Tennessee...You're My Inspiration
How many times last season did we hear the experts say, "What is wrong with Tennessee?"
"They are not playing with any passion," they said.
"We're just not seeing the same talent there," we heard.
Well this year the Vols head into an idle week with a 5-1 record. The only loss came by one point to the 2nd ranked Florida Gators. This is after going 5-6 last year and having the worst season in Knoxville in recent memory.
There is a lesson to be learned here for fans of other schools around the NCAA that are struggling. Relax. Let cooler heads prevail. You don't necessarily need to fire your coach. Sometimes, teams simply have bad years.
This occured to me because I am a University of Miami graduate and I read stories about banners being flown over the Orange Bowl calling for the dismissal of Head Coach Larry Coker and Athletic Director Paul Dee. Larry Coker knew how to coach in 2001 when he won a national championship, and again in 2002 when he "lost" to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Phillip Fulmer was a well-respected coach before 2005, and I'm glad to see that he's been able to put last year behind him. The SEC just wasn't the same without Tennessee being competitive.
Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and Fulmer both had a lot of improvement to make after last season, and both have done great jobs in 2006. In Michigan, Lloyd Carr, a guy who is seemingly always about to get fired, has his Wolverines at 6-0 heading into this weekend's game at Penn State. Texas Coach Mack Brown felt some heat while coaching the Longhorns, until he won the national championship last year.
So, if your team isn't do so well right now (FSU, Miami, Penn State), just turn on a Tennessee game and remind yourself that better times are ahead. Every situation is different, so maybe you do need to fire your coach, or maybe it's just a bad year.
Comments
Tennessee still isn't on top in the East. Meanwhile, Arkansas punks Auburn and goes 4-1 with a coach on a hotter seat and leads the West. Wrong team, buddy.
Posted by: Royce | October 11, 2006 04:16 PM
Right on, Adam! Too many people want to pull the trigger on good coaches after one poor season. Just look at Ole Miss and Nebraska... good coaches who were doing a good job turned out after disappointing seasons. I'm proud of Fulmer and the way he runs the program and the way the kids respond... he's a great coach and an even better man. Larry Coker appears to have the same attributes and they will return to glory next year, I'm sure.
Posted by: VolsFan | October 14, 2006 09:13 AM