All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Five things Danny White must avoid in coaching search

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 12: General view of a Tennessee Volunteers flag during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Overcorrecting from previous coach

This is one of the worst mistakes athletic directors can make. When a coach fails, they go out of their way to find the exact opposite type of coach in their next hire, completely reversing their criteria. It is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, coaches don’t work out. That doesn’t mean the profile for them changes.

After firing Phillip Fulmer, a southern ball coach with a calm demeanor, Mike Hamilton went for brashness and youth and brought in Lane Kiffin from the West Coast. However, once Kiffin bolted after one year, angering half the SEC in the process, Hamilton went for classy, southerner who would never say something to offend anybody in Derek Dooley.

Since Dooley was seen as too much of a CEO, Dave Hart went for a guy focused on schemes in Butch Jones. However, the finesse of Jones’ program proved costly, so Fulmer decided to hire a defensive coordinator who would bring the pro-style offense back and focus on toughness.

None of these have worked out. Tennessee football should only look at the qualifications of a coach and the success he had. If another defensive minded coach is qualified, they shouldn’t ignore him just because Pruitt didn’t work out.

Home/Vols Football