Tennessee Job

By osuforlife -27 November 2012
34 Comments
- Football

Butch Jones, Jimbo Fisher, Charlie Strong and Larry Fedora are the hot names at Tennessee... assuming Gruden doesn't want come. The rummor is there will be a coach Friday.

kareemabduljacobb on 27 Nov 2012 - 2:48pm #

Instead of making new forums for every coach that may take a different job, just throw them all into one, such as "coaching changes" or something. I think the staff wants to cut back on the amount of forums/blogs especially if they're basically covering the same stuff.

DMcDougal24 on 27 Nov 2012 - 2:54pm #

agree. 5 threads created by the same individual in a half hour is a tad excessive

JakeBuckeye on 28 Nov 2012 - 5:35pm #

I remember the staff's frustration due to lack of forum activity... "Too much" forum activity is a better problem to have, I suppose.

October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day

Bucks43201 on 27 Nov 2012 - 2:53pm #

no Petrino or Malzahn haha

they seem to floated every year for every vacant job south of Ohio

"You win with people." - Woody Hayes

Buckeye06 on 27 Nov 2012 - 2:55pm #

I can't imagine Jimbo leaving FSU for at best a lateral, and likely, a worse job

Bolt on 27 Nov 2012 - 6:22pm #

Definitely worse. Tennessee is a rebuilding job with half the talent of FSU. FSU still is pulling in big time recruiting classes even though we never seem to see any results on the field to match the recruiting hype. Much better pool to recruit from in Florida as well, especially with impending doom hanging over the U's head.

Unky Buck on 28 Nov 2012 - 4:21pm #

^agreed. This is definitely worse than FSU due to the rebuilding of Tennessee. It has the historical pizzazz but so does FSU. Given that those 2 are on relatively equal footing when it comes to that, why leave the current position with a 10-2 team for a team that had 1 win in SEC play and that came against UK? I'd pass on that every day of the week if I were Jimbo.

tennbuckeye19 on 27 Nov 2012 - 3:05pm #

If they are naming a coach by Friday, I don't see it being Gruden. The guy still has what 5 more weeks of MNF?

VABuckeyeInsanity on 27 Nov 2012 - 3:33pm #

Are we sure they are going to name someone by Friday? I really think they go after Charlie Strong and his last season game isn't until Saturday.

osuforlife on 27 Nov 2012 - 3:35pm #

That what somebody on radio said they want a coach for SEC champion game. They need one by Dec. 10 for recruting.

William on 27 Nov 2012 - 3:40pm #

Why would Fedora be leaving after one year at UNC? Fisher probably won't be leaving FSU either. Strong is the most realistic candidate for the UT job.

osunut2 on 27 Nov 2012 - 4:10pm #

It's Gruden or bust down here in Knoxville. The talking heads keep saying that in order for it to be this "quiet," UT must be talking to guys who are currently out of coaching, which leads most UT fans to think it's going to be Gruden, Butch Davis, or Bobby Petrino. I'm still not convinced that Gruden wants to coach a college team, but I guess we'll see in the next few weeks.

"Without winners, there wouldn't even be any god-d*mned civilization."

btalbert25 on 27 Nov 2012 - 4:22pm #

I think every time a MAJOR program has an opening Gruden will be mentioned, but I'm not so sure the schools even contact the guy.

osunut2 on 27 Nov 2012 - 4:36pm #

Seems like every Vol fan here in Knoxville is convinced that because his wife is from the area (and he was a GA at UT decades ago) that he'd jump at the chance to take the job, if the price is right. Nevermind the fact that he has a comfortable, excellent-paying job at ESPN. I just think that UT fans are setting themselves up for a major disappointment, if he doesn't get hired.

"Without winners, there wouldn't even be any god-d*mned civilization."

clogan1032 on 27 Nov 2012 - 4:21pm #

I heard Phil Fulmer is all but a done deal...

BUCKS4REAL on 27 Nov 2012 - 5:03pm #

@osunut2 sounds very familiar.

tennbuckeye19 on 27 Nov 2012 - 5:03pm #

Chris Mortensen from ESPN was on the radio here in TN this past week adn they asked him about Gruden coaching @ UT. He said he thought if Gruden comes back to coaching that it will be for the NFL and not to coach in college. He didn't rule it out, but he said the situation would have to be just right for him and he questioned whether Gruden would even want to leave ESPN. His salary at ESPN for MNF and other duties is paid 4.5 million, plus he's supposedly still getting paid by Tampa Bay from his firing, and he also made some good money for his contribution to the Madden video game.

Frankly Scarlet on 27 Nov 2012 - 5:22pm #

Chucky would be foolish to leave his current gig, which is about as plush as it gets.

"Buclkle your chinstrap, we're gonna grind meat!" - Woody Hayes

Unky Buck on 28 Nov 2012 - 4:25pm #

My thoughts exactly. Why leave a cushy booth gig when all you have to do is comment on the plays at hand and review videos with incoming quarterbacks? He doesn't have to worry about all of the headaches caused by coaching and he gets paid nearly the same amount (and that's if UT decides to pony up that much money). He'll stay put, IMO.

EvanstonBuckeye on 27 Nov 2012 - 5:34pm #

FSU to UT is a lateral move, at best, for Fisher. Remember that he was the hand-picked guy to replace Bowden. I don't see it. If not Strong at UT, I wonder where he goes. I can't imagine that the Louisville job or rest of the season would get in his way, though. UT and Auburn are too big of jobs for him to pass up. Arkansas, I don't know. Should be very interesting to follow, if nothing else. All the more reason to get Trey Johnson if possible.

I fully expect to see Gruden on MNF next year.

Buckeye_in_SEC_... on 28 Nov 2012 - 6:26pm #

Well UT is prob going to pay around 4-5 million a year and they just completed a $42 million dollar facility. Not to mention that the ACC is losing teams. A 1 loss team in the ACC doesn't have as much credibility as a 1 loss in the SEC. I don't like it either, but that's the state of CFB right now. I also was told that Fisher doesn't get along with the administration at FSU. The real reason Urban left UF was because of the AD. My brother's father-in-law works at UF and that's where my info came from. I don't see Gruden happening, but I see Strong or Fisher getting the UT job.

tennbuckeye19 on 28 Nov 2012 - 6:34pm #

I don't know if FSU is a better job than UT, I can see the pluses and minuses of each, but I would say going undefeated should be easier to do in the ACC than the SEC. Your one loss thought is true though. One loss in the ACC is viewed as worse than one loss in the SEC. The ACC is actually only losing one team: Maryland, and gaining 3 teams: Syracuse, Pitt, & now Louisville.

Buckeye_in_SEC_... on 28 Nov 2012 - 6:47pm #

Cuse... Awful

Pitt... Awful

L'ville... Will be awful when Strong leaves

These teams do nothing for ACC credibility. If Fisher is offered the UT job, I'd say he probably takes it. Google the new UT facility and watch the video of it... It's ridiculous... Also, UT has the largest recruiting budget in the country from what I'm told... One of my best friends is a huge UT fan and tells me this stuff all of the time.

IBLEEDSCARLETANDGRAY on 27 Nov 2012 - 5:54pm #

Butch Davis is radioactive because of the mess he left UNC in. He also got into trouble at Miami if you remember. Not sure why anyone would want to hire him. He's 1 step from a show-cause. I'm convinced the NCAA isnt done with him, either.

Gruden will return to the NFL before he takes a college job. He still lives here in Tampa and volunteers as an offensive line coach at his son's high school in Carrollwood near where I live. If he goes anywhere it will be to a Florida NFL team like Miami or Jacksonville.

"Sherman ran an option play right through the south" - Greatest.Civil.War.Analogy.Ever

WayCraKen on 27 Nov 2012 - 7:03pm #

Im down in Louisiana this week and one of my guys from Alabama is saying 9out of 10 wants Petrino. So rumor has it...

osuforlife on 28 Nov 2012 - 3:06pm #

I heard last night on radio that Jimbo Fisher is the canadate for the Tennesse job.

chromedomebuck on 28 Nov 2012 - 3:24pm #

All I know is I'd prefer Gruden stay in the NFL for the same reason I hope Harbaugh stays in the NFL...I can't imagine an (SEC) "sleeping giant" like Tennessee hiring a coach like Gruden. They'd be a national/elite powerhouse within a year or two. I have the same fear that other opposing fans probably did when OSU hired Urban. Like..."oh s#!@, look who's taking the OSU job...it's only a matter of time before they are winning titles"...would you guys want to have to recruit against Jon Gruden or play a game against his team?

Champions Bleed Scarlet & Gray

JoeinCbus on 28 Nov 2012 - 4:40pm #

What has Jon Gruden accomplished that indicates he would transform Tennessee into a powerhouse? He won a Super Bowl with Dungy's team, cannot get along with/mold quarterbacks, argues with everyone, has an act that wears thin quickly, etc.

I cannot understand the fascination with Gruden, and I say this as someone who follows UT football and has close friends who are UT fanatics.

BuckeyeCash22 on 28 Nov 2012 - 4:44pm #

Joe I agree, I live in Western TN and Gruden Fever is spreading all over this state. But to me, he doesn't relate to young kids as well as he would to NFL players, and he has no proven track record when it comes to recruiting of any kind.

He's a great coach, for the NFL, but I'm not entirely sure how it would work in the college game.