When a fleeing coach says it is.
Russell, who was the second of seven assistants to leave UT since the end of the 2011 season, told the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review that his decision had little to do with the fact that he would be closer to his hometown of St. Maries, Idaho.
“I think at Tennessee, it was going to come down to how many games you won the next year, and unfortunately nobody’s got a crystal ball,” said Russell, making his first public comments since his departure.
He also took a $50,000 pay cut changing schools. See? You can put a price tag on peace of mind.
Get The Picture 
I have really mixed feelings about the state of the Tennessee program right now. Anything that helps us beat them is good. Right? On the other hand, you can feel the most pride in beating good teams. Tennessee isn’t and won’t be for a while. Plus, this is a Dooley that’s coaching them and you don’t want Barbara upset.
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The UT fans all say….”Hey….look at how bad Bama was before Saban.”
As if there is some comparison, which there is not, other than that the wound was self-inflicted.
SOD is, to some extent, being victimized by Vince’s success BEFORE Georgia unilaterally disarmed following the self-inflicted Jan Kemp unfortunateness.
But it is increasingly clear the margin for error in Knoxville is as thin as a McDonald’s pickle slice.
I am old school; I don’t give a left-threaded damn about “beating good teams”, I just want to beat all the teams we play.
The fact I am much more worried about Mizzou than I am about Tennessee is all I need to say.
Too bad, so sad, but if Vince had not stuck around post Kemp, we might be in the same, or worse shape.
I do not know if UT can crawl out of this hole…I sure would not want to bet my “retirement” money on it.
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Blaming Jan Kemp for the current state of UT football gets a hardy golf clap from me. Just, wow.
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“Blaming Jan Kemp for the current state of UT football”
Did I do that? Dayum. Just wow?
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Vince could pull a “Kiffin’s daddy” and join him as an assistant. Course when he quits before fall kickoff and says he wants to be closer to home ……..
After Barbara drop kicks his ass into the Dawghouse placed in the flower beds, Coach T could take him on to assist the speed coach.
When it comes to beating Tenn, it doesn’t matter . I’ll take’em any time I can get ‘um. How badly do you think they felt for us when we were down? They reveled in their victory and I will do the same when we kick their ass. Instead of old Rocky Top, maybe we can hear a few choruses of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina Dawg”.
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Cojones, it’s good to hear from someone else who enjoys beating Hell out of the Big Urnge. Maybe they aren’t in AU/UF/GT or possibly even SC/Clem territory, but there’s something about those guys that just grates like Hell on me. I don’t pretend to understand it–they’ve treated me fine in Knoxville, and are fun to tailgate with. But, like AU, we cannot possibly hang enough points on the Vols to satisfy my “beat Hell out of ’em” craving (well, ’81 was close). Is it that awful song? The delusions of grandeur? The hilarious campus? The way they treat even good coaches? The zealous embracing of all that is tacky? Was I a dentist in a past life? Whatever it is, I wish them doom and gloom for some time to come!
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Amen. Fall Good Ole Fashioned Hate just started.
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Slaw,
” I don’t pretend to understand it–they’ve treated me fine in Knoxville, and are fun to tailgate with”
Consider yourself as fortunate on that statement my friend. My wife and I have both traveled to knoxvegas and I didn’t even make the trip up there with her and I could tell you stories that would make any good Dawg pissed. Enjoyed the rest of your comment though… They’ve earned all of their misfortunes if you ask me.
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Beating Tennessee, Tech, and any other dumpster fire rival never gets old. Never.
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I am getting a little tired of the “can’t beat a ranked team” mantra. If beating UT, UF, Tech, and AU doesn’t get you fired up you ain’t a Dog.
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Nicely said… I can certainly drink to that!
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+100
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