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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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Aug 31, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs in the end zone to celebrate the touchdown against the Utah State Aggies during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-7. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs in the end zone to celebrate the touchdown against the Utah State Aggies during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-7. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

Ranking Presidents Before the Modern Era Part I

9. Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893

Perhaps this one is completely unfair. But all Benjamin Harrison oversaw was the first two years of the Tennessee football program in 1891 and 1892, and in those two years the Vols went 2-6. They were winless the first year, at 0-1 with a 24-0 loss to Sewanee, and in 1892 they lost to Vanderbilt and Sewanee twice and only beat Maryville and Chattanooga en route to a 2-5 record. So he’s at the bottom.

8. William Taft, 1909-1913

Tennessee had expanded to all three major sports by the William Taft became president, and they were losers in all of them. Baseball had a good start going 18-5 in 1909, but then they fell to 11-7, 10-8, and 7-11-1 by the end of his presidency. Meanwhile, football was an atrocity, going 1-6, 3-5-1, 3-4-2, and 4-4 under him. And basketball was 2-5, 7-8, 7-9, and 5-5 before he lost his election in 1912.

7. Grover Cleveland, 1893-1897

Cleveland’s second term after unseating Benjamin Harrison, who unseated him in 1889, saw the Vols football program cement itself. But it wasn’t pretty at first. After a 2-4 record in 1893, the program stopped recognizing varsity football. Then, in 1894 they went 2-0-2, and in 1895 they went 3-2-1. That allowed them to restore varsity football in 1896, and they went 4-0 then. The football program was established after a rocky start.

6. William McKinley, 1897-1901

The first president to see real, consistent success under the Tennessee Vols, the football program had records of 4-1, 6-2,  and 3-2-1. Three straight winning records with an 1898 interruption of no season due to the Spanish-American War. McKinley was also president when Tennessee started its baseball program, and despite a 6-9-1 record in 1897, expanding the athletic department counts for something. And they went 6-5 in 1900. Unfortunately, McKinley was assassinated in 1901.

Next: Ranking Presidents Before the Modern Era: #5-3

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