Most Tenn fans on their scout board seem to think that Dooley is gone and a presser will be held tomorrow to announce it.
Whoever takes his place will have a big impact on what happens with Bell going forward.
Personally I hope it's Charlie Strong.
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Give us Bell and Quick then. I'd be just a little bit happy.
That rumor is coming from volquest.com which from what I hear isn't really a credible source. If Strong goes to UT, Bell could possibly want to play for him. I've also heard Bama is leading for Bell. All rumors until NSD when the papers start getting faxed in. Wouldn't hurt my feelings tho. Dooley getting fired would definitely help us with Bell, and Strong to UT would give us Quick. I think both of these guys could be Buckeyes without any movement happening.
Tomorrow seems too soon; I don't see the advantage of dumping him with so much of the season still to play (not so much for Tenn, but for the coaches they'll be going after), and there's the disadvantage of looking impatient or unprofessional.
A fired Dooley does not bode well for Gene Chizik. His team hasn't even competed.
talked to a couple of diehard louisville fans today at work, they say charlie strong is going no where until teddy is done playing. imo, i think strong is coaching elsewhere next year
I dont think Dooley matters with OSU and Bell. At the momment bell is either Tenn bound or Bama bound depending on who is the coach at Tenn next year imo. OSU needs him to get back on campus and really impress him again to sway him back to OSU.
Favorite Buckeye: Obviously BJ Mullens
There's already been talk that if Dooley does in fact get fired, that Jon Gruden will be the #1 target.
I actually think there would be a better chance Quick would follow Stong to UT that Arkansas. And frankly, I think Bell would be more enamored with UT if Strong was there as well, being a respected defensive coach.
If you saw Dooley's post game presser, you saw a man who knew his time in Knoxville is over. The word is that he is already been fired, but he will be allowed to coach out the rest of the season, similar to what they did when they let Fulmer go, which interestingly was also following a loss to South Carolina. The good news for Dooley is that their last 4 games are winnable (Troy, Missouri, Vanderbilt, & Kentucky), so he could leave with a 7-5 record and go to a bowl game.
All the Jon Gruden stuff is a pipe dream and wishful thinking on the part of Vol fans. Do they want him? Yes. Will they go after him? Yes. Living in Tennessee, I've heard it all and have been given all the reasons why he'll take the job. His wife is a UT grad and former cheerleader who grew up in Tennessee and still has family in the area. His first job was @ UT as a grad assistant in the 80's under Johnny Majors and UT still holds a special place in his heart. UT could pay him big bucks, and on and on...
Now make no mistake, Gruden wants to coach again, but not in college. He wants to get back in the NFL. There will some NFL jobs available after this season. If he's interested, he could take one of them. But he doesn't have to, cause the guy is already making 4 million plus a year with ESPN for MNF.
Guys, the problem with Stong to UT recruiting Bell is time. Time is what any coach needs to build relationships and trust with recruits. Regarding a player like Bell, for whom relationships are essential to his recruiting, I believe that the odds are very much against even a respected coach like Strong swooping in and sweeping Bell off his feet--he just doesn't have the time that Dooley, Saban, and Meyer have had to convince him.
Sure, it could happen, but the odds would have to favor OSU and 'Bama in that scenario.
TennBuckeye, your comment about Gruden wanting to coach again but not in college is completely false. Gruden has already said that he's interesting in being a college coach, that it would present a different kind of challenge. He's also said that he loves the recruiting aspect of college coaching.
I'm not saying that Gruden to Tennesee is signed, sealed and delivered, but you better believe that it's more than just conversation.
Gruden is the kind of guy who will wax poetically on any subject and in my opinion, the guy did so on this subject. I have heard from multiple places, including his colleagues @ ESPN on local radio here in Tennessee who have said that he wants to be in the NFL and the college thing intrigues him, but his heart is with the NFL and his desire is to get back into the league.