anyone can defend his record at this point. Are you related to him?

Written on Halftime: Vanderbilt 13, Tennessee 10 :

If Dooley isn't fired by Monday then we are being sabotaged by Hart and Cheeks. I used to say that is a joke but if he is still our coach on Monday there is NO other explanation!

Written on First quarter: Vanderbilt 3, Tennessee 0 :

I am begining to think Dooley is deliberately throwing games. I wonder if he bets against the Vols in Vegas. Nobody is this stupid!

Written on Tennessee, Vanderbilt preparing for kickoff before sellout crowd :

Dooley doesn't have a clue

Written on No panic in Vols after loss, but little time to regroup with Minutemen on Sunday :

Coach Martin needs to be concerned. Tennessee has not looked impressive at all this year, even in their wins. It seems Martin isn't as hard nosed with these guys as last year.

Written on Vols' offense goes on vacation against Oklahoma State, 62-45 :

I was afraid Coach Martin was downplaying the lack of focus in the Vols first two games.I liked it more last year when he was a little less tolerant of that kind of thing. Sometimes these kids need to hear their coach is serious not passive about their level of play. Maybe now he will buckle down and we will see different results.

Written on Vols start with win in Puerto Rico, 75-68 :

First of all I want to say this was a solid win for the Vols. Anytime you win a game in college basketball with the parity in todays gamne is good. The only thing I am just a little concerned about is in the first two games we let up once we got a big lead. With the 3 point shot, a team can get back into it in a hurry. Martin has said for two games now he isn't hat concerned about it but if the kids hear that I am afraid they may not rectify the situation. I think Martin might need to light a fire under them.

Written on Vols start with win in Puerto Rico, 75-68 :

Hope we can break the tournament jinx and at least get to the title game. Still gotta stay focused for full 40 minutes. As the competition gets better it will become tougher to survive the let ups. Go Vols!

Written on Jim Chaney won't criticize Derek Dooley's decision :

in response to 10seVol85_Part_Deux:

No progress? Really? What was UT's offensive rank last season or the one before? I'll tell you: 104th and 75th. What is it now? 14th.

What about the running game? It was 105th in 2010 and 116th in 2011. Right now it's 63rd, gaining 70+ more yards/game than last year.

What about our kicking game? Yep. Steady improvement there too, believe it or not. Palardy's 43.04 yards/punt is good enough for 6th in the conference, compared to our last-place standing last season. BTW, that 43.04 per punt is Colquitt numbers.

The problem is the defensive scheme/coaching change this year has gone worse than anybody could have anticipated. That has caused the loss of several games that would otherwise have been wins, and that W-L result is all that you see. Now, I get it. W-L is what really matters, but to say there's been no improvement during Dooley's tenure is just plain stupid.

The difference I see in some( not all) Tennessee fans is the eagerness to be mediocre. You never see Alabama or Florida fans all giddy about going 1-7 or 2-8 in the sec year after year. That's why I have a hard time believing some of you are truly Tennessee fans. When does one coach become bigger than the program?

Written on Jim Chaney won't criticize Derek Dooley's decision :

in response to The_Mayor:

Really? Be an intelligent poster and do some research on Saban and Miles before they went to LSU. What were their records in three years at Michigan State and Oklahoma State respectively? How long did it take Terry Bradshaw to be great? How long did it take Lou Holtz to be great? Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

Oh and though it's not football, Tennessee had a coach that won an sec championship in his first year..his name is Bruce Pearl. If you get the right guy things can move quickly. With Dooley there isnt even progress. I know you would like to win a couple sec games a year for the next 20 years but most fans want more than that.

Written on Jim Chaney won't criticize Derek Dooley's decision :

in response to The_Mayor:

Really? Be an intelligent poster and do some research on Saban and Miles before they went to LSU. What were their records in three years at Michigan State and Oklahoma State respectively? How long did it take Terry Bradshaw to be great? How long did it take Lou Holtz to be great? Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

Even chizik at Auburn won national championship in first year there.. you do research my friend. It has been done.

Written on Jim Chaney won't criticize Derek Dooley's decision :

in response to The_Mayor:

Would make sense that Sunseri was a Hart hire and not a Dooley hire. There are so many layers to this onion. The easy thing to do is to call Dooley a clown, but I assure you he's no clown. I'd just like to see things stay in tact for one more year...including Dooley, Chaney, Graham, Bray, Hunter, Patterson, the O line, etc. Go out and bring in some head knocker JUCO defensive players this off season, the same talent caliber as Patterson. Can you imagine how good this team would have been this season if we even had an average defense? Probably would have won the Florida, SC, MO games, and possibly the UGA game. Sitting at 8-2 right now would be pretty fine, and we were literally inches from that. That doesn't even factor in the fact, and let's face it, this program and staff has been snake bitten when it comes to catching breaks. It seems like it all started with that horrific loss in Baton Rouge, and it's just been one flukey bad break after another. The bad luck has to run out. Give Dooley a full 4 years to prove his worth one way or the other. He's handled himself as professionally has anybody could ever hope for in a head coach. He's accountable, sincere, cordial, endlessly positive, and he has done many, many wonderful things for this program, in light of the ruins it was in when he arrived in Knoxville. I sure do hate to see us start from scratch again so soon. I think we would ultimately regret it. What do we have to lose by giving Dooley a full four year term? Where do we all think the University of Tennessee football program is going to go? I just don't understand the impatience. We'll always be Tennessee. Even if Dooley is a proven bust after four years, we're still Tennessee football...a HUGE draw for coaches and recruits. We're not going anywhere folks, and the sun will still rise tomorrow. Give this decent man his fair chance.

I don't think we are being impatient. 3 years just to show improvement is all we asked. We didn't ask for a sec or national championship although some coaches have pulled that off in their first or second year. 0- 6 in the sec back to back to back years is not progress. Tennessee can and will do better than this.Dooley is not bigger than UT. We have to remember this!

Written on Govols247: Where things stand this morning with Tennessee's coaching situation:

in response to pcshowtime:

You are right on most points I do not think undefeated but one loss and sec east champs is a big possibility. He had 9 of 11 starters back on defense.

Dooley could have hired a competent 4-3 defensive coordinator with a similar style to wilcox but he went for a 3-4 in a year he needed to win. This is the equivalent of taking a wishbone offense and trying to implement a spread passing attack. Do not start with the Hart hired Sunseri stuff if that was the case dooley should have said something by now. I also feel special teams is still pretty bad except for the return game with patterson.

I said from the beginning of the year this Defensive scheme change in a year dooley's job is on the line is his stupidest career move since arriving in Knoxville. If he could have left well enough alone and stayed with the 4-3 He could have been up for sec coach of the year awards. Instead it is going to cost him his job.

As bad as the defense is, there are many more issues that led to Dooley's demise. His lack of game management is paramount.How many times have we seen poor clock management? Too many or too few players on the field? Poor use of timeouts? Dooley just seems to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Written on Mark Wiedmer: Derek Dooley saga continues, though sequel not likely:

in response to born2ride:

NEWS FLASH

Dooley is still coach.

We have two more games to win and a possible bowl game.

If anybody gets fired it is Sal.

7 wins keeps Dooley another year.

Just some questions. Would you like to see Tennessee ever have a winning season in the SEC? Would you like to see the day Tennessee beats Florida or Alabama again? Is 7 wins your goal every year?Is that what gets you giddy? Do tell.

Written on John Adams: If not a big name, how about a familiar one in David Cutcliffe? :

Do not agree with Adams on this one

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

in response to thevoice:

Nobody has. Are you that naive to believe the Ath Dept. approves of Dooley just because they haven't said "I disapprove?" Nobody will say that! You've been around a while... how do you not get this? Look around and read the tea leaves. If Hart does approve, why wouldn't he come out and say so, with all the talk going around? This sure would be a perfect time.

Are you really hanging your hat on the fact that since Hart hasn't said anything, everything's hunkydory?

And even if Hart doesn't approve, do you really think he's going to say that??!! Come on Gerry, wake up. Hart sure hasn't given DD anything to be confident about. Watch people's actions, not what they say. Remember Hamilton, Saban, Petrino? Can you really believe folks?

I'm really curious about your thought process on this. I'm starting to believe you may be more concerned about Dooley the man than UT the athletic department.

I agree voice. It's like Dooley has a small cult following going. The people that support him would rather see neyland stadium burn to the ground than see Dooley go. I don't get it.

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

in response to GerryOP:

Who at UT has stated "that he hasn't shown UT he's headed in the right direction?" Give me one name... just one.

This mess has been stirred up by the press and the fans. Now tell us whose actions are affecting recruiting and attendance.

0-6 last year in sec. 0-6 this year in sec. No bowl last yr. Probably no bowl this year. Finding ever new ways to lose games. Is this the " right direction"?

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

in response to GerryOP:

will, I have no expalantion for the run out the clock thing. None. Maybe he simply made a mistake? What did he say in the post game presser? The penalties and discipline? Not good but that is part of building a team and college football. And I am critical of the fake FG in OT. I saw that as a foolish gamble. But it worked and I have not seen a single post complimenting Dooley for the call! If it hadn't, you guys would certainly be letting Dooley know how foolish it was.

But enough of the nitpicking and fault finding, how 'bout them Vols in the 1st half? Have you ever seen a finer display of college football? Only one mistake ... a 87-yard KO return. That 1/2 showed me what this team coached by Dooley is capable of. There is a bright future.

How far down the list are Ws and Ls? Since we do not have a team really working together and competeing and as long as we have large flaws, it is pretty far down. Right now I look for improvement. That 1st 1/2 was a major improvement. Would I like more wins? Certainly! They would certainly make my Saturday evenings more pleasant!

And OBTW, this time last year we kept hearing the mantra that Dooley can't win without a ground game. And what happened? Dooley not only generated a ground game but also created a record breaking offense! What can he do this winter with the defense? Think about it.

What we are seeing is a team that is 3 years into a 5-6 year rebuilding project. To paraphrase the words of John Denver, "Some plays are diamonds and some plays are stones..." Right now there are more stones than diamonds, and replacing Dooley right now can set this rebuilding project back 2, 4, or 5 years.

that was the best first half Tennessee has played this year except maybe the North Carolina State State game. However to say it was that finest display of college football I have ever seen is not even close. There were numerous unnecessary penalties. We were playing the 106th ranked offense at home so I would hope we could hold our own. There are 4 quarters of football . Poor adjustments at halftime. That is on the coaches.

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

in response to thevoice:

How would you know? Just a fan?

We're all fans. Most of us watch football every Saturday, probably Sunday, Thursday, and Monday. We know good coaching when we see it. You do too; admit it. We had an opportunity to hire Chip Kelley or Kevin Sumlin. Both are certainly better than Dooley! What that means is, "Yes we can do better."

Just a fan?
These "just fans" happen to actually run and fund the University of TN Athletics Department. Some fans more than others. Some fund the AD. Others speak by not showing for a game, even after paying for the donation, ticket, and parking.

Yes, we "just fans" have a big voice.

5-6 year rebuilding project? Does that mean in 6 years we're competing for SEC champs? How are we going from 0-15 against teams that matter to competing for SEC champs in 2-3 years? First, we have to be recruiting like those teams. WE'RE NOT. And even if we started, we need 2-3 more years of great recruiting. Second, we need a coach who can coach. The clock run-out at the end of regulation was absolutely inexcusable for a major league coach. That's something a coach learns in his first year as an assistant. The gaffes from Dooley just keep coming... in different forms. Lately it's been throwing the long ball on 3rd and 1.

Can you honestly picture Dooley being on the level (recruiting and coaching) of Spurrier, Saban, Richt, Sumlin, Miles, Muschamp? These are the coaches we have to beat/compete with some day. What other major SEC team hires an experiment and waits 6 years to compete with the teams that matter?

At one time I believed gerryop was a tn fan who just had a different view. At this point I believe he may be a fan of another school. That would explain why he would want us to keep Dooley so bad. Notice how he never talks of us winning more games. At some point defending the indefensible becomes absurd.

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

in response to GerryOP:

Hey FWB, we're cool and again I apologoze for going off on you. It's just that some of these idiots really torque my jaws ... and I go bazerko! Sorry...

This season has been tough. Each Saturday I'm ready to throw in the towel. But after a few days and after reading some of the irrational negative junk in here, I come to the ralization that we're Vol fans and Vol fans support the Vols ... because that's what fans do.

This past Saturday was particularly tough to watch. But after reading some of the irrational short-sighted hateful stuff on here today, I'm back supporting my Vols ... because that's what fans do!

If you can find a way to watch a replay of the game on Saturday, I think you might see where I'm coming from. It should be up on ESPN3/WatchESPN if you can find a way to get to that. I'd record it for you but I have no idea which wires to hook up where to get it onto a DVD!

Anyway, I kind of feel that we only have two more games to watch this year, but Saturday proved to me that Derek Dooley can deliver ... if the rabid UT fans and press will allow him the opportunity to show his stuff. I saw all I needed to see during the 1st 1/2 last Saturday. The 2nd 1/2, well ... not so much. But it was a great preview!

The funny thing is, as another Vol fan pointed out, with last years defense this year my highly ridiculed and criticized pre-season prediction of a 12-0 record this year was not that far out of play. 10-2 for sure, but 12-0 not that far off! Maybe next year...

Be well my Vol brother....

Gerry, what did you think of Dooley quitting in regulation? What about all the penalties? The lack of discipline? Even if you like Dooley , how far down the priority list is winning? It seems that you are more of a Dooley fan than a vol fan. At what point is it enough for you?

Written on Derek Dooley: Dave Hart 'told me he had not made a decision' :

Anyone starting to get the feeling that we may being sabotaged by cheeks and hart?

Written on John Adams: If not Jon Gruden, how about Bobby Petrino or Tommy Tuberville? :

in response to govols0463:

That is floating around in Nashville, yes.

I think it might be a good hire I just don't know that Fisher could recruit. No doubt he would be a good x and o's coach though. I am skeptical about any of the rumors going around though.

Written on John Adams: If not Jon Gruden, how about Bobby Petrino or Tommy Tuberville? :

Just a rumor. I don't know how much faith to put into it but my brother is an attorney in Knoxville who works close with some people inside UT and there is talk of Jeff Fisher. Anyone else hearing this?

Written on UT has 'Nothing to report' on coach Derek Dooley's job status :

in response to voodoo101:

I don't understand letting time run out. BUT Tell me what tackles Dooley missed, what kicks did he muff, what balls did he fumble, what passes did he drop, what receivers did he fail to cover, when did he jump before the snap? There certainly were a lot of no one else's out there on the field. A question: if you have or if you expect to ever have children (for whom you will be responsible), do you think they will always do exactly as you tell them to? Do you think a deviation on their part makes or will make you a failure - a quitter? Did you do everything your parents, teachers, etc directed or expected you to do, or did you get lazy a few times or think you knew better a few times?

I understand what you are trying to say but you can't pretend this game occured in a vacuum. There has been numerous occasions his poor clock management or poor use of time outs has cost us a game. He is getting paid 2 million dollars. It's not acceptable. I don't expect perfection. I agree with you there. I do expect improvement. I do expect accountability from my coach,not pointing fingers at everyone else. I think dooley is probably a nice guy, just not a good football coach. There is too much money at stake to settle for mediocrity.

Written on UT has 'Nothing to report' on coach Derek Dooley's job status :

in response to voodoo101:

Exactly. Why would any sane coach leave a secure job to take over a program in trouble when he might not be given the time to complete a turnaround? As it stands now - leaving out the weasel, the last two head coaches would have been fired a year after replacing a coordinator who made major changes to the program (offense for Clawson and defense for Sunseri). Sure Dooley will be fine even if he never coaches again, and the old saying is contracts are made to be broken, but to get respect you have to earn respect. Hiring someone for a period of time to do a job and not allowing him to complete his tenure doesn't earn respect if you are a good coaching prospect staking your reputation and your livelihood on a party not known for honoring contracts. Like it or not Dooley needs to be allowed to resign on his own (unpressured) or to serve out his contract. Hammy and his enablers screwed it all up; that's where the blame belongs.

Sorry. After a coach quits on his team he doesn't get any more time. That debacle yesterday is all on Dooley. Noone else.

Written on John Adams: If not Jon Gruden, how about Bobby Petrino or Tommy Tuberville? :

in response to fearthehound:

I respect your opinion on this, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. Adams, and others of his ilk, repeatedly tell us that they pull for no one--they are third part observers, merely 'sports' journalists. John loves to play both sides. He can't be pro-Vols, he's a journalist, but when the time is right, he's a columnist. Nice gig.

I am not an Adams sympathizer by no means. I have disagreed many times with him but I have to say he was pretty high on the vols coming into this season. He has a vote in the ap top 25 and he had Tennessee ranked higher than anyone until the Florida loss.

Written on John Adams: If not Jon Gruden, how about Bobby Petrino or Tommy Tuberville? :

in response to fearthehound:

Being a newsman, you're not supposed to be an advocate one way or the other, but I guess I wouldn't expect you to know that. After all, you're about as much a newsman as Dooley is an SEC coach.

No offense but Adams is a columnist not a newsman. His job is to opine. He is just stating his opinion. We can agree or disagree.

Written on As Derek Dooley's future grows more shaky, team still has goal of bowl eligibility :

I believe it will cost Tennessee a lot more money to keep Dooley than buy him out. Lost ticket sales, concessions,UT copyrighted mdse, and loss of bowl revenue will far outweigh the cost of the buyout. I don't see any reason at all why Hart would'nt make a move. Dooley quit on his players today. That sends a bad message to everyone, even potential recruits.

Written on John Adams: No doubt now; time for a change at Tennessee :

I believe Hart needs to make a move as soon as possible. We have a fractured fan base and I do believe we have a fractured locker room also. Give these guys some hope of winning and let Dooley go.

Written on John Adams: No doubt now; time for a change at Tennessee :

in response to frblalack:

Thanks for not posting my comments. Everytime I disagree with John Adams my post is removed.

Firing should start with John Adams!

John Adams was very high on Tennessee early on, I remember. It's hard to be positive about the state of the program right now.

Written on Vols tied with Missouri 28-28 heading to overtime :

Horrible coaching!

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