MrSEC.com » Tennessee

Vols now have sweet opportunity

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:47:01 +0000

The NCAA Midwest Regional bracket may have opened up with the elimination of No. 1 seed Kansas, but UT wasn’t willing to look ahead just yet.
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Midwest Regional: Tennessee ends Ohio’s Cinderella run

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:43:25 +0000

Tennessee shattered one glass slipper and slipped into another Saturday afternoon in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
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Vols take aim at yet another conference champion

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:03:53 +0000

Tennessee has defeated SEC champion Kentucky, Big 12 kingpin Kansas, Atlantic Sun winner East Tennessee State University and Mountain West Conference victor San Diego State. The Vols (26-8) play yet another league champion, Ohio (22-14) in the Dunkin’ Donuts Center today with a trip to the Sweet 16 regional in St. Louis on the line.
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About Those Seeds…

John — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:25:06 +0000

Remember all the talk about seeding for much of the week? Tennessee fans filled the ol’ inbox wondering why their school had been dropped to a six seed. “How is Vanderbilt a #4 while we’re a #6?”

What’s everybody saying about seeding now?

The #4 seed Commodores were bounced by #13 Murray State. It was the second time in its last two tourney appearances that Vandy has lost to a #13 in the first round.

Meanwhile, #6 seed Tennessee survived a scare from #11 San Diego State but gets #14 seed Ohio in the second round. No #3 Georgetown, a below-.500 MAC club instead. Beat Ohio and Tennessee would likely face #2 seed Ohio State. Had they gotten that #4 seed, they’d be looking at a Sweet Sixteen date with #1 seed Kansas.

Which seed looks better now? Think Vandy wouldn’t have preferred a matchup with San Diego State? Think UT would want to face Murray State?

And that’s why I don’t believe any fanbase should cry too much (though most do) when they’re favorite team lands a seed one or two slots lower than expected. The tourney has a funny way of working things out on its own. Seven upsets yesterday prove that.

RB Brown No Longer On UT’s Team

John — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:56:51 +0000

Yesterday, Tennessee’s Derek Dooley said that running back Bryce Brown had not approached him about possibly transferring. He indicated that he had spoken with Brown many times, but that that subject had never come up.

That was yesterday.

Brown — the star signee from Lane Kiffin’s one signing class — was a no show for the first day of practice today. “As of now he’s not a part of the team,” Dooley said.

Rumors have swirled in recent days that the former top running back prospect in the nation might be interested in transferring to Kansas State. Brown is from Kansas and his brother recently transferred there from Miami.

Brown was expected to be Tennessee’s top tailback this fall, replacing the graduated Montario Hardesty. Not now it appears.

UT Might Have Another Coach With Attitude

John — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:12:43 +0000

Derek Dooley didn’t insult any rival coaches. He didn’t take on the SEC commissioner. And he didn’t commit any secondary violations during his press conference marking the open of spring practice.

But he did display a bit of attitude, not unlike Lane Kiffin. Only his disdain seemed to be directed at the Knoxville media.

The Knoxville News Sentinel has posted video of the coach’s remarks and you can judge his demeanor for yourself.

From watching the video, Dooley did seem to be a little short when asked — for the first time — about his policy that requires former Vols to call ahead before dropping in on practice.

His voice rose pretty quickly. He became somewhat animated. All of which begs two questions:

1) Was there press in Ruston, Louisiana to cover Louisiana Tech?

2) How upset will he become when he’s asked about — you know — actual games, plays and coaching decisions?

While it’s been expected that Dooley would run a Nick Saban-like ship in Knoxville, some Tennessee media members were surprised that the new coach took on an adversarial role on Day One.

Judging by the comments beneath The Sentinel’s story, most Volunteer fans had no problem with Dooley’s attitude or his “you’ll get what we want you to get” media plan.

Perhaps they don’t realize that Dooley’s decision to close the doors to his program will leave them with less information about their favorite team.

Then again, this time last year many of those same fans were 100% in love with Kiffin’s attitude and demeanor, too.

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Lane Kiffin: Sexiest Woman Alive

John — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:06:58 +0000

When I say “sexiest woman alive,” I know what you think — Lane Kiffin. Right?

I’ll allow others to jump all over this one. It’s just too easy. But I will give you the details. Esquire magazine posted a 16-person bracket for folks to vote for the Sexiest Woman Alive. Oddly enough, one of the 16 choices was none other than the former Tennessee football coach.

We’ll let EverydayShouldBeSaturday.com… and CollegeFootballTalk.com… and The Huffington Post take it from there.

Here’s my only question: Is it possible to commit a secondary violation while competing for the title of sexiest woman alive? If so, the judges better keep their eyes on Kiffin.

The Sports Source – 3/14/10

John — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:47:14 +0000

If you were under the impression that no one on God’s green earth had discussed the possibility of Tennessee receiving a sixth seed in the NCAA tournament… then you clearly didn’t see The Sports Source this past Sunday morning.

Not only did the panel warn about a potential six seed, they also listed San Diego State as one of the potential opponents that Tennessee should hope to avoid.

Here are the clips. And, of course, we now know that Tennessee did land a six seed in the Midwest Region in Providence and will face SDSU.

SEGMENT ONE (Parts A & B) — Quick points about Derek Dooley’s decision to recruit character guys and Bruce Pearl’s lack of offensive weaponry.

SEGMENT TWO — Four “Take It Or Leave It” questions about SEC basketball and Tennessee football.

SEGMENT THREE — Three issues to watch during UT’s spring practice.

SEGMENT FOUR — Here’s our discussion of a potential six seed for the Vols.

SEGMENT FIVE — In this segment, we looked at the 30 teams (at the time) that UT might wind up playing in the tourney… and yes, the list did include SDSU.

SEGMENT SIX — Comparing the statistics/styles of the teams that beat Tennessee this year, there is a profile for what gives UT trouble. And San Diego State fits that profile.

SEGMENT SEVEN — Our picks for where the Vols would be seeded.

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Iowa Fans Want UT’s Pearl

John — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:37:03 +0000

Three years ago, Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl said that he wasn’t interested in the head coaching job at Iowa. Now the former Hawkeye assistant might be contacted by Iowa again.

Yesterday, Iowa fired Todd Lickliter after his third losing season in as many years. The former Butler coach had taken over in Iowa City after Steve Alford departed for New Mexico.

According to The Daily Iowan — that’s the campus newspaper — “one of the most popular candidates among the fan base” is Pearl. Pearl was an assistant in Iowa for six seasons under Tom Davis. His assistants in Knoxville all have ties back to Iowa.

Interestingly, while an Iowa assistant Pearl’s 1988 decision to record a conversation with a recruit and turn it in to the NCAA in as proof that Illinois was cheating, led to his being unofficially blackballed in the coaching community. Pearl had to work his way up slowly via the Division II route.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta was asked if Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany might get involved in the search if it led to Pearl.

“Jim Delany is very knowledgeable about the game of basketball. He doesn’t have any say in who we hire, but I definitely will include him and many others as I go through this process.”

The fact that folks are discussing all of this just goes to show how far ahead of the pack — at least in fan/media minds — Pearl is.

Pearl flirted with Memphis last year after John Calipari left, securing raises for his assistants as well as helping his own cause. It’s doubtful that Pearl would leave Knoxville just one year later to take on a program that has suffered three straight losing seasons and a steady decline in fan support.

If Pearl were going to leave Knoxville, Memphis would have made more sense because it is quite simply an easier job than Iowa (or Tennessee). But UT’s coach chose to stay in Knoxville. And three years ago he said he wasn’t interested in Iowa. It’s unlikely that he’s changed his mind on either front.

Then again, stranger things have happened.

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A Big Blue beatdown: Vols lose composure, shoot poorly to end SEC tournament run

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:40:02 +0000

NASHVILLE – Tennessee suffered a Music City Meltdown on Saturday afternoon in Bridgestone Arena.
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Tourney Game Two – Tennessee 59, LSU 49

John — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:42:20 +0000

Ever heard the old line “survive and advance?” Here’s guessing you’ll hear it from Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl during his postgame press conference.

After a sluggish, boring game this afternoon, his Volunteers have advanced to the second round of the SEC tournament with a 59-49 win over LSU in Nashville.

Until late in the game, the two teams had combined for more turnovers than made field goals. Think about that for a second.

For the Tigers, the loss ends a frustrating season at 11-20. It was the 17th time in 31 games that LSU has failed to reach the 60-point plateau.

The Vols (24-7) survived their tussle with the league’s worst squad and they will face a rested Ole Miss team tomorrow during the afternoon session.

Needless to say, UT will have to play much better tomorrow if they want to slide past the Rebels… who come into the tourney with a four-game win streak.

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Tourney Game Two – Tennessee Vs LSU

John — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:32:44 +0000

1. Tournament history isn’t on the side of teams that finish with records as bad as LSU’s.

2. To spring an upset on Tennessee, the Tigers will need to get good guard play.

3. Trent Johnson says of his team, “It’s just unfortunate that with this team this year, the uglier the game is, the more it gives us a chance to win.”

4. Tennessee hasn’t won the SEC tournament since 1979.

5. The Volunteers say they’re focused on LSU and LSU only right now.

6. This writer says Bruce Pearl is more interested in promoting his program than himself.

7. Pearl made the most of a bad situation in Knoxville this season.

SEC Tourney Breakdown — Tennessee Vs LSU

John — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:42:21 +0000

GAME TWO
Thursday, 3:15pm ET
SEC Network

East #3 Seed — Tennessee
Overall Record: 23-7
SEC Record: 11-5
Current Streak: Won 3
Last 8 Games: 5-3
RPI: 13
SOS: 22
Top 50 RPI Wins: Memphis, Kansas, Kentucky
Losses Outside Top 100 RPI: Southern Cal
2pt Shots (% of Total Points): 57.4%
3pt Shots (% of Total Points): 24.0%
Free Throws (% of Total Points): 18.6%
Bench Minutes (% of Total Minutes): 41.5%
Playing For: Probably a #4 seed currently, Tennessee still might be able to land a #3 seed in the NCAAs with a good showing in Nashville

West #6 Seed — LSU
Overall Record: 11-19
SEC Record: 2-14
Current Streak: Won 1
Last 8 Games: 2-6
RPI: 222
SOS: 93
Top 50 RPI Wins: None
Losses Outside Top 100 RPI: Washington State, Utah, Arkansas, Auburn (twice)
2pt Shots (% of Total Points): 57.3%
3pt Shots (% of Total Points): 22.3%
Free Throws (% of Total Points): 20.4%
Bench Minutes (% of Total Minutes: 28.3%
Playing For: The Tigers only hope for extending their season is a tournament championship

Previous Meeting: Tennessee 59, LSU 54 in Baton Rouge on February 4th

Fast Facts: The Volunteers use more minutes off their bench than any team in the SEC. LSU is near the bottom of the league. If UT gets off to a hot start — as it did against Mississippi State on Saturday — the Vols can wear down the Tigers. LSU just doesn’t have the offensive ability to mount big, big comebacks. If Tennessee starts slow, the Tigers could gain confidence and hang with the Vols… as they did in the teams’ previous meeting.

Edge: LSU gave Tennessee a good game last month in Baton Rouge. It’s unlikely, however, that a team that won 2 of 16 conference games during the regular season can knock off the third best team in the conference. Barring a huge upset, the Vols advance.

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Pearl: ‘That was the best basketball we’ve played’

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:56:25 +0000

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said Saturday represented the best basketball his team has played this season. He wouldn’t get any arguments from Mississippi State. The 16th-ranked Vols raced out to a 17-0 lead and were never seriously threatened en route to a 75-59 victory over the Bulldogs in Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday night.
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Vols need to get over the Hump

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:29:30 +0000

There will be memories abound for both Mississippi State and Tennessee tonight in Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss.
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Dooley, UT Still Haggling Over Buyout Clauses

John — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:11:37 +0000

Last week, Tennessee announced that new football coach Derek Dooley will be paid $1.8 million this year as part of his six-year contract with the school.

But while Dooley has signed the dreaded “memo of understanding,” Jimmy Hyams of Knoxville radio station WNML-AM reports that there’s still a hang-up over the buyout clauses in the actual contract.

At issue is the buyout that Dooley would have to pay UT should he decide to split town ahead of schedule, a la Lane Kiffin.

Tennessee wants a stiffer penalty than the $800,000 buyout it gave Kiffin. Dooley and his agent Jimmy Sexton don’t want the buyout to be too high.

Sexton has made it clear that he doesn’t believe that Dooley should be punished — not sure how someone making $1.8 million a year is being punished — for something that Kiffin did.

Of course, Sexton also represented Kiffin, so perhaps athletic director Mike Hamilton should simply say, “We’re not punishing Dooley… we’re punishing YOU.”

Having rushed into its deal with Dooley back in January — the two parties met on a Thursday and the coach was hired on Friday — UT has given the leverage to Dooley and Sexton.

As a friend of mine said yesterday, it’s hard to get the bride to sign the pre-nup AFTER the marriage.

Also of interest is the fact that Knoxville-media asked Dooley at his opening presser if he might have eyes for any other jobs. Say… one to the south where his Papa once coached? Dooley said, of course, that he planned to be at Tennessee for a long time.

So why the hang-up on the buyout? Maybe it’s all standard agent haggling, but a fanbase that’s rightfully leery of quick-skedaddling coaches probably would prefer to hear that Dooley has already inked his contract. And that he isn’t worried about the buyout clause.

Calipari not critical about Kentucky

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:20:58 +0000

John Calipari heaped praise on Tennessee. He also came away feeling not so bad about his own team Saturday afternoon.
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Inspired Vols get big 3-pointer from Hopson for another big upset

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:20:19 +0000

Kentucky didn’t want Scotty Hopson when he was coming out of high school, but Hopson wanted the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.
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Vols seeing UK as opportunity

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:09:37 +0000

KNOXVILLE — A win today would do so much for the Tennessee men’s basketball team.
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UT Switching Drug Testing Policy Back To 3 Strikes

John — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:38:35 +0000

The University of Tennessee is strengthening its drug policy as of July 1st… just three years after loosening it.

In 2007, UT followed several other SEC schools in moving to a four-strikes-and-you’re-out drug testing policy IF one of the strikes was for marijuana.

Weed has become so prevalent among athletes that schools across the country have been adjusting their testing policies to cope.

But after three football players were arrested in November for attempted armed robbery (pot was found in their car) and four basketball players were arrested on New Year’s Day for various charges (again, with pot in their car), Tennessee is going back to its old three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy.

In January, athletic director Mike Hamilton said, “There’s a pretty strong record if someone makes it to the third step, they are going to end up being dismissed. Very few are able to back.”

Now that third step will once again lead to an automatic dismissal from the team.

Tennessee is also working on creating a gun policy for its athletes, but a UT spokesperson says there are legal issues at play in that area.

Kiffin Talks About His Departure From UT, Takes No Shots

John — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:13:03 +0000

Southern Cal coach Lane Kiffin conducted his first interview with The Knoxville News Sentinel post-departure yesterday and he didn’t even take a single potshot at the school, the fans, the band, the mascot or anything else.

In fact, Kiffin said he was surprised last month to hear athletic director Mike Hamilton refer to him as a bad fit culturally.

“I don’t really know exactly what that means. I don’t think at the end of the day that has anything to do with whether you score points or whether you win games. Where you’re from? I don’t know. That’s just my opinion.

“Is Nick Saban from Alabama? Is Urban Meyer from Florida? Those are two of the best coaches in the country. So I don’t think that really means anything.”

Urban Meyer is one of the best coaches in the country? Okay, so who kidnapped the real Kiffin?

On other topics, Kiffin said:

* He was “put in a tough situation timingwise” with the USC job.

* He doesn’t believe brother-in-law and former UT quarterbacks coach David Reaves — who he did NOT take with him to LA — knew ahead of time that two Tennessee hostesses would be making a much-publicized off-campus visit to a pair of recruits… which still might land the Vols in hot water with the NCAA.

* Death threats towards his family have almost stopped. “We still get an occasional fax or a message sent this way.”

The former Vol coach also said that UT was better post-Kiffin than it was post-Phillip Fulmer. “I know this: From the day I got there to the day that we left, that roster was drastically better than it was. Really at the end of the day, that’s my job as a head coach, is to improve the roster and improve what the kids are doing in the classroom. And we did that as well.”

The Sports Source – 2/21/10

John — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:02:25 +0000

For those of you who watch “The Sports Source” online, I’m sorry I’m just now getting it posted.

Below you’ll find the complete show from this past Sunday.

SEGMENT ONE –

SEGMENT TWO (Parts A and B) –

SEGMENT THREE –

SEGMENT FOUR –

SEGMENT FIVE –

SEGMENT SIX –

SEGMENT SEVEN –

Dooley Gets 6-Year Deal Worth $1.8M

John — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:43:41 +0000

Tennessee’s deal with new football coach Derek Dooley is finally done… and it’s a long one in terms of new coaches.

Dooley has agreed to a six-year deal worth $1.8 million per year. It’s somewhat unusual for new coaches’ contracts to go longer than five years. It will be interesting to see the buy-out information for Dooley should he decide to head off for another school.

“In the few short weeks working with coach Dooley, it is evident that he is going to do a tremendous job as coach at the University of Tennessee,” athletic director Mike Hamilton. That’s a pretty confident statement considering Hamilton’s last hire stuck around Knoxville for just one season.

Tennessee also announced the contracts for the rest of their staff which includes a three-year deal worth $600,000 per season for defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. Jim Chaney, Charlie Baggett and Lance Thompson all received three-year deals as well.

The remaining UT coaches received two-year contracts.

The total package comes in at $800,000 cheaper than last year’s staff made as a whole.

Bench weighs in big for Vols, 63-55

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:50:19 +0000

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Bobby Maze matched his season high with 16 points and No. 20 Tennessee reached 20 victories for the fifth straight season with a 63-55 win over South Carolina on Saturday.
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Black coaches finally getting call to take over major college football programs

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:04:12 +0000

Maybe the rock wall is about to give way. At least there are more cracks showing lately.
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Kiffin Talks About Leaving UT

John — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:37:14 +0000

Lane Kiffin has done it again. The new coach at Southern Cal opened up about his move from Tennessee to the West Coast on ESPN yesterday… and many Vol fans didn’t like the message he sent.

In trying to explain his love for USC and his desire to return to the Trojans, Kiffin launched what some UT fans believe to be backhands at the Vols.

For example, when asked what advice his father, Monte, gave him during the Tennessee-to-USC decision, Kiffin said, “Well, when I mentioned it to him he said, ‘Where’s the airplane? Let’s go.’”

Kiffin also said that for the people on his UT staff that had come from USC “it was a very easy decision” to return to LA from Knoxville.

None of that has been too well-received by Volunteer fans.

But knowing I’ll get angry emails from those folks (yesterday it was Mississippi State fans… who’s on deck for tomorrow?), take a look at what Kiffin said about the over-the-top fan reaction to his departure.

Asked about the worst part of the firestorm, Kiffin said, “I just think the wife, you know, being at the house and the death threats and all the messages sent there and then the posting of her cell phone and home address and having to have three cops outside there that night. That… I’m okay, you know. Doesn’t bother me, but that was kinda tough.”

I think, if my wife and family had received death threats from moronic fans, I too would have little positive to say about a place. I’m not defending Kiffin’s decision to call Tennessee’s early enrollees, but for the most part, many UT students and fans did go way over the line in their response to Kiffin’s departure.

Kiffin said of the South’s love of football, “It is more passionate and it’s followed 365 days a year. And so I think that had a lot to do with the reaction down there… where I think people here understand that there’s a lot more going on and they weren’t burning couches when Coach Carroll left, you know?”

Kiffin will always be viewed as a villain in Knoxville — an odd end since so many UT fans defended him against 11 other fanbases who immediately picked up on his bad vibes. But Tennessee fans should remember that they played a role in L’affaire Kiffin, too.

Threatening a man’s wife and family over a decision to return to his dream job is both pea-brained and ugly. Therefore, I wouldn’t expect Kiffin or the Vol Nation to have much good to say about one another in the years to come.

The Sports Source – 2/14/10

John — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:14:26 +0000

Here are the clips from this past Sunday’s television show, “The Sports Source,” which airs weekly on WATE-TV in Knoxville.

The show features a number of Knoxville media members as well as former Vol player and coaches. Former UT basketballer Dane Bradshaw took part in the conversation this week.

Also, with former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning having played in the Super Bowl the week before, the panel discusses Manning’s rank amongst the all-time great QBs.

Here goes…

SEGMENT ONE (parts A and B) — A discussion of Tennessee basketball following the Vols loss to Kentucky

SEGMENT TWO — “Take It or Leave It” questions about the Vols’ basketball team and UT’s new defensive coordinator

SEGMENT THREE — A look at the NCAA tournament resumes around the SEC

SEGMENT FOUR — We reveal a mathematical formula we used to rank the best NFL quarterbacks of all-time

SEGMENT FIVE — We reveal how the rankings turned out and where Manning is currently positioned

SEGMENT SIX — But who’s the best QB of all-time in our views?

SEGMENT SEVEN — How will Tennessee do against Georgia and South Carolina?

UT’s Rogers Will Bypass Sixth Year

John — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:04:22 +0000

After spending several months rehabbing a damaged knee, Tennessee receiver Austin Rogers finally decided that UT officials were correct in telling him a sixth year of eligibility was unlikely.

He decided to start working toward Tennessee’s pro day workouts next month in hopes of impressing NFL scouts.

That’s why he had to pass on the Vols when in December they discovered that he probably WOULD be granted a hardship year by the NCAA.

It’s a strange end to the career of a young man whose July 2009 knee injury kept him from fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing last season with his brother, Zach, a freshman receiver.

Wildcats stand guard as Kentucky tops Tennessee

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:19:25 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. — At a roaring Rupp Arena on Saturday night, Eric Bledsoe and John Wall made the loud plays and DeAndre Liggins the quiet ones as No. 3 Kentucky silenced No. 12 Tennessee 73-62.

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Vols hit wall; Wall hits back, 73-62

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:16:28 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tennessee battled Kentucky even through the first 30 minutes before hitting a wall. Wildcats freshman sensation John Wall heated up late, scoring 12 of his game-high 24 points during the final 10 1/2 minutes to lead No. 3-ranked Kentucky to a 73-62 victory over No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday night in Rupp Arena.
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UT-Kentucky rivalry stoked by coaches

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:13:58 +0000

When John Calipari left Memphis to become Kentucky’s coach, one thing he didn’t have to leave behind was important matchups against Tennessee.
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Tall order for UT if Wayne Chism (ankle) can’t go

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:13:20 +0000

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said that it will be a “game-time decision” whether senior post Wayne Chism plays in Saturday night’s game against Kentucky.
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Case Against 4 UT B’ball Players Resolved

John — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:38:50 +0000

The four Tennessee basketball players arrested on marijuana and guns charges New Year’s Day have had their cases resolved. But one still faces some serious possible jail time.

Former All-SEC forward Tyler Smith (left) — dismissed from the team soon after his arrest — could face nearly two years in jail after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. Smith is hoping to serve the time on judicial diversion… and the state will not oppose his efforts.

Cameron Tatum admitted to speeding — which led to the arrests in the first place — and was given a citation. Tatum was welcomed back to the team last month.

Brian Williams pleaded guilty to simple possession of marijuana and was placed on judicial diversion (read: no jail time) for 11 months and 29 days. He was reinstated to the Tennessee team this week.

All charges against Melvin Goins were dismissed. Like Tatum, he was taken off suspension from the team last month.

According to special counsel to the Knox County District Attorney the four players received “the usual sentence for first-offenders.”

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Uh-Oh, Rubio. UT Intern At Fault At UCF

John — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:07:25 +0000

For those wondering about Tennessee’s recruiting practices under Lane Kiffin, Steve Rubio remains a key part of the equation.

The recruiting intern has been at UT only since last summer, but he has now been connected to two NCAA investigations in that time.

In December — after word arose of an NCAA investigation into Tennessee’s use of hostesses — Rubio’s name popped up when he traveled with Kiffin to Rubio’s old Florida high school. Interns (and hostesses) are not allowed to recruit off-campus.

At the time, Kiffin said that he did not believe that Rubio had engaged in any recruiting at the school. But shortly after, UT announced that Rubio would no longer be traveling with Kiffin.

He was however in the car with assistant coach Lance Thompson and receiver prospect Markeith Ambles just a few weeks ago when the player made his now-famous Tweet to a Knoxville sports personality.

And yesterday, Rubio was in the news again.

The NCAA smacked Central Florida with two years of probation for major rules infractions that were linked to Rubio and one other former UCF staff member. Rubio served as the Golden Knights’ director of player personnel before heading to Knoxville and joining Team Kiffin.

At the time, the NCAA handed Rubio a two-week suspension for his illegal activities. He and the other staff member made hundreds of phone calls and text messages to players from June of 2007 through January of 2009. That’s a no-no since Rubio was not a coach.

Kinda like recruiting off-campus is a no-no, too.

“It’s all behind him,” Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton said yesterday. “That investigation started subsequent to his employment at the University of Tennessee, and he cooperated fully with the questions he was asked and with the involvement of our compliance office and the NCAA.”

Maybe so, but this still adds another layer of gray clouds to the Kiffin era.

While no Volunteer fans wanted to admit it at the time, Kiffin and Ed Orgeron had widely been viewed as rule-benders, at the very least, during their careers. Kiffin racked up six secondary violations and two league reprimands in a span of about six months last year.

Orgeron had numerous SEC coaches complaining about his behavior as Ole Miss’ head coach in the early 2000s and he was also part of Dennis Erickson’s staff at Miami. You know, the one that won a lot of games… and eventually landed the Hurricanes on probation.

Now comes Rubio, who has a name quite familiar to the NCAA.

The NCAA has still made no official comments regarding their investigation into Tennessee’s use of hostesses and other recruiting issues under Kiffin.

Perhaps they will turn their eye to Southern Cal and give Tennessee a break due to the short nature of Kiffin’s tenure. Or perhaps Kiffin and crew did nothing wrong.

But here’s a third perhaps… perhaps the NCAA is still making a case against UT. If so, it’s probably safe to assume that the name Steve Rubio will pop up in any forthcoming reports.

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Tennessee’s Staff Duties Finalized

John — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:48:17 +0000

Derek Dooley has finally revealed the duties of his assistant coaches at Tennessee.

As expected, Jim Chaney will serve as both offensive coordinator and running backs coach this season. Charlie Baggett will coach receivers and his title includes “assistant head coach.”

Harry Hiestand (offensive line), Darrin Hinshaw (quarterbacks), and Eric Russell (tight ends, special teams) round out the offensive staff.

On defence, Justin Wilcox is the coordinator but he will not be responsible for a particular position. Chuck Smith will handle the defensive line, Lance Thompson the linebackers and Terry Joseph the secondary. Joseph will also be Tennessee’s recruiting coordinator.

Former Vol Vinson Tied To Homicide

John — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:31:40 +0000

Former Tennessee football player Brent Vinson is in custody in Florence, Alabama on arrest warrants tied to a Knoxville homicide last May.

Vinson, you might recall, got into a he-said/he-said battle with Lane Kiffin shortly after the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Vinson said at the time that he had not been dismissed from the UT team and was simply seeking a transfer. He said that he was looking to create a clean start for himself.

That led him to North Alabama — no surprise — where Terry Bowden is building a dynasty with SEC cast-offs. Thus the arrest in Florence.

Half a year ago, Vinson was present in the apartment of a man who was shot repeatedly during a robbery. The victim was unable to talk to police and died five days after the shooting.

Police said that Charles Austin Corn was a “high-level marijuana dealer.” It just so happens, a witness to Corn’s shooting had been robbed a day earlier of his own marijuana, a gun and $6,000 cash. Former UT basketball player Ramar Smith and another person were arrested in that case.

Though he was not taken into custody at the time of Corn’s shooting, Vinson now faces charges of tampering with evidence and accessory to murder after the fact.

“We started looking for him, found him and took him into custody,” said Chuck Reynolds, a supervisor at the US Marshals office in Huntsville.

No one has been charged with actually pulling the trigger in Corn’s shooting.

Sounds like the Tommy Lee Jones and the rest of the US Marshals want Vinson to roll over on the shooter.

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UT’s Dooley Had Contacted Pelini, Too

John — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:11:06 +0000

Last week we (and by “we” I mean “I”) took some heat from Tennessee fans for pointing out the long list of men who Derek Dooley had contacted about the UT defensive coordinator job before Boise State’s Justin Wilcox accepted it.

Whether all the reports were true or not, Americans saw the UT job scroll across ESPN’s ticker alongside the names Kevin Steele, Kirby Smart, Joe Barry, Everett Withers, Ellis Johnson, etc, etc.

So it’s probably not in my best interest to post the following: Dooley also contacted Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini. Pelini won’t go into details about what was offered, if anything.

“We’re on the verge of something great at Nebraska. I love working with (head coach) Bo (Pelini). That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Of course, who Tennessee did and did not offer the job to will mean little if Wilcox succeeds.

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Sorry, No “Sports Source” Clips This Week

John — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:43:54 +0000

Quick note of apology… we will not be able to load up clips from “The Sports Source” this week.

Many of you email me on a regular basis to let me know that you watch the show online and rely on us to post clips each Tuesday. That’s still our goal.

In the past, we have posted only our shows during football season, but we’re working on a way to streamline the process on our end so we can post each show year-round. Getting to that point is requiring a little more work than we anticipated.

Sorry for the inconvenience in the interim.

John

Chism chiseled with 30 points against South Carolina

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:09:00 +0000

Wayne Chism scored a career-high 30 points as No. 14 Tennessee routed South Carolina 79-53 on Saturday night.
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Tatum, Goins glad to have second chance

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:18:54 +0000

Tennessee men’s basketball players Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins started the new year learning a new – and very costly – life lesson.
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Gamecocks a UT wake-up call?

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:16:43 +0000

Tennessee sophomore Scotty Hopson was yawning while hoisting up extra shots an hour before the Vols’ Friday afternoon practice.
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UT Talking with Chuck Smith about coaching opening

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:55:33 +0000

Tennessee could be close to filling the lone remaining vacancy on its coaching staff.

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Report: UT Hires Wilcox From Boise State

John — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:06:14 +0000

Boise television station KBOI is reporting that “multiple sources” within the Boise State athletic department say it’s “a done deal” between Tennessee and BSU defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox.

According to the report, Wilcox was hired by Derek Dooley last night and made an announcement to the team today. He has been the defensive coordinator for Boise State the last four years.

The Idaho Statesman — that’s a newspaper, not just a well-spoken guy from Idaho — writes that “the former University of Oregon player is considered a rising name in the profession, and received wide praise for the Broncos’ defensive effort in their 17-10 victory over TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl.”

Under Wilcox, the Broncos had the top-ranked defense in the traditionally defense-free WAC the last two years. Below are BSU’s defensive numbers under Wilcox the past two seasons (and the Broncos’ rank in the nine-team league). In WACky fashion, the conference’s official website only includes the numbers from each team’s eight conference games. So these are pure WAC versus WAC numbers:

Season	Scoring Defense	Total Defense	Rushing Defense	Passing Defense
2009	21.4ppg (1st)	342.2ypg (1st)	171.4ypg (3rd)	170.9ypg (1st)
2008	11.8ppg (1st)	284.8ypg (1st)	87.0ypg (2nd)	197.8ypg (4th)

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Report: Vols Looking At Boise State DC

John — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:22:34 +0000

Derek Dooley hasn’t had much luck in his search for a defensive coordinator. Depending on whose reports you believe, the Vols have been turned down by Kevin Steele, Everett Withers, Kirby Smart, Ellis Johnson and Joe Barry.

Now enter Justin Wilcox. Who?

Knoxville television station WVLT is reporting that Wilcox — the 32-year-old defensive coordinator at Boise State — is being eyed by Dooley.

Dooley would be familiar with Wilcox’s work having faced his schemes head-to-head in the WAC (while UT’s new coach was at Louisiana Tech.)

And if there’s one thing that you think of when you think Boise State and the WAC… it’s defense.

Huffington Post Picks Up On Twitter Exchange Between Recruit, Knoxville Radio Host

John — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:33:32 +0000

So much for Hostess-gate. The Huffington Post has now picked up on a Twitter exchange between former Tennessee commitment Markeith Ambles and a female Knoxville radio host.

Over the weekend, Ambles tried to reach Knoxville for a surprise official visit. Weather trapped him at the Charlotte airport and caused him to fly back to Atlanta.

At that point, Tennessee linebackers coach Lance Thompson and a recruiting intern drove to the ATL, picked him up and drove him to Knoxville for his visit.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported the news that Ambles was on his way to Knoxville, citing his Twitter page:

“ridin up to k-town wit coach t and rubio”

Only that wasn’t the whole tweet. Ambles had tweeted Knoxville radio personality Heather Harrington — and while I don’t speak tweet — it does seem that he was getting rather, ahem, forward with her. The full tweet:

“@AnimalHeather ridin up to k-town wit coach t and rubio and whenever I got there me and u need to go bone to bone pretty girl”

Nice.

For her part, Ms. Harrington shot down the advance with the following post on her own Twitter page:

“Really? I am not a vol hostess and I don’t hang with recruits RT.”

I have no idea if any of this should be labeled as NSFW because — as I said — I don’t speak tweet. And I don’t understand why people choose to keep up with each other via 140-character microbursts.

That said, you do know that MrSEC has been ranked as one of the 100 Twitter feeds every guy should follow by Maxim.com, don’t you?

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Strange: Pearl, Donovan pals the night before

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:52:26 +0000

Today in Thompson-Boling Arena, they’ll be pacing their own turf, roughly 30 feet apart. They’ll barely acknowledge each other’s presence.
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Proven system not an option for Vols against Gators

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:54:36 +0000

Tennessee’s dominance over Florida on the basketball court since Bruce Pearl was hired as head coach has been well documented.
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UT Defensive Coordinator Search Not Going Real Well

John — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:41:55 +0000

It’s not been a real good month in Knoxville. First, Lane Kiffin shocked Planet Vol by packing his bags for USC.

Then Tennessee went through a head coaching search that looked pretty bad in the national press. Various reports had the Vols being turned down by Jon Gruden, Lovie Smith, Will Muschamp, Troy Calhoun, David Cutcliffe and Kyle Whittingham. At that point, AD Mike Hamilton hired Derek Dooley from Louisiana Tech despite a 17-20 overall resume and a 4-8 record last year.

Now history seems to be repeating itself as Tennessee searches to find a defensive coordinator. Clemson DC Kevin Steele backed out of a deal with his alma mater to stay in South Carolina for less money. Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach Joe Barry accepted the linebackers coaching job at Southern Cal rather than the Vols’ coordinator job. South Carolina sources say that Gamecock assistant Ellis Johnson also turned down a high-six-figure offer from the Vols. Additionally, Alabama’s Kirby Smart is believed to have turned down overtures from Dooley, too.

Bob Sanders — who had been mentioned in connection with the job — has been retained by new Buffalo coach Chan Gailey and will once again coach the Bills’ defensive line next season.

And yesterday, North Carolina’s Everett Withers announced that despite preliminary conversations with UT, he will be staying in Chapel Hill.

Some other names on UT’s rumored board continue to be: Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri, TCU defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas (a former Volunteer assistant under Johnny Majors), New Orleans Saints defensive line boach Travis Jones and current UT linebackers coach Lance Thompson.

Jones has also been mentioned in connection with the remaining open position on Georgia’s staff. Jones is a former Bulldog player.

Regardless, the big orange T on their helmets could just as easily stand for “tumult” as it does Tennessee right now.

At the same time, the struggle to find a new DC actually makes Dooley’s recruiting skills (for players) look better. He has — it appears — stopped the bleeding from Kiffin’s departure and has kept many defensive prospects in the fold despite the lack of an in-place coordinator.

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Writer: Kiffin A Better Hire Than Dooley

John — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:58:25 +0000

Tennessee fans aren’t going to like this one. But Kentucky fans might.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com has posted his rankings of the best and worst of the 22 college football hires this offseason.

The best hires in his view? Skip Holtz to South Florida, Tommy Tuberville to Texas Tech and Brian Kelly to Notre Dame.

Joker Phillips ascension to the throne at Kentucky ranks #8 on his list.

“Joker knows Kentucky. Joker knows the SEC. Joker knows the job. This is a coach-in-waiting transition that was non-controversial. Rich Brooks named Phillips his successor two years ago. Phillips has played, coached and loved Kentucky. His offensive background should all the Wildcats to dream about making the next step in the SEC — winning the East.”

Okay, okay, that would appear to be a little over the top. The fact is we have no idea whether Phillips can run a program or not. And as far as “non-controversial” goes, perhaps Mr. Dodd should have turned on a Lexington talk show or two.

But while the writer talks up Phillips, he talks down the situation at Tennessee. Way down.

Mr. Dodd actually lists Tennessee’s hire of Derek Dooley as #17 (out of 22)… right behind Southern Cal’s hiring of Lane Kiffin.

Of Kiffin he writes: “Kiffin comes back ‘home’ having left a trail of NCAA violations at Tennessee but perhaps facing more in the future when the NCAA gets through with USC. In the short term, Kiffin has been able to keep a top recruiting class together even when Ed Orgeron isn’t on the phone. We still don’t know if Coach K can coach, though. Should USC be the place where you learn on the job?”

Of Dooley, Mr. Dodd opines: “Suddenly David Cutcliffe looks like Vince Lombardi in Knoxville. Early word is that a lot of recruits are bailing on UT. That might be the ultimate penalty Mike Hamilton pays for Kiffin’s quickie divorce. Dooley wasn’t a ‘name’ and faces a huge task of learning how things work at a top 15 program. Getting Louisiana Tech to the Independence Bowl is one thing. Fighting Florida in the SEC East is another.”

Actually, Dooley has held together Tennessee’s class a bit better than expected so far, but that case won’t be closed until next Wednesday.

And for the record, Mr. Dodd believes Marshall, Florida State, East Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, San Jose State and Western Kentucky all found better leaders than did Tennessee (and Southern Cal).

Kiffin Haunts UT Again, Lands Barry

John — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:30:23 +0000

Tennessee was interested in Joe Barry. Joe Barry said that he was interested in Tennessee.

But in the end, the lure of Southern Cal was greater than the lure of Tennessee.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker coach — a USC alum, by the way — has agreed to join the staff of Lane Kiffin in Los Angeles.

Interestingly, Barry was talking to Tennessee about its defensive coordinator job… a title that will belong to his old boss Monte Kiffin in LA. Is it possible Barry has been given a “you’ll be the next coordinator” promise? Possibly. But it doesn’t help UT’s current image problem that a coach has turned down a coordinator job in Knoxville for a lesser gig with USC.

So where might Tennessee turn now? ESPN.com’s Chris Low throws out the name of North Carolina defensive coordinator Everett Withers.

Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri has been mentioned as well… as has the possibility of current linebackers coach Lance Thompson being promoted.

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