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Final thought on this (updated 2-26-2013)......

  • This very well could have come down to what most people want....get paid a bit more or the same to do less work with less stress from everyone around him. Even if the pay was the same or close.........Graham took the easier job. Its much easier to recruit to Fl St than UT and that cuts his job maybe to where he does not have to bust his butt half a day on the weekends and an extra hour or so a day. Most all want more time away from work.....even those with dream jobs.

    We all know this is true. At least until UT can win the SEC again. Just imagine how easy his job becomes if he gets 2 elite RB commits by July?

    This very well could of been the case with Tee once he talked to Graham and others. They dont want to give 125% to bring UT back when they can get paid the same or a bit more and work 90% for USCw or Fl St. Graham could have influenced Tee to say no by just telling him the reality and unknowns and how hard of time Graham had in his year here landing a top RB. I wonder if Tee will end up there once Kiffin is fired in only 8-9 months? I wonder if J Ramsey knew this was all coming when he flipped to FSU? Something to think about and if Tee ends up there in 2014 then that is enough proof for me.

    This is why you clear house and get your own people that you know and have ties to or think that are the best in the business. This happens all the time in businesses all across the nation at the highest level. Bring along your VP, and CFO etc. Keep the grunts as they do the hard work and firing 100-1000 would cause too big of a PR problem, transition, etc
    Now Jones can go get "HIS" guy rather than our guy like he did months ago. We (fans and boosters) probably are the reason Tee got such a hard look and put Jones in a position to "lose out" in a small PR disaster to USCw and Kiffin. IF Tee had never played here of course Jones would never had gone after him.

    I do think the top 250+ assistants if not more just play musical chairs to work under the most HCs and esp DCs and OCs giving them the best chance for one of them to take a new head coaching job and then hire them as their OC or DC. I am sure this played a factor as well. Its just a numbers game and playing the game of networking.

    This post has been edited 3 times, most recently by SamVolsam on 2/26/2013 at 9:38 AM

    SamVolsam ●

  • I can see a lot of relevance in your post. I am also thinking some of this could be stemming from remnants of the dark cloud left looming by CDD, or maybe not. None the less, as we all know, time tells the full story. One could also say that "if" CJG wasn't cutting the perverbial mustard, by CBJ's standards, he may have felt uncertain about his security here. I'm still very excited about the new staff, and I think they'll land a quality replacement for JG. GBO

    Sogozit

  • Update after hearing Ainge and a few others close to the program..........

    IMO Graham could have been a casualty for the expectations that still exist from what Fulmer did at UT in his prime. Not in 2008 but in his prime he was the best in the business.

    We heard from Kiffin and coach O how hard it was to recruit to UT and how it shocked even them. Its a top 9-15 job (if you look back over time....maybe not right now but if we won 10 games in 2015 it would be again) and thats the minimal expectations because of one coach.........Fulmer. He was the best in the business when he was in his prime and won a title.

    Now things have changed with UT because of our image/record the last 5+ years but those high expectations are still there. I am sure part of the reason Graham left was its easier at Fl St.

    We need Jones to be the guy that can win 7, then 8, then 9, then 10 and build us back. Only once we have won a SEC title can we meet our former expectations of the mid to late 90s and early 2000s. Its ashame that Tee and Graham didnt want to roll up their sleeves and get VERY well paid for it until they got an OC position but we will move on and maybe be better off for it as they didnt have the stomach for it like Fulmer did for years (not at the end but it was harder and harder to stay at that level I am sure).

    LWS and others have said some of this before. UT is tougher than ALL the programs above them in any list you want to make..........and it is tougher than many below it like TAMU and even AU for example now. Its because of where UT is located, instate talent until recently and still in comparison to who we compete against etc etc. And then add the SEC is harder now. USCe and Vandy and Omiss and on and on use to be terrible and now recruit hard and are winning games. The landscape has changed.......UT is down but maybe Butch can build us back but it will come slower than people want because we are still Knoxville and the landscape has changed too.

    GBO! Support Jones and those that want and thrive to work hard for our program and the team we love. I think it was VERY smart for Jones to bring many of his own guys from Cincy....he knows their work ethic and its a faster transition in most every way. These guys appreciate UT and what they pay and what UT offers to sell and the chance to be here for the 1st time. They want to earn their pay by building something and winning a title then they know they will get the rewards and promotions and job offers to go on and be OCs and DCs and HCs elsewhere. That is who we need here.

    vols

    This post was edited by SamVolsam on 2/26/2013 at 10:07 AM

    SamVolsam ●

  • SamVolsam said...

    Update after hearing Ainge and a few others close to the program..........

    IMO Graham could have been a casualty for the expectations that still exist from what Fulmer did at UT in his prime. Not in 2008 but in his prime he was the best in the business.

    We heard from Kiffin and coach O how hard it was to recruit to UT and how it shocked even them. Its a top 9-15 job (if you look back over time....maybe not right now but if we won 10 games in 2015 it would be again) and thats the minimal expectations because of one coach.........Fulmer. He was the best in the business when he was in his prime and won a title.

    Now things have changed with UT because of our image/record the last 5+ years but those high expectations are still there. I am sure part of the reason Graham left was its easier at Fl St.

    We need Jones to be the guy that can win 7, then 8, then 9, then 10 and build us back. Only once we have won a SEC title can we meet our former expectations of the mid to late 90s and early 2000s. Its ashame that Tee and Graham didnt want to roll up their sleeves and get VERY well paid for it until they got an OC position but we will move on and maybe be better off for it as they didnt have the stomach for it like Fulmer did for years (not at the end but it was harder and harder to stay at that level I am sure).

    LWS and others have said some of this before. UT is tougher than ALL the programs above them in any list you want to make..........and it is tougher than many below it like TAMU and even AU for example now. Its because of where UT is located, instate talent until recently and still in comparison to who we compete against etc etc. And then add the SEC is harder now. USCe and Vandy and Omiss and on and on use to be terrible and now recruit hard and are winning games. The landscape has changed.......UT is down but maybe Butch can build us back but it will come slower than people want because we are still Knoxville and the landscape has changed too.

    GBO! Support Jones and those that want and thrive to work hard for our program and the team we love. I think it was VERY smart for Jones to bring many of his own guys from Cincy....he knows their work ethic and its a faster transition in most every way. These guys appreciate UT and what they pay and what UT offers to sell and the chance to be here for the 1st time. They want to earn their pay by building something and winning a title then they know they will get the rewards and promotions and job offers to go on and be OCs and DCs and HCs elsewhere. That is who we need here.

    vols

    +1 From me bro

    keoki

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