The CheckerBoard

Considering the number of teams that are recruiting better than us - including Vanderbilt - you have an interesting definition for "progress and success".

Gentry Estes, who used to cover Tennessee and now covers Georgia for 247, said that Dooley's recruiting was considered around the SEC as "good" but not "excellent". I expect excellent and so should everyone else.

Or he could take 4-5 yrs to turn it around like the GreAt and Powerful Saban needed at Mich St. Oh yeah, and that woeful record of Saban's was in the Big 10, not in the strongest time in the history of the SEC!

We're no closer to beating the top SEC teams that we were three years ago. That's what Hart said after the Bama game and that is why Dooley is done.

Maybe Wes or Ryan can comment on this or have in another thread but I've read where some people that have been at practices every day are saying the team just isn't practicing with any pep on their step and enthusiasm. Have y'all noticed that any this week?

I agree completely. Well stated.

Look, I'm really tired of worrying about who our next coach is, and the Dooley is gone stuff (although it is entertaining to read)I think what ever DH decides to do about our coach(es) will be what he thinks is the right thing to do. I'm NOT a fire Dooley guy,and I think Dooley has done a great job stabilizing the program and getting some great athletes here. But if DH says a change is needed then I support him and the decision. If he thinks Dooley needs another year, I support him, he makes the changes not us. And sometimes I get mad and say he sucks but then I remember he is not the one throwing INTs. or fumbling or missing tackles so let's support Dooley and DH until a change is made. JMO, I support the program as a whole.

The fact of the matter is that all we can is whats on the field. We've got a solid WR core, a decent running game, our o-line is NFL caliber, and our D-line isn't that bad either. But honestly I'm sick of hearing that the reason our season went to crap was because of injuries....do you think that would fly at Bama? "Oh, sorry fans, our starting Free safety and OLB have injuries so you guys are gonna have to settle on a 6-6 season." I don't think so.

Also, none of us knows what's gonna happen, just like everyone else we've heard the rumors. Gruden in/Dooley out has been the greatest hysteria since Shannon, but we didn't know until the ink dried on that one so we'll just have to wait again.

As far as Dooley is concerned, he's a good coach. He's not ready for the caliber of teams that are in the SEC right now, if you put him in the Big East with Strong he'd probably do really well.

The SEC is feast or famine and no offense but the Tennessee fan base is turning into the Hunger games. We've got all these fans cursing each other and throwing each other under the bus all over rumors that everyone takes as truth, STOP. We have to Join together if we're gonna rise to the top again. Whether be Gruden, Dooley, or George Quarles I'm a VFL.

Moving on to what we know:
1) All boosters were in the Haslam box with Peyton during Bama.
2) Multiple reports coming out that Hart had all coaches fly back with him after MSU game.
3)Gruden will be on TV Monday regardless of what happens to the Vols tomorrow.
4)Dooley is still coaching tomorrow, so put on your orange trousers one more time(at least) and root for these kids to win.
5) We all bleed orange, that's why we pay for this information on the board. I love the Vols as much as anyone, but this is getting ridiculous. We need to join together guys or it's going to be another bumpy November...

I'm not attacking Gruden or painting him as bad. Hes won a Super Bowl, obviously he can coach. But it is unrealistic to suggest he will come to UT. Read my post above and it explains the 20 hr rule. He's been in the NFL a long time, commentates the NFL making a Mil+ a yr working 1 day a week. There's a reason he hasn't got back into college after all these yrs, he's an NFL guy and thats where he will stay. This has nothing to do with Dooley, its for all you April babies who honestly hope and believe UT will hire Gruden. UT would get Petrino before Gruden

Dooley is a bad football coach. There is not a single fanbase in this conference, not one, who would rather have Dooley than who they currently have. That includes 1-6 Chizik at Auburn and the replacements to be named later at Kentucky and Arkansas. Other than the fact the guy is currently coaching at Tennessee what do you possibly see in the guy to make you think he deserves more time? He certainly hasn't done anything to earn it on the field.

Yes, some jobs are long term rebuilds, and yes sometimes even a good coach takes time to turn it around. But Dooley has shown no evidence of being that good coach. None of the former players at UT are standing up for him, the insiders characterize the players on the team as caring about losing their position coaches but not overly caring about Dooley. Multiple people have said he is a difficult person to work with, and that he isn't the sort of guy to inspire devotion from his players, I mean lets pretend he comes back next year, is it going to be with Sunseri? How many position coaches does he lose, you saw what happened last year when his seat wasn't half this hot? Do all the potential pros say "Screw this" and get the hell out of town? It's entirely possible bringing him back next year leaves us at 4-8 or so, and unless they extend him he's not going to be able to recruit at even his own mediocre level. I just don't get where the faith or the optimism comes from. It's possible if not probable that by bringing him back next year we create a similar situation to the one he walked into after Kiffin.