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Would you be happy with this staff?

  • Just what if...Gruden says no and goes NFL, everyone else "big" stays put. Would you accept Phil back? I would certainly welcome him back and believe he has a bone to pick. He does not want his legacy to stay the way it is....I believe he can be a Bill Snyder type and have one more run in him then hand it off. Nobody wants to see us succeed more than Phil and if he has even a little fire back in him then we certainly could do a lot worse. I believe it might come down to Phil or a relatively unknown.

    HC-Phil Fulmer
    OC/QB-Jeremy Bates
    WR-Tee Martin
    RB-Jay Graham
    OL-Sam Pittman

    DC-Chief
    LB/RC-Kevin Steele
    DL-Brick Haley
    Secondary-Scott Lakatos or Josh Conklin
    ST/TE/Asst HC-Rich Bissacia

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    CheckerboardVol

  • We need a longterm hire. This is our best chance to get a big name. I don't want Phil back.

    hdrizzle21

  • Sorry but no on Fulmer. It's time to move forward, not back.

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    RockytopATL

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    VolsfaninSC

  • No on Phil we need a long time guy. Fulmer in the athletic department in some position or another maybe.

    Just curious but wasn't Steele the DC at Clemson or somewhere that got blown up in a bowl game last season?

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    volsfaninohio

  • Lol when Hart hires a quote Kirby Smart, Charlie Strong or another hot shot and the don't pan out I don't want to see the whining on this site. Everyone hates Fulmer lol why? Yes he got content but maybe just maybe he is refocused and ready to resume and groom a guy such as Jay Graham as a future head coach. I hate the thought of Kirby Smart or Charlie Strong running this program they are far from being a proven commodity in this sport. Maybe Hart will choose the right guy and move on but I have a nervous feeling in three years I will reading the same whining that is going on now.

    rollo41

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    VFL1985

  • RockytopATL said...

    Sorry but no on Fulmer. It's time to move forward, not back.

    We might be in the situation where to move forward we have to go back. In this case you get Bates who I believe would make a great HC one day. Other than that I don't believe there is a real long term hire because we do not have "our" guy that we can lean on. Unless you have a Tennessee guy I don't believe there is someone out there who will be here 10 years, times have changed.

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    CheckerboardVol

  • RockytopATL said...

    Sorry but no on Fulmer. It's time to move forward, not back.

    Agree.

    Plus your only allowed 9 coaches biggrin

    wataugavol

  • volsfaninohio said...

    No on Phil we need a long time guy. Fulmer in the athletic department in some position or another maybe.

    Just curious but wasn't Steele the DC at Clemson or somewhere that got blown up in a bowl game last season?

    Yes...and I think people make too much of one game. But I would still love to have him as a LB coach.

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    CheckerboardVol

  • wataugavol said...

    Agree.

    Plus your only allowed 9 coaches biggrin

    9 assistants plus the HC.

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    CheckerboardVol

  • CheckerboardVol said...

    We might be in the situation where to move forward we have to go back. In this case you get Bates who I believe would make a great HC one day. Other than that I don't believe there is a real long term hire because we do not have "our" guy that we can lean on. Unless you have a Tennessee guy I don't believe there is someone out there who will be here 10 years, times have changed.

    Sounds like you are assuming we can't find a young guy from another school and make him a VFL. We had a young guy who would have stayed as long as we wanted in Dooley and we can find another, hopefully one this time who can win.

    As for Fulmer, let's just face the facts. We all love him and always will, but his time has passed. He is 62 years old and kids today outside Tennessee have no idea who he is. A 1998 NC is ancient history to the kids playing high school football today.

    This is painful, but true, and speaks volumes: He made it clear when he was fired that he wanted to coach again. That was four years ago. No one, to my knowledge, never even seriously considered him for a coaching job.

    I'm not pointing all this out to trash Coach Fulmer. I have three things he signed and I will always treasure them. But his time as a college football coach has passed.

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    RockytopATL

  • I agree with you RockyTop that we could possibly do that...but that is a very big risk with way too many variables. The one variable with Phil is can he revive the glory days...I think he has another run in him of 5-7 years. Think about this..with Phil you all but lock up the Berry twins and TK Jr, especially if Chief comes back. Kids don't have to have been alive or what not in 1998 to know who Phil Fulmer is because mom and dad know who he is and with so many legacy players in the 2014 class he could be the one to really springboard us. I just think when push comes to shove he might be the lowest risk with the highest reward for this program.

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    CheckerboardVol

  • CheckerboardVol said...

    I agree with you RockyTop that we could possibly do that...but that is a very big risk with way too many variables. The one variable with Phil is can he revive the glory days...I think he has another run in him of 5-7 years. Think about this..with Phil you all but lock up the Berry twins and TK Jr, especially if Chief comes back. Kids don't have to have been alive or what not in 1998 to know who Phil Fulmer is because mom and dad know who he is and with so many legacy players in the 2014 class he could be the one to really springboard us. I just think when push comes to shove he might be the lowest risk with the highest reward for this program.

    I respect your opinion, but we will just have to agree to disagree on this.

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    RockytopATL

  • I think the thing I am most sure of and we can definitely agree on is I am glad my name is not Dave Hart...because I guarantee you all these scenarios plus some have gone through his head. His opinion is the one that absolutely HAS to be right.

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    CheckerboardVol

  • CheckerboardVol said...

    Just what if...Gruden says no and goes NFL, everyone else "big" stays put. Would you accept Phil back? I would certainly welcome him back and believe he has a bone to pick. He does not want his legacy to stay the way it is....I believe he can be a Bill Snyder type and have one more run in him then hand it off. Nobody wants to see us succeed more than Phil and if he has even a little fire back in him then we certainly could do a lot worse. I believe it might come down to Phil or a relatively unknown.

    HC-Phil Fulmer
    OC/QB-Jeremy Bates
    WR-Tee Martin
    RB-Jay Graham
    OL-Sam Pittman

    DC-Chief
    LB/RC-Kevin Steele
    DL-Brick Haley
    Secondary-Scott Lakatos or Josh Conklin
    ST/TE/Asst HC-Rich Bissacia

    No to Phil first off and I don't know bates, Haley lakatos. Could you feel me in on who they are there resume. Thanks. Lastly, is the Rich guy the same coach from the Chargers that we apparently have tried to get multiple times? If not who is he too?

    Puddin Gooden

  • I must admit I was really frustrated with Coach Fulmer in his later days on the Hill, but I kinda like Checkerboard's scenario. One adjustment I would make to the proposed staff would be to bring in Bill Bates to work with the secondary. He could eventually end up as the "coach in waiting" and plus it would be nice to see Denise Conrad Bates back on the Hill!

    If we can't get the "home run hire", I would like to see if Coach Fulmer has the "fire in his belly"..
    shrug

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    "Old School"! A strong defense wins championships!

    volviking

  • CheckerboardVol said...

    9 assistants plus the HC.

    We actually have 11 coaches on staff.

    VFL1985

  • CheckerboardVol said...

    Just what if...Gruden says no and goes NFL, everyone else "big" stays put. Would you accept Phil back? I would certainly welcome him back and believe he has a bone to pick. He does not want his legacy to stay the way it is....I believe he can be a Bill Snyder type and have one more run in him then hand it off. Nobody wants to see us succeed more than Phil and if he has even a little fire back in him then we certainly could do a lot worse. I believe it might come down to Phil or a relatively unknown.

    HC-Phil Fulmer
    OC/QB-Jeremy Bates
    WR-Tee Martin
    RB-Jay Graham
    OL-Sam Pittman

    DC-Chief
    LB/RC-Kevin Steele
    DL-Brick Haley
    Secondary-Scott Lakatos or Josh Conklin
    ST/TE/Asst HC-Rich Bissacia

    Not impressed with Conklin at all,

    UTvol4life

  • volviking said...

    I must admit I was really frustrated with Coach Fulmer in his later days on the Hill, but I kinda like Checkerboard's scenario. One adjustment I would make to the proposed staff would be to bring in Bill Bates to work with the secondary. He could eventually end up as the "coach in waiting" and plus it would be nice to see Denise Conrad Bates back on the Hill!

    If we can't get the "home run hire", I would like to see if Coach Fulmer has the "fire in his belly".. shrug

    I like what your thinking on Bill Bates. He played the game with more heart than anyone I've ever seen.

    allwillbeorange

  • Puddin Gooden said...

    No to Phil first off and I don't know bates, Haley lakatos. Could you feel me in on who they are there resume. Thanks. Lastly, is the Rich guy the same coach from the Chargers that we apparently have tried to get multiple times? If not who is he too?

    Bates originally came to Tennessee to play QB in 1995 but left to go to Rice where he could play..I guess he thought this guy named Peyton was pretty good. He is originally from Sevierville. Currently he is the QB coach for the Bears. I think he would be a great fit here. Haley is the current DL coach at LSU under Chief...no real ties to LSU. Lakatos is the DB coach at UGA. Bissacia is the coach with the Chargers and I agree that he will go where Gruden goes but one can dream.

    By the way...if you look at Brick Haley you might just crap your britches. If I am a defensive lineman that is a guy I want to play for and then a guy that I do not want angry.

    This post was edited by CheckerboardVol on 11/12/2012 at 6:04 PM

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    CheckerboardVol

  • I'm in the minority, but I'd say yes to that. I think the love that Phillip and John have for this University bring an intangible that can not be matched. I doubt very seriously this deal would happen, but I just happen to like the idea of having Tennessee blood in high positions within the program. Like I say it's just my opinion, I'm sure most will disagree, but that's cool. Whoever is hired, I will support, VFL.

    CorkScrew

  • Thanks I like where your head is at but like u said don't see some of those coaches leaving their current job except Steele and id take him in a heart beat over anyone on our defensive staff just imagine how different this season could have been if we hired him as DC and not Sal.

    Puddin Gooden

  • Puddin Gooden said...

    Thanks I like where your head is at but like u said don't see some of those coaches leaving their current job except Steele and id take him in a heart beat over anyone on our defensive staff just imagine how different this season could have been if we hired him as DC and not Sal.

    I think Brick might come with Chief if given the dough. Lakatos is one that his situation might lure him out. I don't know how much longer Richt is going to want to coach with rumors now that he might go into ministry(per Chris Low TIFWIW).

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    CheckerboardVol

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