Why is it so hard for Tennessee to find a superstar head coach? Here’s part of the reason why, along with 5 candidate ideas.
College Football Daily Cavalcade: Tennessee head coaching search
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Sorry if this take sucks, it’s not my fault …
Over the last four years, Kentucky has won ten more games than my should-be-amazing SEC East football program.
You used to be beautiful, Tennessee.
Tennessee should be a superpower.
It has the fan base, the facilities, and the will to do whatever it takes to become a yearly player in the College Football Playoff chase. That’s a good thing.
It also has the high expectations of recent success – even if it’s a few decades ago. That’s a bad thing.
No one cares about what happened eight minutes ago, much less back in 1998, but Tennessee is one of the handful of programs to win a national title in the BCS/College Football Playoff era.
Really, you can do this. Name the schools with a national championship over the last 23 years.
Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Auburn, Florida, Texas, USC, Miami …
Tennessee.
It’s one of those programs that should be amazing, but just can’t quite get that dog to hunt.
It doesn’t have a problem recruiting.
It was eighth in the 2020 Rivals recruiting rankings. It was 13th in 2019, 20th in 2018 – there was a coaching issue then – 15th in 2017, 15th, in 2016, and 5th in 2015 and 2014. No, the recruiting isn’t at Alabama’s level, but it’s close enough to the pin.
It doesn’t have a problem with money, attendance, or … anything.
It should be an A-list job with A-list candidates lining up to take it, but it’s just not, and why?
Because of everything just listed.
Tennessee is supposed to win SEC and national championships, but so is Alabama. So is Florida. So are Georgia, LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M – that’s life in the SEC.
No, Tennessee isn’t in the West, but Alabama is its annual rivalry game from the other division, and that’s sort of a problem having lost 12 in a row in the series and 13 of the last 14.
The Vols have lost four in a row against Florida and 15 of the last 16, and they’ve dropped four in a row to Georgia and nine of the last 11.
To put this into perspective, since 2013, Tennessee owns one more win over Georgia and Florida than Vanderbilt has.
So all Tennessee needs to do is 1) find a coach who can recruit in the top ten every year, 2) beat Alabama, Florida and Georgia, and 3) do it all with the expectations of a base that knows and feels this is a powder keg program ready to blow up. Oh yeah, and 4) at least get to the SEC Championship on a regular basis, even if that hasn’t happened since 2007 and the last conference title was in …
1998.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s that little concern about possible NCAA sanctions coming.
Two words: Boo. Hoo.
Sanctions, schmanctions. Bending recruiting rules in the SEC? Really? I have to explain how we pay the bills around here?
Start winning again, Tennessee.
Tennessee is going to require a certain type of coach who wants all of those challenges. It’s going to require a superstar name or a top prospect who can handle all of the expectations, all of the pressure, and all of the possibilities.
Any coach worth his salt wants this gig, but Tennessee has a really, really, really hard time finding that guy.
So with that in mind, here are my five suggestions ranging from the stupid-dreamy to the realistically obvious – and none of them are interim head man Kevin Steele. And no, outside of one guy who’ll probably get the job, I’m not interested in simply recycling coaches who might have had an SEC job at some point.
NEXT: 5 Candidate Ideas For The Tennessee Head Coaching Job
5 Candidate Ideas For The Tennessee Head Coaching Job
The Will Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, Ever, EVER Happen, Buuuuuut … Guy: Peyton Manning
No. Of course not. I’m sorry to waste your time, and we’ll soon move on to bigger, better, smarter things …
It’s at least worth a “hey, by any chance …” conversation.
There’s absolutely no reason why the guy who has the best job in the world – being Peyton Manning – would have any interest in the headaches and hassles of being a major college football coach, and there’s nothing to suggest that the guy who has never been a major college football coach can actually do this, but if he says he wants the job – or the athletic director gig – it’s done.
That’s, of course, NEVER going to happen, and neither is this, but …
You’re Not Going To Get Him But You HAVE To Try Guy: Eric Bieniemy
By the time you’re reading this, the current Kansas City Chief offensive coordinator might be the Houston Texan head coach. But …
You have to try.
He’s destined to be a pro head man somewhere, and Tennessee would have to be talking at least $7 million to get him in the door, but he’s it. He’s the guy. He’s got the exact right personality and talent to be a dream college head coach who’d throw a mega-scare into the rest of the SEC, but …
You’re not going to get him, so …
Hot Name Guy: Jamey Chadwell
The guy fits, and if you’re Tennessee, you don’t want to be the program that doesn’t at least make a run at the head man who might just be the next big giant thing.
The Coastal Carolina head coach turned the program into a stunning power in just a few years with his systems all working. The hire would satisfy the base – considering he was right there for South Carolina and it didn’t happen – and again, you don’t want to miss out on the tech stock that could possibly go through the roof.
The If You Can Explain To Me How He Doesn’t Have A Big Gig Yet, I’m All Ears Guy: Bill Clark
No, really. How is the guy who took UAB from a coma to two Conference USA championships, three division titles, and 34 wins in four years still at UAB?
You want the coach who has dealt with harder issues than Tennessee and succeeded? You want a Coach of the Year in two of the last four years because, you know, he was one of the best college football coaches in those years, here you go.
But let’s stop playing around here. We know what’s going to happen, so …
The Totally Obvious, Let’s Cut To The Chase And Through All The Hoo-Ha, Next Tennessee Head Football Coach Guy: Hugh Freeze
The last thing Tennessee wants as it’s heading into possible NCAA issues is to start a new era with the guy who was at the head of an Ole Miss program that’s just coming out of its own problems, but … whatever.
I don’t think he’s that great – it’s not like Ole Miss won anything big when he was there – but he did lead Liberty to a 10-1 season, was 10-2 in his one run at Arkansas State with a Sun Belt Championship, and we all know that the fan base really wants him, Tennessee really wants him, and he REALLY wants this job, so let’s get to the part where Ross and Rachel start dating already.
Maybe it’s because of everything going on in the real world, but I’ve long ago gotten past the idea of NCAA violations – as long as actual laws aren’t being broken – being anything but silly.
If nothing else, if Tennessee doesn’t hire Freeze, and the new guy isn’t great, it’ll just make the whole situation an even bigger problem.
Good luck, Tennessee. This is going to be interesting … again.
