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Once Again, I Defend Dooley

  • How can anyone look at the debacle on the field and think that Dooley will get it done? I was watching the bama game with my 7 year old son and he even noticed how poorly coached this team is. The only units on the team who have improved are the running backs and the o-line, that is a fact. It's embarrassing! What our program has become.

    Amershamvol

  • tnbear66 said...

    You are correct that he needs a signature victory. That's why I made reference to the Palermo interview about his time at Wisconsin and how it seemed to come when no one expected it. I will say this, should he lose to USCe and one of the November games I will be more inclined to listen to him being replaced but until then I will continue to say he needs more time. I appreciate the civil debate we are having.

    +1 I appreciate the civil debate as well.

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    DCVolunteer

  • cpavol said...

    It was because Paul said we were delusional, wasn't it! Touché! Rocky, you'll never bring me around on Paul. I met Jerry Springer when I was 12 and knew Paul in college. Absent the follicle difference on their respective craniums, they are the same person!

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    RockytopATL ●

  • Whether there is a changing of the guard at the end of the year remains to be seen, but to all those saying they were there for Majors debut, I was too, and I'm pretty sure most of the big donors were there also, so they've witnessed the rebuilding process as well and if they feel we need to go in a different direction than we're currently going, that will tell me all I need to know. I doubt they'll spend millions of dollars without feeling they can make an improvement. They're going to be privy to information as to what options are available out there, coaching wise, to see IF we can improve over what we have. We all hope Dooley pulls it off, but there's nothing anyone can point to factually, that says he does, or that he'll be able to improve in the years to come, that's where the problem lies with many. Majors had just won a national championship at Pitt before coming home, so that gave people hope and patience for the future, Dooley has a total of ONE winning season in his career as a HC, so it's hard to compare the two as coaches IMO. I think Dooley has done an admirable job thus far with the rebuilding process, but my concerns are we may have reached our pinnacle, +/- a win or two every season, with this staff. But I'm going to put my trust in Hart and the BOT to make the best decision for the program, regardless whichever direction that may be.

    This post has been edited 2 times, most recently by ocoeerivervol on 10/26/2012 at 10:01 AM

    ocoeerivervol

  • ocoeerivervol said...

    Whether there is a changing of the guard at the end of the year remains to be seen, but to all those saying they were there for Majors debut, I was too, and I'm pretty sure most of the big donors were there also, so they've witnessed the rebuilding process as well and if they feel we need to go in a different direction than we're currently going, that will tell me all I need to know. They're going to be privy to information as to what options are available out there, coaching wise, to see IF we can improve over what we have. We all hope Dooley pulls it off, but there's nothing anyone can point to factually, that says he does, or that he'll be able to improve in the years to come, that's where the problem lies with many. Majors had just won a national championship at Pitt before coming home, so that gave people hope and patience for the future, Dooley has a total of ONE winning season in his career as a HC, so it's hard to compare the two as coaches IMO. I think Dooley has done an admiral job thus far with the rebuilding process, but my concerns are we may have reached our pinnacle, +/- a win or two every season, with this staff. But I'm going to put my trust in Hart and the BOT to make the best decision for the program, regardless whatever direction that may be.

    +1 ocoeeriver. I just heard @ErikAinge say that UT used to be 2/3 publicly funded back then, but is now 2/3 privately funded. So, private donors will have a more influence than ever before on which way this thing goes.

    allwillbeorange

  • RockytopATL said...

    I'm one of the last Dooley defenders on this board, and that is because I witnessed firsthand the last rebuilding at Tennessee back when Majors replaced Battle, and I know how tough a job it is. Frankly, it's a lot tougher now than it was in the '70s because we have three to five Top Ten teams in the SEC now, compared to one and maybe two back then. Our schedule not being Georgia's, we get to play all the best teams every year. It's tough as it gets in college football.

    But to my main point: I honestly believe that to win in the SEC, you have to have a great senior class. Tennessee has never had a championship team, or even a near-championship team, that hasn't had a top-notch senior class. That's where you get your experience, your toughness, even your depth. Derek Dooley has never had a decent senior class. It has been well documented how crappy Fulmer's last recruiting class was, and how Kiffin's only recruiting class is AWOL, quit, transferred or thrown off the team.

    What is passing for Dooley's senior class is a tiny group -- Teague, Waggner, Lathers, Bart, Thomas, Gooch, Zach Rogers, Bohannon and Fowlkes. That's it. They are only the senior contributors and there are only a couple of standouts in the bunch.

    Dooley's top leaders are, for the most part, his juniors, the guys Kiffin recruited and he managed to hold onto in the 11th hour. I challenge any of you to find a 'well coached team' that doesn't make a lot of mental errors, with as few senior contributors. Good teams have seniors. Tennessee doesn't have seniors.

    I don't think his abilities as a coach can truly be judged until he at least has a decent sized senior class -- 20 or more guys -- out there. It's not an excuse -- it's a fact.

    This has been one of the best threads I've read in a while. Good points on both sides. I tend to get the impression that the older crowd is leaning more toward giving Dooley a little more time while the younger crowd is leaning more toward searching for a new coach now. That's interesting enough in itself.

    I do agree with Rockytop and the "older" crowd in giving Dooley more time. I like the way coach Dooley is setting the table with building a solid foundation for the program from the ground up. I'm a measure twice, cut once type of guy. I truley believe that if you build a solid foundation, the results will come. Does it take longer to rebuild that way, sure it does. However, once the foundation is set, it becomes a game of minor tweaks. This all ties in to what RockytoATL said about having a senior class. I believe the foundation will be set in place at the end of the year.

    Just my opinion guys. But you know what they say about opinions.

    ODA751

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    jcochran0724 ●

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  • allwillbeorange said...

    You're not alone. I was seven years old in 77, but already old enough to love the Vols. The coaching world has changed since then, I know. Now, its large money and high expectations. Ultimately, Dave Hart's philosophy will soon reveal itself and we will learn which side of this argument he is on. Until then, I can't agree more with tnbear that this thread has been extremely civil with great arguments from most everyone. I hope CDD is given the opportunity to finish the season and is judged on his last 4 games rather than the fours losses and SCar game. If we can win November and win in a bowl game, it would greatly improve the confidence of this team, give us more practice and exposure, and improve the recruiting class. That's re-building the program one brick at a time, and continuing to improve on a steady foundation. peace

    +1 on Hart revealing his philosophy. You can hide behind oblique language only so long. It's when you take action that your core is exposed.

    tnbear66 ●

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    jcochran0724 ●

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    tnbear66 ●

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    tnbear66 ●

  • RockytopATL said...

    I'm one of the last Dooley defenders on this board, and that is because I witnessed firsthand the last rebuilding at Tennessee back when Majors replaced Battle, and I know how tough a job it is. Frankly, it's a lot tougher now than it was in the '70s because we have three to five Top Ten teams in the SEC now, compared to one and maybe two back then. Our schedule not being Georgia's, we get to play all the best teams every year. It's tough as it gets in college football.

    But to my main point: I honestly believe that to win in the SEC, you have to have a great senior class. Tennessee has never had a championship team, or even a near-championship team, that hasn't had a top-notch senior class. That's where you get your experience, your toughness, even your depth. Derek Dooley has never had a decent senior class. It has been well documented how crappy Fulmer's last recruiting class was, and how Kiffin's only recruiting class is AWOL, quit, transferred or thrown off the team.

    What is passing for Dooley's senior class is a tiny group -- Teague, Waggner, Lathers, Bart, Thomas, Gooch, Zach Rogers, Bohannon and Fowlkes. That's it. They are only the senior contributors and there are only a couple of standouts in the bunch.

    Dooley's top leaders are, for the most part, his juniors, the guys Kiffin recruited and he managed to hold onto in the 11th hour. I challenge any of you to find a "well coached team" that doesn't make a lot of mental errors, with as few senior contributors. Good teams have seniors. Tennessee doesn't have seniors.

    I don't think his abilities as a coach can truly be judged until he at least has a decent sized senior class -- 20 or more guys -- out there. It's not an excuse -- it's a fact.

    I agree with everything you said.

    VolBaller33 ●

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    ODA751

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    1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

    DownTheField

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    HopVol ●

  • I remember! Agreed!

    volnut64

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