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Barack Obama is One of the Worst Presidents Ever So Far…For Tennessee Vols Athletics

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 12, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; President Barack Obama after delivering the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Network
Jan 12, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; President Barack Obama after delivering the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY Network /
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Nov 7, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of flag after a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocksat Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports. Tennessee won 27 to 24.
Nov 7, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of flag after a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocksat Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports. Tennessee won 27 to 24. /

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945

Only one sport is needed to put FDR at the No. 2 position as president for Tennessee athletics. The Vols achieved far and away their greatest success under him, and it is not even close.

This was the peak of the Gen. Robert Neyland years, and Roosevelt oversaw the Vols win three straight SEC Titles, going 11-0 in 1938, 10-1 in 1939, and 10-1 in 1940 with no regular season losses. In fact, Tennessee had a 23-game winning streak under Roosevelt and a 33-game regular season winning streak from 1936 to 1940. On top of that, they went 19 straight games without allowing a point from 1938 to 1939, and they did that for 21 straight regular season games.

Even after Neyland left, the Vols went 8-2 under John Barnhill in 1941 and 9-1-1 in 1942 with another Sugar Bowl victory before not fielding a team in 1943 due to World War II. Add in the 7-1-1 record in 1944, and FDR oversaw six straight Top 25 finishes with three straight SEC and national championships in some form.

But that alone doesn’t move him to No. 2. The men’s basketball program enjoyed its greatest level of prosperity during this time before Ray Mears had arrived. Under John Mauer, the Vols had six straight winning seasons from 1938 to 1945 and won two SEC Championships. They won another one the year before he arrived, meaning the Vols had three SEC basketball titles under Roosevelt. No other president has overseen the Vols winning three basketball SEC Titles.

There were only four baseball seasons during this time from 1939-1942, but the Vols did have two winning seasons in the sport. All of this is unprecedented success.

But if it puts FDR at No. 2, who on Earth could be No. 1?

Next: #1: Bill Clinton

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