NCAA Football, Tennessee Volunteers Football NEWS
Cutcliffe, Spurrier Not Interested In Vols
Published by MoonDog on November 4, 2008
Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton can scratch two names off the list of potential replacements for Phil Fulmer.
Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe
Late Tuesday, former Volunteers’ offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe quashed any speculation he might be interested in returning to Tennessee.
The Duke head coach said he was being proactive because he spoke to recruits who said other coaches had told them that he was headed to the Volunteers.
“I’m at Duke, staying at Duke,” Cutcliffe said Tuesday.
Cutcliffe spent eight years as the Vols’ offensive coordinator and also held the head coaching job at Ole Miss. He took over at Duke last December after his latest stint in Knoxville.
Meanwhile, Steve Spurrier, perhaps Fulmer’s biggest nemesis during his time as the Vols head coach, has denied having any interest in the vacancy.
South Carolina’s head coach grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee rooting for the Vols, but later had great success during the 1990’s while coaching the Florida Gators against Fulmer’s Volunteers.
South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier
“Maybe five years ago I would’ve (been interested in the Tennessee job), but it wasn’t open five years ago,” Spurrier told The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C. “I’m at my last gig right here (at South Carolina). And we’ve got a pretty good team if we can get a little offense going.”
“He’s probably 16, 17 years there, probably long enough. It wasn’t working very well, so I think everybody understands when it starts going bad, they’ve gotta make changes,” Spurrier told The State.
“But congratulate him on hitting that lottery ticket. That’s a big ticket he got,” Spurrier said, adding, “I don’t know whether to feel sorry for coach or congratulate him for the biggest buyout in the history of college football. He got the best deal ever, I think.”
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GoPurple on Wed, 5th Nov 2008 08:18
OF COURSE anyone and everyone currently employed elsewhere is going to deny interest in going to Knoxville. They have games to win and recruits to sway, after all. Nobody wants the sort of fiasco that enveloped Les Miles last year, so expect strong denials even from people who would be interested. At this stage any discussions about coaches will be with their agents, behind the scenes, with public denials all around. That said, I think Spurrier is speaking honestly; at his age the last thing he wants is another rebuilding project.
I think UT is the premiere job opening right now, with Washington coming in second. With all due respect to Clemson fans, they are a distant third at best. There is no reason UT cannot land an outstanding coach, an up-and-comer ready to work for the brass ring and the crystal football in the national limelight. I think you talk to Gary Pinkel and take a good look at Brian Kelly. Lane Kiffin seems to be the hot name at the moment and may have interest as long as Mike Hamilton promises never to show up at a game in a white jumpsuit or phone plays down to the sideline. :-/ I think he is more likely to stay on the west coast though. Cutcliffe deserves to be in the discussion as well (through back channels); his loyalty to Fulmer may be an issue to overcome. Tim Brewster of Minnesota and Todd Graham of Tulsa should be on the list as well. I think the Mad Scientist of West Texas (whose team is currently #2 in the BCS!!) deserves a long look and would have interest; whether Knoxville, Tennessee is ready for the wackiness that is Mike Leach is an entirely separate discussion. And the Big 12 would really miss him…
MoonDog on Wed, 5th Nov 2008 08:32
I agree about Spurrier, but I wouldn’t want him anyway. Cutcliffe probably wouldn’t take the job because of his past relationship with Fulmer.
Kiffin I’m not crazy about but I believe he’s on the list of coaches Hamilton will speak with. Brina Kelly has been mentioned and I’m sure he’d have some interest, but I’d rather see a coach with some big time experience, not Big East experience.
Pinkel = spread option and that won’t work at UT, at least not for the first few years. We don’t have the players to run the offense.
Todd Graham – same as Kelly. Brewster = WHO? That won’t work with Vol fans. Leach, I like. But he’d have to get a batter D Coordinator than the one he has. The SEC plays defense, unlike the Big 12.
For me, it’s Will Muschamp, Bob Stoops (unlikely) and Jim Leavitt.
GoPurple on Wed, 5th Nov 2008 19:28
Funny you should mention a D-coord from a conference that doesn’t play defense.
Seriously, you might want to put on some game tape and re-evaluate that statement. I’m well aware that the SEC plays defense; just not always well. Witness LSU getting 50 hung on them – twice.
MoonDog on Thu, 6th Nov 2008 11:48
Oh Lord, here we go. I have to explain things. Are you seriously suggesting the Big 12 plays defense?
The last time I checked, Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech Kansas and Oklahoma State have all played games that routinely end up in the 30’s for both teams.
Sure, the offenses are good, but the level of talent is no better than the SEC’s. Therefore, the defenses who look lost while giving up 30+ every week must be the answer.
Look at the defensive stats from both conferences and it’s not even close. The SEC plays much better D than the Big 12.
GoPurple on Thu, 6th Nov 2008 23:30
Oh good grief. Now that his fat lip has healed up, you could ask Colt McCoy about Big 12 defenses. Compared to say, Arkansas, whose SEC defense held the Longhorns to, oh, about 52 earlier this season. Now Nebraska has serious work to do on defense; holding Oklahoma to only 49 at the half isn’t up to their usual standards.
You really think the talent level on offense in the SEC THIS YEAR is equal to the Big 12? I’m sure you’ve *watched* the QBs in the SEC????? Off-target throws, bad decisions, the works. The Big 12 is absolutely sick at QB, the SEC has Tim Tebow, ranked #11 in the country in pass efficiency – behind five Big 12 QBs. The second-best in the league? Matt Stafford, ranked #29, behind *ten* Big 12 QBs (including one who is a true freshman and another whose head coach just got fired). The SEC defenses have put up good stats against offenses that couldn’t score in a women’s prison with a fistful of pardons (two fistfuls in the case of the Vols, but you knew that). You aren’t going to see 3-2 as a final score in the Big 12. Or 13-9 against a MAC team.