Gotta hand it to Derek Dooley. The dude can spin with the best of ’em. In response to the news that he might be losing his fifth assistant coach this offseason, he had this to say:
“That’s kind of the nature of our industry,” Dooley said during his press conference last Tuesday. “I’ve said all along that when people are wanting your coaches, despite what a lot of people think, we’re obviously doing something right.”
Something right? Shit, by that measure, SOD should have been coaching on the sideline this past Monday night.
Let’s just say the rest of the world remains somewhat less convinced. It took a two-year guaranteed contract with a $50,000 a year raise to convince Jay Graham to return to the fold as the new running backs coach. There’s no telling what it would have taken if it weren’t Urnge Momma calling him home.
**********************************************************************************
UPDATE:
https://twitter.com/#!/JimmyHyams/status/157486233147281409
When do the “Honk if you’ve coached for Derek Dooley” bumper stickers show up?
**********************************************************************************
UPDATE #2: In one of life’s little ironies, Kevin Steele’s available.
Get The Picture 
And when all of your coaches seem to want to get out of town at the same time, I don’t care what you say, you must be doing something WRONG (hey, SOD, if one of your coordinators leaves and your lower level assistants are climbing over each other to get off of the ship too instead of trying to get promoted, that’s an indicator of potential problems).
LikeLike
The article mentions the Navy DC as one of the top candidates. Gee, do you think he’d notice any difference in team culture between Annapolis and Knoxville?
LikeLike
Now THAT’S culture shock. I imagine the biggest shock will be the first time a player steps out of line and he sees the coaches do … nothing.
LikeLike
But surely, if a player or two or ten were to, say, start a bar brawl, curb stomp and hospitalize a guy and an off-duty police who was trying to break up said brawl, for example, and not trying to get too specific, you understand… I’m certain that the discipline would be swift and seve… oh, right…
LikeLike
Let’s see, that puts the Navy DC in the same group as …. P Johnson. Don’t think Academy discipline is taught by martinet coaches, it’s taught at the school and the coach can or cannot apply it to the team, but differently. If a coach coachs at a military academy, it doesn’t make him a disciplinarian.
LikeLike
Is anyone still doubting the ‘Internal Problems’ reported a few weeks ago? Either SOD inherited a perfect ShitStorm of a program, or he took a bad situation and made it worse(Primadonna recruits, lax punishment, etc.).
LikeLike
If I am not mistaken, one of the reasons Cutcliff(sp) did not take the job was because he wanted to bring his own assistants and UT already had contracts with the guys that JR brought in. UT should have allowed Cutcliff to bring in his own guys, that program would not be the dumpster fire it is today if they had. Of course, don’t like UT so it’s funny to me.
LikeLike
I complain alot about the X’s and O’s or coaches on staff, but lateley my complaint is with the AD and the Athletic Board.
Are they substandard? Can they get it done from the top? Or do they just take up space, resources, and assets that could be used on the field or court of play.
Why has our men’s big 3 programs been stuck in mediocrity the past few years? You have mediocre programs when you have substandard ADs and Athletic Boards. That is where the programs are at UGA.
LikeLike
“Why has our men’s big 3 programs been stuck in mediocrity the past few years? You have mediocre programs when you have substandard ADs and Athletic Boards. That is where the programs are at UGA.”
WOW! That’s some serious expectation right there sir. Mr. McGarity took over Friday, Aug. 13, 2010. One of those mediocre programs just played for the SECC.
LikeLike
Ya’ll need to leave Barbara’s boy alone ,I for one think he is doing a wonderful job. If not for his Solomam like guidance and Coaching the is no way this team would have been able to win as many games as they did. If not for he’s legal education I’m sure that the UT program would have been in a depression instead of a recession. Stay the course, All hail SOD
LikeLike
Kevin Steele is a good coach. Too bad his D had a bad outing that got him fired. Look for him to land in KnoxVegas.
LikeLike
Has anyone considered that the concrete statue of an orange dog used for motivational purposes could be part of the problem? Or a sign that says”Success is Nowhere” could cause some coaches to pause.
What in hell must be going thru the season ticket holders’s minds concerning their recruitment, discipline and ability to hold players when they don’t have a stable coach-player loyalty program? UGA fans should consider themselves as mighty lucky to have what we have and with little turnover. Say what you please about egos and $$, but I give credit to Richt for a forthright and honest program that encourages stability of coaches and players. It is not a fortunate accident and he has put up with tons of ignorant bullshit thrown his way and still said that he is at Georgia for as long as he is wanted. By now, even the most ignorant fan should know that he could have had the pick of many good jobs.
LikeLike
Looks like Dooley picked up a good coach from NC. He weathered the recruiting NCAA violations storm and was with BD 5 yrs. He may bring teeth as a recruiter at Tenn. Has the SOD stopped the slippery shoes from leaving? We may not have room for them.
What a helluva way to start 2012, projected in top 5 before returners announced today, all our roadblocks are growing warts- except for LSU- and the boys have started their countdown for next football season with what we already have before recruits arrive. Starting with the most experienced and best staff in the SEC. GO DAWGS!!
Conan would have wanted it this way.
LikeLike