November, 2008

Wondering how Lane Kiffin will do in Knoxville?

Here are some interesting observations from San Francisco Chronicle columnist Ray Ratto:

Whether Kiffin can succeed in air more rarefied than the sludge of the AFC West (trust us, far more people care about the Southeastern Conference) remains to be seen. The company around him is world-class fast - Nick Saban at Alabama, Urban Meyer at Florida, Mark Richt at Georgia, even Houston Nutt at Mississippi - and what he has proven as a head coach is mostly that he could irritate the boss.

So the Brian Kelly talk has cooled. Based on a comment the Cincinnati coach made last week, my once hot candidate appears to have given way to Lane Kiffin. Although, Kiffin isn't a popular choice with at least one veteran Tennessee writer.

Tennessee's next head football coach?

After my Saturday night drive back from Nashville, I feel even more strongly that it's going to be Brian Kelly, especially after the whacking Mike Leach took at Oklahoma.

If you think I'm jumping on the bandwagon late, check out my blog entry from November 11th -- way before Kelly became everyone's popular choice.

Laugh now. But crazy things happen.

This weekend may not be Phillip Fulmer's final time to coach in a UT-Vanderbilt game. 

On Tuesday, the soon to be ex-head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers admitted the "fire still burns" for coaching. Fulmer says he's received advice from former UT coaches Doug Dickey, Bill Battle, and Michigan's Lloyd Carr on how to handle the next step in his career. All three told Fulmer to not rush into a bitter or angry decision.

The deed has been done. Fulmer's been fired, and now UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton is searching for a new head football coach. I've known Hamilton a long time. He doesn't throw curveballs. 

Common opinion had him waiting until after the season to fire Fulmer, but if the Vols lost to South Carolina, I predicted Hamilton would make the move immediately. He did, and the decision was announced on Monday during an emotional press conference.