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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 14, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the North Texas Mean Green. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the North Texas Mean Green. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Ranking Presidents Before the Modern Era Part II

5. Teddy Roosevelt, 1901-1908

Honestly, up until 1907, Teddy Roosevelt would belong next to the bottom spot on this list given the fact that Tennessee had reeled off one winning record in football and two in baseball each in six years of his presidency to that point. But the final two years of Roosevelt’s presidency were very impressive. In 1907 and 1908 football went 7-2-1 and 7-2 respectively, and baseball went 17-10 and 16-3. Basketball also began under him, so he moves up to this spot.

4. Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923

Warren G. Harding in his short time oversaw lots of success from Tennessee athletics. The Vols never had a losing record in football, going 6-2-1, 8-2, and 5-4-1. Meanwhile, they went 8-7, 13-7-1, and 15-2 in basketball. And in baseball they had one winning season, one .500 season, and one losing season. That’s one losing season in nine chances by the sport. If he had not died in office, he might have been No. 1 on this list. But his successor has to get the credit.

3. Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1928

Calvin Coolidge took over for Harding and saw the Vols make the transition to becoming a national program. They went 5-4-1, 3-5, and 5-2-1 his first three years in football, but in 1926 Tennessee’s fortunes changed forever by hiring Gen. Robert Neyland. And under Coolidge, the Vols went 8-1, 8-0-1, and 9-0-1 the next three years with Neyland at the helm while winning a Southern Conference title. This is what puts Coolidge here. But basketball and baseball saw limited success, which is why he can’t be higher than the next guy on the list.

Next: Ranking Presidents Before the Modern Era: #2-1

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