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**MUST WATCH: Post-hiring media interview with Hart!**

  • Guys, while it's 17+ minutes long, I think you really need to watch this video with Hart to fully understand why he hired Butch Jones and what REALLY happened during the search (assuming he's being sincere, which I believe he is). I got more excited about the hire as I watched this and think we've got ourselves a really good coach. I take away the following thoughts after watching this:

    1. Dave Hart know what he's doing. I think we're in good hands with this guy.
    2. It's ridiculous how many rumors were flying around out there during the search about who he was/wasn't talking to, what was said, why Gruden or Strong turned us down, what a buffoon Cheek was/is, and so on. I think Hart's sincere here and it really makes all the rumors look absurd!
    3. To point #2, I've always said "If you weren't there, you don't have a CLUE what was said or what happened! And, even if you were there, there's always a chance you misinterpreted because we all see it the way we see it." That being said, I got sucked into the drama of the search as well and this is yet another reminder of not to do that. lol This is also why I believe this site and Wes, Ryan and Kevin "knocked it out of the park" - they didn't get sucked into all this!
    4. I think Butch Jones is going to be a HE$% of a coach for us and will return us back to being an SEC Championship contender, and thus a National Championship contender. Don't know how long it will take, but I believe it will happen.
    5. Hart met with Jones in Lexington, KY from 10p Thursday night until 6a Friday morning covering all the bases, and we hired him Friday morning, so I'd say they both know what they're walking into.
    6. Hart did some serious research into Jones by talking to a lot of folks before making the hire.

    I'll let you watch it and would love to hear what you think.

    Finally, I'm left with this: We HAVE GOT TO COME BACK TOGETHER as a fan base - it's a critical part of us returning to a title contender and a GREAT program! The past is the past - we need to forgive past coaching firings and hirings, accept the facts (Butch Jones is our new head coach, Dave Hart is our current AD, and Jimmy Cheek is at UT) and move on with a clean slate from here forward in order to be the UNITED, EXCITED Big Orange Fan Base that we all desire to be!

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by NashvilleVol87 on 12/10/2012 at 11:03 AM

    Videos: Dave Hart answers questions about the coaching search and Butch Jones hire - Knoxville, TN | GoVolsXtra

    None - Video taken in or around Knoxville, Tennessee

    www.govolsxtra.com

    NashvilleVol87 ●

  • #bigorangefacepalm

    attachment

    JPSke

  • Very good and thanks. +1

    tnbear66

  • Hart's responses punctuate why the intricacies of a coach search process should remain behind the curtain. Social media has fueled a growing sense of entitlement to information by college sports fans and, vis-à-vis, reporters' push for anything they perceive as a "scoop."

    Given the hyper-compressed timeline Hart was working within and the swirl of hiring activity taking place, I completely understand why he kept the process close to his chest.

    DougG_ATL

  • You bet tnbear - I appreciate it coming from you, and well said DougG.

    NashvilleVol87 ●

  • thanks for posting NashvilleVol87 and I agree with you 1000% on all 6 points. I actually watched this live when it was going on and felt just like you did. Now I watched it a second time and feel even more so.

    vols

    muddy waters

  • You bet muddy, thanks for checking it out. I hadn't seen it until today, but was really glad the media had a chance to debrief him on the search. I think Hart knows what he's doing and is dealing with any academic disadvantages we have directly with Cheek, which is good to know.

    One other thing that really stood out to me about Jones is he REALLY WANTED this job, and I think that will show up in everything he does as our head coach. I was a bit skeptical about the hire based on what I'd read on this board during the search, but I'm "all in" now.

    This post was edited by NashvilleVol87 on 12/10/2012 at 12:03 PM

    NashvilleVol87 ●

  • Yeah I defended Hart from the get go. When he was asst. AD at Alabama, I saw several of his key actions. He was actually the AD but without the title. His pursuit and hire of Anthony Grant was astonishing. That he was able to hire a very popular up and comer like Grant told a lot. At the time, bama was floundering as a program, had poor facilities and basketball publicly was viewed as a secondary sport there. There were other schools chasing Grant, schools with higher visibility and a higher commitment to the sport. I thought it humorous that UA was seriously after Grant. Hart pulled it off. Grant was a great hire.

    Hart is old school. No twitter, no leaks, just roll the sleeves up and do the best job possible every day. Leaking info would have endangered his search and pissed off potential candidates (see Strong regarding Auburn leak). Hart is a good one. I hope our fans will give the conspiracy theories a break and actually pay attention to his efforts and outcomes.

    This post was edited by coonhound on 12/10/2012 at 12:33 PM

    coonhound ●

  • Appreciate the perspective coonhound. I hadn't heard about that hire. I like old school as I'm old school on some things as well.

    NashvilleVol87 ●

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