The CheckerBoard

This just in: Tennessee has announced its 23rd head football coach in program history: Chris Brown

Here's AD Dave Hart on the hire: "We need to beat people, what can I say?"

If the powers to be don't have a coach lined up and ready to take over the minute they fire Dooley, then shame on them. At this level and when you are talking about millions of dollars, you better plan ahead by having a replacement ready. Otherwise, just keep Dooley until you do and keep quiet. By firing him now without a top candidate who has agreed to accept the job, Hart will look desperate and weak. Everyone has known for a while that Dooley isn't the guy to lead so I hope Hart has someone ready to take over.

Anyone hearing rumors that Peyton Manning has offered to help buyout Dooley's contract?

Here we go again ! I hope all those fans that where screaming for this are happy now we watch as our recruits drop like flies . Nothing kills recruiting like instability , now we get endure another coaching change . I hate that college football has turned into so much of a business , the " win now philosophy " has never built a program but stability and commitment have built many successful programs .

Dooley took over UT when it was at its lowest point since at least the mid-70's (and very likely longer) -- and under the cloud of NCAA investigation from Kiffin. He accepted the job 2 weeks before signing day in 2010 and salvaged the recruiting class Kiffin walked out on. He had the #10 recruiting class in the country that year and I think again in '11. We didn't do as well in '12 but were still top-20. As others have said, he restored class and respectability to UT and built a talented, potent offense.

Either the switch to 3-4 or one or more coaching changes on the defensive side appear to have been Dooley's undoing. The defensive squad Wilcox had last year had less experience/talent, a harder schedule, and were the #25 defense in the country. Dooley's a risk-taker, but I wonder if he realized how much of his own job was at stake in his defensive staff hiring choices.

Chavis defense "genius"? Very good, top caliber, but not genius. Who was calling the plays last week when Bama made that final winning drive at LSU? Who was calling the plays at UT when LSU made a game winning drive and scored with 8 seconds left in 2006? John Chavis. UT has to go BIG with this hire or don't go at all.

There's the door, get out...checks in the mail. How hard that?

I think you missed my point. The term "SEC" was about, as I stated, who he WAS, not how many wins he has while coaching there. Nick Saban may go down as the greatest coach in SEC history, but I still get the feeling from Bama fans that he still doesn't appreciate and fully understand Bama's traditions and embrace the heritage and history of the entire conference.

He's all about winning now. That's fine, but even if it makes him the best ever, it doesn't make him SEC. And if you would, please imagine ol' Jed Clampett saying: "He ain't one of us, and he ain't never gonna be one of us."

If Dooley never won a game in the SEC, he understood what it was in terms of heritage and tradition. He meant it when he talked about Gen. Neyland, even if he fell far short of his standards in terms of results. He revered and respected our hallowed history.

That was my point. You may not care at all about such things, and if not, that's fair. You don't have to, but I do.

There was a "specialness" to Majors and Fulmer both being born in TN, playing at UT, and then coaching at UT. And conversely, there's immense sadness that the sport has evolved into nothing more than the paying of hired mercenaries from who-cares-where. Who gives a flip if he, she or it is from Mars, if the Extra-Terrestrial can coach?

I think far too many of our fans, especially the younger ones, wouldn't have given a rodent's rear if Kiffin put up all manner of USC photos in the Neyland-Thompson complex and installed an interior sign which read "USC SOUTH" if he had stayed here and was winning.

If it goes to any further extreme, all teams will be totally devoid of any regional identity any longer. Some professors at progressive institutions of higher learning I'm sure would say that's a good thing. I respectfully disagree.

DoberVol, you are on a roll. Well said.

N O F ING WAY, I do not want sloppy seconds from Vandy