Matt Hinton spells out the rather gloomy position in which new Tennessee coach Butch Jones finds himself.
At the same press conference, Jones cited Tennessee’s facilities and instantly recognizable, “national brand” as major assets, which is certainly true compared to, say, Central Michigan and Cincinnati. The reality he faces is a division in which equally accoutered Florida and Georgia have just surged back into the national elite after short-lived crises of their own, and South Carolina continues to prove its staying power. The Volunteers also gets the short end of the stick in cross-divisional scheduling, thanks to a guaranteed date with Alabama every October. Butch Jones is the first coach to arrive in Knoxville in decades who has to confront the undeniable fact that, under present conditions, it is hard to win at Tennessee, at least on the level Tennessee has traditionally expected. Those conditions are not going to get any friendlier in the foreseeable future.
All that, and Matt doesn’t even mention that Vanderbilt appears to have a pulse under James Franklin.
Which makes me reconsider my initial skeptical dismissal of John Pennington’s take on Jones’ attempt to add Tee Martin to his staff.
If Jones can land Martin, he’ll prove to doubting UT fans that he can at least do two very important things:
1. Recruit well enough to bring a favorite son home
2. Hurt Kiffin’s staff
Both would please a UT fanbase that was less than happy when Jones was hired last Friday.
Could the Vol fan base be that shallow? Beats me. But I guess it’s better to focus on the warm and fuzzies of punking Junior than to think about what that defense, which has gone from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and back again to a 4-3 in straight seasons will look like next year.
Get The Picture 
. . . particularly with John Jancek and Willie Martinez on staff.
LikeLike
Yes, assuming the DL coach is decent, this could be described as a 4-0-0 defense.
LikeLike
Hahaha! Nice.
LikeLike
Bazinga!
LikeLike
Long live third and Willie!!!!!
LikeLike
Phat Phil was certainly chortling enough 10-15 years ago when UT had the DuBose Tide as their permanent cross-divisional opponent, followed shortly afterwards by the Shula Tide. I guess that now the Vols can start wailing about the injustice of it all, like Spurrier’s whining and moaning over the merits of LSU vs Ole Miss. But I am really too busy enjoying the situation to lose any sleep over it.
LikeLike
Yes. Never forget the Vols in the 90’s. They can’t stay down long enough.
LikeLike
Yep. I can still think of the ’98 game and get quite pissed at the Vols. And also, the 2006 game (though now I’m very pleased to see the architects of that “give the WRs a 15-yard cushion every play” defense will be on the other side.)
LikeLike
Use to call him: “Phat F__K Fullmer”
LikeLike
THIS from GoBEARCATS.com
“He made the university look foolish. While Whit Babcock and Santa Ono huddled to find ways to appease Jones, Jones was job hunting.
He said how much he loved it here, then spent every available moment looking to leave. If this is Monday, we must be in Boulder. Jones was a starlet, batting his eyes all over Hollywood. He was a vacuum salesman, knocking at your door, tipping his cap and throwing dirt on your living room rug.
When did the guy have the time to talk to Tennessee?
If it hadn’t been Tennessee, it would have been Wisconsin. If not this year, then next. Maybe Jones’ definition of ‘’commitment’’ is different than yours or mine. Last year, after leveraging one good season into multiple job interviews and a contract extension, Jones said, “I think I’ve proven I want to be here. This is a very special place. We’re building something special here. I ask our players to make a commitment. I need to make a commitment back.’’
Astounding. Even by college football coaches’ standards. ”
Quick look at Richt when he was hired here at Georgia.
“Richt’s career as a Bulldog began as a Christmas present that actually came the day after most gifts had been opened. On Dec. 26, 2000, Richt was named head coach at the University of Georgia after serving on the staff at Florida State for 15 years–the last seven as offensive coordinator. ”
Head coaches now get sweetheart deals with no where near his resume. Yet we bitch and moan about CMR. (I’m looking at you Hijo).
“….. you don’t what you got till its gone.”
Merry Christmas Dawgs.
LikeLike
Amen. We are truly fortunate.
LikeLike
know
LikeLike
😉 …I suppose to be working.
LikeLike
Tell me Butch…..what does it feel like to kill a man? PULP FICTION
LikeLike
Senator,
unrelated – but did you see the front page of the WSJ? UGA on the front, just not a flattering photo.
Jax
LikeLike
?
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=WSJ&ref_pge=lst
LikeLike
Am perplexed by the thought that the Stones have never played live in Slovenia
LikeLike
I would have bought tickets.
LikeLike
The Stones,as a group, are twice the age of Slovenia as a country. Visited there around 1990 as it was becoming a country, but Americans weren’t permitted by our state department, going back to Bobby Fischer/Yugoslavia.
Another consultant and I went there for lunch on a lark, one month after a tank/APC battle on the border with Italy. This was happening after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the rise of Bosnia/Herzegovenia(?). None of the Yugo-birthed independent countries liked each other as we witnessed while having lunch outdoors.
Two couples on motorcycles rode in after us and sat outside. After we had eaten, we noticed that they got on their cycles and left after having words with the waiter. We were told that they were from Bosnia and they would not take their order. Two others from inside came out and spat at them as they left. We asked if they were worried that they may come back in a more deadly fashion and they replied that they had guns too and they only hoped they would come back. My friend was from NOLA and we told them we had the same trouble in the SEC. They inquired, but we couldn’t quite explain through our Italian(the language spoken in Slovenia) interpreter what that meant. She understood, however, and thought it was great humor. As we crossed back into Italy she matter of factly pointed out bullet marks on part of an outbuilding at Customs.
I think the Stones should visit Slovenia. It’s not as hot a place as it was back then, but they serve tasty seafood and other good fare.
The date on the Slovenia passport stamp is a source of pride posted in my passport. Bobby would have liked it.
LikeLike
I have an old passport with a Liberia stamp on it that is a reminder of what civil war can mean. It was the stop from NY on the way to the Ivory Coast.
LikeLike
I spent some quality time in that region back in the 90s on Uncle Sams dime. Its certainly and interesting region. The country side is beautiful and the people are nice to outsiders, but damn there is some serious Hatfield and Mckoy type hate amongst the locals. Breaking the regions up into smaller countrys dependant upon religion/ethnicity was the only way for these people to co-exist. Things seem to have settled down there since 9/11 in that region. Kosovo and Albania are two other nice locales in that part of the world, I spent 2 months in both in 1998/99.
LikeLike
yeah, that woud be Swann grabbing air.
LikeLike
who made the million dollar bet?
LikeLike
Billion, Debby. BILLION, I tell you!
LikeLike
eye roll for anyone that thinks their hot shot coach that they just stole from someone else is in a committed relationship with their school.
everyone says stuff like I want to be here and I love this place. It’s true until you dont.
LikeLike
3 years ago SOD brought in the DL coach who had played at Tennessee and Clarke Central…..name escapes me but anyway it’s convenient that the Vols have short memories.
LikeLike
Convenient indeed!
LikeLike
Chuck Smith?
LikeLike
The buy-out money UT is spending is a familiar topic, but still crazy. They’re dumping a very successful OC in Jim Chaney to make way for Jones’ OC at Cincy, even though they’ll still be paying Chaney $600k next year no matter what. The mitigation clause that might otherwise help offset Sunseri’s $1.8 million buyout could be cold comfort; nobody’s going to hire him as a coordinator, and why would he work a position job for peanuts when he can bank 600k a year doing nothing?
No wonder they’re going after Martin. The rest of the staffing situation looks pretty bad from the POV of an already-skeptical fan base. I mean, aside from the Cincy guys, Willie’s problems used to be our little red wagon, but after his performances the last two years at OU and The Barn, fire trucks may greet him in Knoxville.
LikeLike
That defense will suck like a BIG orange.
LikeLike
“Both would please a UT fanbase that was less than happy when Jones was hired last Friday.”
This is the same fan base that was electric with excitement over the Lane Kiffin hire.
LikeLike
“…I tell the truth, cept when I lie…”
LikeLike
Tee just turned them down. The fanbase has gone into a deeper meltdown mode.
LikeLike