Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
That is what the folks in Knoxville seem to be suggesting. Brian Kelly, the fireball coach from Cincinnati is apparently the leader at this point for replacing Fat Phil in Rocky Top. Kelly, for those of you that dont follow Big East football….and you shouldnt, has built the Cincy program and now stands on the precipice of a BCS bowl. Kentucky fans may already like Kelly, as he supposedly refused to shake Steve Kragthorpe’s hand after the Louisville game (although that is now disputed) and his humor and overall loud style makes him a bit like Bruce Pearl. His hiring may be the best Tennessee can do, as the big names have turned them down, and he would be a bit of a risk. But his upside is huge and he has shown the ability to build a program.
No word on whether he gets to bring Kenyon Martin and Danny Fortson with him….
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November 21st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Big names turning down a powerhouse program? That’s crazy!
Sincerely,
Kentucky Basketball
November 21st, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Art Long approves this hiring, or else he’ll punch Smokey.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
It’s Fat Phil redux!
November 21st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
What big name would say in the middle of the season that they are considering the job and might leave.
Bobby Petrino doesn’t count as a big name in my book.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Besides Butch saying he wasn’t interested before the job was technically even there and Muschamp becoming head coach in waiting at Texas, who has turned down the job?
November 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
didn’t he build another program too, like w. mich or c. mich or something?
November 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Wow, I haven’t heard that name come up at all. I’ve heard Will Muschamp (Texas d-coordinator), Gary Pinkel (Missouri), Mike Singletary (49ers interim), Jim Leavitt (USF) and Skip Holtz (ECU).
November 21st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Where’s maconvolfan, we need his take. Seriously.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
8- He is supposedly the leader in the club house. Word on the street is all the Cincy asst. coaches are working the phones trying to find new jobs. Clearly they can’t say anything publicly since they are still in the hunt for the Big East title and a BCS game. Mike Hamilton says we will have a coach by mid-December, so if the Kelly rumors are real expect an interim coach in the BCS if they get there.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I haven’t followed this closely at all, but read Lane Kiffin’s name a couple times. What happened with him? I thought with his success at USC and pro coaching experience (albeit brief) that he’d be in contention. Did Al Davis’ guys squash that? Or perhaps he was haunted by Ed Orgeron’s Ole Miss tenure?
November 21st, 2008 at 3:09 pm
7- Muschamp: no way, took the Joker Phillips route at Texas
Pinkel: never heard he was being considered
Singletary: where are you hearing this stuff, crazy talk
Leavitt: supposedly toward the top of the list now
Holtz: never gonna happen
November 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
if they hired leavitt, he’d be fired in 3 yrs or less. the guy would be nuts to leave usf.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:21 pm
11. pinkel signed a huge extension today too….
kiffen has been a name for the clemson job, but i would bet the farm on kelly at this point,whcih IMO would be a great hire
November 21st, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Kiffin interviewed at Clempson, right?
Kelley is a good hire. Although his “success” may have been more of a product of being in a crap conference with no real frontrunner. Each yr some Big East coach wins 9 games and instantly is a hot commodity (DickRod, Schiano, Leavitt, Petrino, Kelley). I’d like to see them beat a team in another BCS conf first (which Petrino did severa times). Look at Schiano and Levitt now, they’re teams are strugglin for bowl spots in a down yr for the Big Least.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Agreed, TB. Leavitt should stay put, as should Leach and Gundy. They aren’t at what you would call “dream jobs” bu they have AD’s that support them (aka will throw benjamins at them all day) and have nice in-roads in their respective regions (Tex and Florida are as good as it gets). Just be patient, keep doin what you’re doin and the Conference titles will come.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
*recruiting in-roads that is.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Kiffin will pobably end up taking the Washington job. He’s a Pac10 guy.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
When it’s warmer out, I can totally see Kelly wearing Bike coaches shorts.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I live here in Knoxville and have a lot of UT fans as friends (I know.. I know) I have not heard his name at all before now. I have heard Kiffin mentioned. Leach has been talked about some. Gruden’s name was being bounced until he came out and said he was not interested. A lot think they might get Butch Davis. In all honesty, with all the names floating about I don’t think you can put much stock into anything right now.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Brian Kelly would win huge at UT. UT may be turned off by his incident at CMU though.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
19- You haven’t been listening closely enough then. Kelly is the top of the short list. My unofficial list based on my keeping a close eye on things:
1-Brian Kelly
2-Jim Leavitt
3-Lane Kiffin
4-Mike Leach
November 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Most of my info came from UT message boards after Fulmer resigned. Yeah, I just found out that Pinkel got an extension today and Muschamp was persuaded to stay in TX. I agree that Holtz would be a bad hire and so would Leavitt. Here would be my list if I were AD:
1. Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
2. Bronco Mendenhall (BYU)
3. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt)
4. Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
5. Rick Stockstill (MTSU)
November 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Bronco Mendenhall would be a superb hire. Also the TCU coach is worth lookin at.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
HA! Tennessee football is headed towards the gas station crapper!
Because they’ve got their head so far up their ass they thought they could ditch Fulmer whenever and get their pick. If they’d just gotten the dirty work done last year they’d had a better chance at better options.
Now they have to accept a step even below Fulmer. They’ll be holding the mop for the next 10 years with any of those hires.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I’ve been in meetings all day long…sorry.
Payne is right. Kelly has been towards the top for a long time. It’s pretty clear that Butch Davis was our 1st choice but he did turn us down, I think. Kiffin was mentioned, but not sure that he was considered. I would love for UT to interview the Whittingham(Utah) and what’s his name at Boise. Leach wouldn’t work out, I don’t think, but that’s just my opinion. I’ve talked to Matt about this at length, and firing Phil was a calculated risk. Mike Kelly will (would) be a fine coach for UT. He’s won EVERYWHERE he’s been, including great success in D2. I think we HAD to go you and upcoming though. Yes UT is a top tier program, but we have slipped a little. The ‘big names’ are happy where they are. Hopefully Kelly will retire in about 15 years with as much success as Fulmer has enjoyed.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:16 pm
#25 - Macon_Volfan -
Gruden was your first choice - FAIL
Remember, he owns some property nearby and his wife is an ex cheerleader. If you had gone after him last year you might have had a chance because he thought his days in Tampa Bay were numbered but you waited and he’s got them turned around it appears.
Butch Davis was your second choice - FAIL
November 21st, 2008 at 5:26 pm
#26–MY first choice and UT’s first choice are two different things. I don’t think an NFL guy with virtually NO college coaching experience would be a great fit. Yeah, from a PR stand point it would work for a while, but I think long term it’s a bad move.
Butch Davis was clearly(to me) the top choice. It didn’t work, you move. Kelly (if it is him) would be a fine hire. Do I know this for certain? No, but in the long run, does it really matter? I’ll still be a UT fan win/lose. My life doesn’t (and hasn’t since I was like, 12) hang on the success of UT on the hardwood, grass or dirt.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Damn, you guys must have really sucked when you were 12 then. j/k
I find it interesting when the castle crumbles how Tennessee fans back away from having much attachment.
I guess that what seperates a volunteers from someone whos a part of something.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Signature Line:
I guess that what seperates a volunteer from someone whos a part of something.
Boom goes the dynamite!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:57 pm
You can have ‘attachment’ and still not be suicidal. It’s a big picture thing, really. In the GRAND SCHEME of things, does a UT win or loss affect my life. No. I learned the lesson in 2006 when UT lost to UF, but my wife told me she was pregnant with out son. It was a disappointing loss, but compared to our news, it was inconsequential. This blog is a perfect example of my point. After the VMI loss, heck after the ‘worst’ Tubby year, people on here were NUTS about the team. Why should I work myself up over something I, ultimately, have no control over?
I was excited when UT won the MNC in 1999. But my life continued like normal, and still does. I’m not backing away, I just have perspective.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
and you can’t ‘boom goes the dynamite’ your own post…sheez.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
BTW, it should read….pregnant with OUR son.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I think we need the headblogger Biesner to make a ruling on that. My defense is that the line was so timely and strong that it warranted a “boom goes the dynamite”
Judge Biesner, I’d like to request a speedy trial thanks
November 21st, 2008 at 6:09 pm
If you can make love to yourself, why not “boom goes the dynamite” yourself? Ideally, this satisfaction would come from another, but it is acceptable. Don’t over-do it though, you’ll go blind.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:16 pm
See thats why Biesners the Obama of the blogosphere. He would have come even without a request.
Could you remove the IP ban on my account and reset my password while your at it? Danke
November 21st, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Mike Kelly? How about Brian Leach for the UT job?
November 21st, 2008 at 10:32 pm
who is Brian Leach?
November 21st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Who is Mike Kelly?