Derek Dooley is now settling into what we all hope is  a very long-term job. Initial signs were good. Within a few days, Tennessee hired a pretty well respected receivers coach in Charlie Baggett. Baggett’s list of coached receivers is more impressive than the heralded tailbacks coached by Eddie Gran. Get a load of this: Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Plaxico Burress, Mushin Muhammed, Andre Rison, and Derrick Mason. Come get some. Shortly after, four-star receiver Justin Hunter dropped his nearly six month commitment to LSU and switched to Tennessee. Rumors swirled about Rodney Garner, Kevin Steele,and Dick Bumpas all potentially joining the staff. Word came in that long-time Georgia commit De’rick Rogers was to visit along with Markeith Ambles. Lane Kiffin was all over TMZ with a few blondes (one of which may or may not have been Layla), a lot of booze and a wrecked Lexus (a Wrexus?). We were down, but the resolve in Knoxville was strong.

Just a few days later and things are drastically different. Markeith Ambles is visiting USC and probably will not step foot in Knoxville again before signing day (if ever). Tennessee was very publicly spurned by one of its own when Kevin Steele took his extra 200k and stayed at Clemson. Willie Mack Garza decides to sneak out in the middle of the night like a drunken frat boy who went home with the slump-buster. All of a sudden the sky is falling again.  Well, in my humble opinion, we were never going to assimilate a better, or even an equal staff to the one we lost. Gran and Wilson are both beast recruiters with lots of contacts and very defined areas of expertise (South Florida and Louisiana). James Cregg got rave reviews from everyone I heard talk about him, especially Aaron Douglas. And quite frankly, the work that he did with our offensive line this year is really pretty incredible.

We also were never going to salvage this recruiting class into the top 5 or 10 that it almost certainly would have been under Kiffin. We’ll never know if guys like Brandon Willis, Michael Taylor, or Ahmad Dixon would have worn Orange or if they would have been any good, but they’re all going to be rated higher than the guys Dooley brings in to replace them.  You can’t go through three almost entirely different staffs in less than two years, then lose your starting quarterback (Crompton), tailback (Hardesty), left tackle (Scott), best linebacker (McCoy), best defensive lineman (Williams), and a once in a decade talent in Berry and contend. No program could withstand that, but when that program has to pull the majority of their recruits from other states it just becomes that much more difficult.

However, the sky isn’t falling either. Coach Kiffin did a lot of things that hurt this school. Mckenzie and I would be the first to tell you, his statement that he left the university in better shape than when he found it is indicative of the kind of arrogance that fans hate. But he also brought in an influx of talent that the program desperately needed. Janzen Jackson, David Oku, Bryce Brown, Greg King, Eric Gordon, and Marsalous Teague combined with Tyler Bray, Matt Milton, JuJuan James, Corey Miller and the rest of this class gives Dooley the very luxury that Kiffin’s predecessor was so harshly criticized for denying him: a foundation of young talent.

Coach Dooley was asked at his press conference about potentially running a 3/4. His response was something to the effect of, “There’s a lot of different ways to win. 4/3, 3/4 or whatever you want to use. There’s a lot of different ways to win.” If there were ever a time in football where that was true, it is right now. Look at the NFL playoffs for example. The Jets run the ball and have four pro-bowl caliber offensive lineman to go along with an exceptional defense. The Saints have a high flying offense. I can’t name a single member of their offensive line but I can name six of their receivers. In college, Florida runs the spread option, Texas runs a passing spread, Bama pounds the ball. What you run isn’t nearly as important as who is running it and how talented they are. To take that to a bigger scale, there are a lot of different ways to run a succesful program too. You can succeed ala Miami in the early 2000′s or Southern Cal more recently and make no bones about the fact that the school is an NFL factory. Obviously this is style Kiffin tried to bring ot Knoxville, and as John Adams said, it’s not that it didn’t work, it just didn’t work long enough. Or you can succeed ala Alabama or Georgia and preach teamwork, discipline and (as Nick Saban loves to say) “process” and let the results take care of themselves. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to do both. We found that out the hard way.

I’m cautiously excited about Dooley. I would feel better if we had a full staff here just before signing day, but under the circumstances Dooley can hardly be blamed. 17-20 in three years is down right unacceptable. But just as I told Fulmer supporters when we fired him just ten months removed from an SEC East Championship (whatever the hell that is) wins and losses don’t measure the entirety of what it means to be a coach. He does come from a strong pedigree, he says all the right things, and (maybe most importantly) he sounds southern as he does it. Right now I’m taking a big wait and see. But I do believe the foundation is there to be built upon and it is still great to be a Tennessee Vol.

Troy Calhoun: He looks a little Skip Bayliss-ish to me...

Volunteer fans, I come before you humbled. Like many of you, I spent most of last night glued to my computer surfing the various message boards (I tend to float between Outermonvolia, VolChat and Volquest) and my phone waiting on the first inkling of a coaching hire. At one point Hamilton was in Dallas to talk to Muschamp (or was it a smoke screen for Gary Patterson?) then he was in Colorado to see Troy Calhoun (or was he secretly meeting with Chris Peterson?) then he was in Orlando talking with Mickey Mouse about a 7 year 21 Million dollar deal but evidently it hinged on his ability to bring Donald (Duck, not Chris) in as his defensive coordinator. Bottom line: I’ve got no idea what the hell is going on. I do know that Matt Milton, Corey Miller, and Tyler Bray (three of our freshman already on campus) are not in favor of Calhoun. But before we delve into the bottomless pit of (mostly mediocre) coaches that we seem to be combing through, I want to talk briefly about our last coach…

He fucked us. I’m sorry to be so blunt about it, but there is really no other way to say it. Two mornings ago Mac and I were talking about Kyle Prater. Now we’re talking about Kyle Wittingham. I watched all of Kiffin’s press conference last night and I will give props to Knoxville reporter Steve Phillips for flying out there to give Kiffin the business. First,there is no doubt in my mind that Orgeron was calling recruits. Matt Milton and several other guys already on campus confirmed as much and Brandon Willis’ dad has a statement about it in today’s USA TODAY. And while the reaction was swift and angry from Vol Nation I found myself feeling a little dirty about being pissed over those calls. Ed Orgeron is what he is, a savage recruiter with very few real morals to speak of, that will do whatever he has to do to get the best players and to win. He’s a mad dog, you let him loose and he just goes. His loyalties don’t mean anything more than just the logo that happens to be on his shirt that day. He used to be wearing our logo, now he’s not.

As for Kiffin…nobody loved him more than I. I totally bought in. He wanted to commit violations in the name of exposure, I’m down. He wants to call out Urban Meyer, even better. I still believe had he stayed that he would have built a winner here. When Kiffin said last night the riots in the streets meant they (his staff) had done something right, I agreed with him. We were getting players, we were showing imporvement, and now the rug has been yanked out from under us at the worst possible time. What sucks is that we all just receieved a reminder that as much as we may love UT, we’re not USC or even the other UT. Coaches will always leave the University of Tennessee’s of the world for the University of Southern California’s of the world. Its just easier to be succesful there and coach Kiffin even acknowledged as much.

That said, regardless of our inability to ever win a meaningful football game again (joooooooke), we are conducting a search for our next coach. Here’s a list of my candidates in order. I did not include Gruden because no one that I know of has spotted him playing golf with Thorton and Haslem yet.

1. Will Muschamp: Exciting young coach that has had success in the SEC. He’s also worked with Lance Thompson and keeping him is going to be a key in salvaging this recruiting class. Reports are that he’s already turned us down, and I wouldn’t be surprised, but he’s still my top candidate.

2. Greg Schiano: Coach of the year in 2006. Has recruited the hell out of southern Florida from Rutgers. Seriously, I don’t understand why he isn’t getting more buzz. He’s had a winning record every year since 2005, has won bowl games the last three years and Rutgers was a legit laughing stock before he got there. Hard nosed guy who recruits and works hard. I would love to have him. One problem is I have heard he could be a candidate should Jo-Pa ever retire (die). He signed an extension in 2007 and makes 1.5 a year. Hamilton calls and bumps it up to three is that enough to pull him?

3. Troy Calhoun: Perception is the only reason he is behind Schiano for me. He’s been at Air Force and they run the triple option. Not because he wanted to, but because when he got to Air Force they had one three-star player and not a man over 300lbs (I cannot back this up with anything verifiable, but I’ve read it more than once and it sounds good). He does have NFL experience having worked with the Broncos and Texans, but his Texans offense in 2006 was 28th in the league…I don’t know. He has won at Air Force which is not an easy thing to do, but in a lot of ways I feel like even with the head coaching experience he is a riskier choice than Muschamp. I really don’t know enough about him to say whether or not I feel like it would be a good hire, but he will have to assure Milton, Bray and the rest of the commits (and fans) that there will be no triple option at UT. Reports this morning appear to have him as the leader, and as of right now there is a real chance he is your next University of Tennessee football coach.

After that, I don’t really know. Cutcliffe is my worst nightmare as I think it would be the equivalant of Vol Nation reaching out for its warm blankie because it is scared. But Hamilton’s job is very much on the line. I doubt he’s going to trust his future in the hands of David Cutcliffe, and if he does it will have meant that we were turned down by several other coaches. Other candidates being tossed around are Chris Peterson of Boise, Randy Edsall at UConn (Basilio loves him…I could maybe get behind that hire too) Mike Leach (Gag me with a freaking broom handle), and George Quarles (joke). Gary Patterson would be on my list above Schiano, however I read this morning where Hubbs said he had declined to be considered a candidate. He would have made an excellent hire. Who knows where the list goes if the above are not hired. I have a feeling this gets done in the next 24 hours, but if it stretches much more than 72 hours and/or Kippy Brown ends up the head coach then Hamilton might as well pack his bags.

Well, Vol Nation, I feel badly addressing you after such an absence from the blog. Really don’t have an explanation other than to say the blog became more work than we had anticipated and with Jacob and I trying to graduate at some point it just became too much. However, in the wake of this Kiffin mess, I’ve got to write this, for my own sake. Read if you want.

The sky is falling here on the UT campus. I was part of a riot last night for the first time in my life. I saw my fellow students inexplicably climbing statues. One guy threw a road cone and hit a girl in the head. Neyland Stadium was close to being rushed by an angry mob. A few who led the charge made it into the stadium and safely snuck out after the cops arrived. We are just upset, man.

Pride is a factor. We are Tennessee. We aren’t used to being a stepping stone, and that’s exactly what Lane Kiffin has made us. I think it’s that more than any thing. Basically, we’ve been emasculated, because our football program is an absolute mess now. It’s not that we’ve lost Lane Kiffin; it’s the state he left us in. We don’t have a permanent school president right now. Our AD, Mike Hamilton, stuck his neck out to hire LK, and who knows how secure his job is right now. Reports have been circulating all morning about Phil Fulmer having been contacted about becoming AD or possibly the football coach again. All this three weeks before signing day. Shoot me now.

With all that we’ve lost, we need to look at what we have. We have Neyland. We have Peyton. Al Wilson. The Miracle at South Bend. A January night in Tempe. Basically what we have is the past. As Chris Walker said last night, “We are Tennessee today and tomorrow, next year. We are going to be Tennessee no matter what coach is going to be here.” And while it is something, keep in mind that current recruits were in elementry school when we won our national championship. Their image of Tennessee is the mediocrity that we have endured the last ten years. History is great, but we have to create new history.

Opposing fans, if you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re laughing. That’s fine. I really don’t give a rat’s ass what you think. I don’t need you. I don’t need sympathy from anyone. I’m a UT student. I’ve got 20,000 others just like me going through the exact same thing, and a whole state with us. We are Tennessee, and that means exponentially more to me than anything I’ve ever said about Lane Kiffin.

That said, I loved Lane Kiffin. Jacob loved Lane Kiffin. Anybody who read this blog knows. It makes me sick to say it now, but I loved what he was doing. I still believe he would have turned Tennessee into a winner. One of the things I loved about him was his professional approach to the game. With the staff he had, he was that caliber coach. The guy that could throw punches with the Sabans, Meyers, because we are that level of a school. We’ve got the tradition, the history; football is huge here. And with all our fan base has endured over the past few years, we thought we had the guy to get us back to where we want to be.

Oh well.

What Kiffin has done will set us back. We’ll lose tons of recruits. Michael Taylor, Brandon Willis, Delvin Jones, and Calvin Smith have been the first of an eventual list that at worst will contain names like Markieth Ambles (maybe USC, Florida), Jujuan James (Georgia, Alabama, maybe LSU) or Jacquez Smith (LSU) and best case scenario will still contain five to eight more guys. We may not get a good hire this time. We need to make a splash but is that coach really available at this point? Can we get Muschamp? Will a guy like Edsell, Calhoun or Peterson really be enough to satiate a fane base that has seen two head coaches in 14 months? Tennessee football may be down for a while.

At some point, we’ll be back. We’re too good to stay down. There’s too much passion here. Too much pride. Too much love for it all to stay down. Our basketball team just did one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen in sports, and there’s no limit in my mind to what Tennessee can be.

So here’s your pick me up, Vol fans. Times are dark right now, but you don’t have to look very far to see an example of a program overcoming devastating NCAA sanctions and their coach skipping out in the middle of the night for a “better job”. Alabama, once on the verge of the death penalty, is now the best college football program in the country. And they are in a position to remain so for a very long time. Things will get better Vol fans. From Memphis to Savannah, Union City to the ‘Boro, Nashville to Lexington, Shelbyville, Columbia, Chatt-town, McMinnville, and all of EAST TN, sing it with me…..

Rocky Top, you’ll ALWAYS be, home sweet home to me….

WE ARE TENNESSEE

-The 75 point margin of victory is the second largest in school history, second only to a 79 point victory over the University of Mexico in 1966.

-UNC Asheville never led in the contest, and the largest Volunteer lead was 83 points.

-Scotty Hopson scored 25 points in only 23 minutes on the court.  He hit his first six attempts from beyond the arc, finishing the game shooting 6 of 7 from long range and he is currently 10 of 13 on the season.  He is also leading the team in points per game with 20.5.

-The Vols forced 29 turnovers, and scored 49 points off of those turnovers, the same number of points the entire UNC Asheville team amassed. 

-The Vols held the Bulldogs to only 24% shooting, while the home team converted on almost 60% of their attempts.

The biggest news of the week took place off the court, and mostly in the State of New York.  On Tuesday, multiple sources reported that NYC small forward, Jayvaugh Pinkston would sign with the Volunteers on the following day.  Later in the day, Tobias Harris, the top ranked small forward in the class of 2011, who is also from New York, made an unexpected trip to see the Vols rout UNC Asheville.  Thursday, the same sources reported that Pinkston would wait until the spring signing period to sign with a team.  Finally ending the week’s drama, Tobias Harris announced his plans to attend the University of Tennessee on ESPNU that evening. 

Harris is a tall and athletic small forward who can do it all.  He can beat you from the outside, play under the basket, and drive to the glass, which is a lethal threat when combined with his 6’8 frame.  His game is most commonly compared to Carmello Anthony’s, but comparisons have also been made to Tyler Smith, Grant Hill, Chris Douglas Roberts, and the late Len Bias.  Harris is a perfect fit for the Volunteers and should thrive in Coach Pearl’s system, as he can get up and down the court with ease.  Expect him to play a role very similar to Tyler’s role this year.

Harris will be big for the program in many, many ways.  First, he is a great player who will have an immediate impact on next year’s team, especially after the departures of Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism.  Also, he is a true one and done player, which should put an end to some negative recruiting by opposing coaches when he goes pro.  The commitment will also turn the heads of other big name recruits, with the first of these being the infamous Josh Selby.  Selby has reportedly asked the coaching staff to re-enter his recruitment after he de-committed from the Volunteers this summer.

The team started the game poorly, making sloppy passes and turning the ball over, providing the Governors opportunities to keep the game close, which they capitalized on late in the first half. Austin Peay made a run in the closing minutes of the first half, which reduced the Vol’s lead from a 17 point rout to a 6 point contest. The Vols came out with some intensity in the second half, gaining momentum with back to back Tyler Smith baskets and stellar play from Cameron Tatum and Scotty Hopson. In the end, the Governors were worn down by the Tennessee press, allowing the Vols to cruise in the second half to a 29 point victory.

Wayne and Tyler played their typical games against the Governors, both recording double-doubles. Tyler’s performance was representative of his consistent play, as he scored 14 points, grabbed 11 boards, and filled up every category in the stat column. It never ceases to amaze me how Tyler does so much for the team, but does it so quietly. He truly is a jack of all trades.

Scotty and Cameron complimented each other nicely while they shared time on the court, both tallying impressive stats. Scotty proved his impressive preseason play was not a fluke, as he scored 16 points, shooting 4 of 6 from behind the arc. Tatum was good, as well. He added 15 points, hitting three of his six three point attempts; much better play than we saw out of him in the preseason. Given that he continues to perform at that level and the fact that J.P. Prince has excelled in a sixth man role, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tatum cracks the starting lineup soon.

Tennessee’s point guard play has been very average since the departure of C.J. Watson, and this year it appears to be more of the same. I think Maze and Goins can be more than serviceable, but Friday was not an indication of any improvement at the position. It seemed like Maze was trying to force things, which resulted in five turnovers and even fewer assists. Bobby needs to play like a senior for this team to succeed, and he played like a freshman in his season debut. Goins was not disappointing in his first game as a Volunteer, but he has room for improvement. I was especially impressed with his effort on defense. He might not be able to replace Tabb’s defensive intensity, but he will be a suitable substitute. My biggest concern this season is the depth at point guard. I don’t even want to imagine who would see minutes if Maze or Goins goes down.

The freshmen did not look as good against better opposition, but there is no need to hit the panic button yet. I was actually impressed with McBee’s performance against the Governors despite his goose egg in the scoring column. He did exactly what he was supposed to do offensively, get open. He created shots for himself with ease; he just didn’t convert them. He went 0-4 from behind the arc, but that is far from representative of his shooting ability. If he keeps getting open, he will keep shooting, which is exactly what Bruce wants. Kenny Hall did not play well in his Volunteer debut, but showed a lot of potential in the preseason. He just needs a little polishing, and he will be a stud.

 Overall, the team’s performance was solid, but far from perfect. The press was fairly effective, our key players played well, and we showed lots of promise. One of the few negatives was attendance, which was less than stellar, especially for the first game of the season. Hopefully there will be a better turnout when the Vols take on UNC-Asheville tomorrow.

When I heard the news of these arrests this morning, I lot of emotions ran through my mind, but I gotta tell you, none of them were surprise. Sure, I was surprised at the shockingness of it, but I wasn’t blown away by the news itself. For those of you who were, you shouldn’t be. One of the best message board posts I’ve seen today was by monvolia’s LeonVol, who shared this pertinant info:

“There is a TON of evidence that points to the importance of stimulating a babies brain very early. This is not known in the ghetto. The process that occurs from years 1-3 are some of the most important in any kids life. One research project in the 1980s found that a kid raised by parents on welfare heard 20 million FEWER words than a kid raised by professional working parents. They found those extra words had a HUGE effects on their verbal ability. There is more and more evidence that the divide between kids that make it and kids that don’t is determined at a VERY early age. Like between birth and 1-2 years of age.”

With that in mind, think about the kids we recruit from areas such as these. They live 17 or 18 years in a certain environment and then are expected to adapt, just like that, to a world that’s very foreign to them. Before you get all worked up, know that in no way am I trying to excuse their behavior; I’m just trying to provide an explanation for it. If you think that it’s absurd for something like this to happen, I would guess you aren’t very familiar with the current atmoshpere surrounding our players on campus. When they walk around, peoples’ heads turn. They all wear the gear, I mean you can always spot them just by how they’re dressed. Regular students like me think it’s cool if we know them, so naturally, these guys are pampered. And that’s everywhere, I’m not just picking on our guys. I think this adoration they receive can lead them to think they are somewhat invincible.

Now, for those of you saying that Janzen Jackson should be gone regardless of what happens, think about what you’re saying. Our courts are designed to withhold judgement until all the facts are heard. Shouldn’t you do the same? Janzen has been released and his lawyer is claiming his innocence. Reportedly, Janzen wasn’t even around when the robbery took place, and that he tried to diffuse this situation. Now, the marijuana found in the car was in the glove compartment of the car and it was the girl’s. Obviously, it was in the glove compartment for a reason, but still, it wasn’t in Janzen’s hand. If he doesn’t fail a drug test, there’s no evidence to suggest that he was high. Now, amidst rumors that his suspension was due to a failed drug test and the fact that it’s probable anyway, of course I know how this sounds. All I’m doing is eliminating reasons you have to call for him being kicked off the team right now.

OK, so if you can’t say that he was high, and you can’t say that he was involved in the robbery, that leaves the fact that he was an accessory. Is it poor judgement to be in a car with marijuana at 2 AM? Absolutely, and at this point, that’s what I hold Janzen accountable for. But if that’s all he did, I don’t think his dismissal is warranted. I think he should definitely be punished; suspension for the rest of the year sounds about right to me. If all this guy did was get in a car with some weed in it, I say make him sit the bench for the rest of the year and hope that he learns his lesson. You could even give him a zero tolerance policy; if Janzen’s smart, he’ll mind his P’s and Q’s regardless of what happens. If he’s not, then sadly, he doesn’t deserve to play football for Tennessee.

And that brings me to the part of the post I didn’t want to write, and that’s the pretty obvious fact that Nu’Keese and Edwards must be kicked off the team.

I’ve seen it discussed a little bit, and as a big fan of hip-hop and its culture, its hard for me to be objective, but the irony of Lane Kiffin’s Lil’ Wayne shoutout is sharp as a knife. For those who might not know, on his new mixtape Lil Wayne included the line “smoke weed, talk shit like Lane Kiffin.”

Lil Wayne is awaiting a prison term in February for weapons charges. Ouch. The song has been all over campus; it’s becoming somewhat of a phenomenon. I’ve seen countless numbers of students’ facebook statuses devoted to it and I continue to hear the line in passing. UT’s coach in a best selling rapper’s song? Awesome. But at what price, right? This gun toting hip hop culture seems to be what is directly responsible for today’s arrests.

Consider how ingrained this culture is to kids like Nu’Keese Richardson. Just as rural kids love country music, riding four wheelers and hunting deer, kids from the ghetto love hip hop. Unfortunately, there are some dangerous aspects of it. Enter Lil Wayne’s weapons charge. Wayne has been rapping since his early teens and is now a millionaire; he “made it out” of the ghetto, if you will, and he did it all by himself. He had no obligations to anyone.

So when these young kids get a football scholarship, they see it as their “way out.” In their mind, they are that much closer to being at Lil Wayne’s status, and they are right. Like I said above, these guys are pampered the whole time they are here. When a guy with Nu’Keese Richardson’s talent signs his letter of intent to UT, he’s done the hard part. All he has to do is come in, take advantage of all the academic support that Tennessee offers, stay out of trouble, work hard in practice, and there’s a good chance he’ll play football for a living. It’s his ticket. The resulting crisis is, then, that since the Nu’Keeses of the world feel so much closer to fame and money and being like Lil’ Wayne, they want to get a head start and they go ahead and get a gun, smoke a lot of weed, etc.

What they don’t realize is that they still have work to do. They are being given the PRIVILEDGE of playing football, and while Lil Wayne can do whatever he wants, Nu’Keese still has a lot of people to answer to. The fact that he wasn’t smart enough to realize that is why his dismissal is necessary. Now, I always liked Nu’Keese, I thought he could’ve been a star. Based on the victims’ testimony, the arrest wasn’t very authoritative and that the girl driver was even smiling when they drove off. And keep in mind, people, it was a pellet gun. It’s not like Nu’Keese is some vicious criminal. Like Morgan Freeman says at the end of Shawshank having spent his whole life in prison for murder, he’s a “silly kid.” Everything about this thing screams immaturity: they pretty much did everything wrong that they possibly could.

Since Nu’Keese didn’t murder anybody, and wasn’t going to, he shouldn’t have to go to jail for his whole life like Morgan Freeman, but he needs to be punished severely enough to make him come to the same conclusion, that he was being  a dumb, immature kid. That’s why our justice system is designed the way it is.     

Hopefully the facts will show that Janzen Jackson simply got in a car with no knowledge of the robbery that was about to go down. If, not same goes for him.

Wasted potential is just sad. I hope Nu’Keese and Edwards will learn from this, get past it and lead productive lives. But sadly, they have no business ever wearing orange again.

Melrose Hall. For anyone who has lived here and had to endure the lack of air conditioning, don't worry. There's still none.

McClung Tower, tallest building on campus. Along with McClung museum, the tower is named for Frank H. McClung, father of the ecclectic Lee McClung, Hall of Fame Yale halfback and father of the cutback run, inaugural football coach at Cal-Berkeley, and Treasurer of the United States under William Howard Taft.

Hodges Library, an excellent facility that UT students take full advantage of. Jacob and I once spent 12 hours straight in there.

Supposedly if you hit this bull's nuts with a penny you'll pass your next test.

The Torchbearer. Officially, "The Volunteer Statue" and one of the coolest aspects of campus. It has stood there holding a near-continuous flame since 1968.

At the foot of the Torchbearer.

A neighbor to Neyland.

The Power T is kind of everywhere.

I'm unaware of the history of this box but I love it. It's on the south side of the stadium.

Stop Bama Always

Neyland from the Claxton Complex

Neyland from Circle Park, which brings us to the good stuff. It just so happens that random gates at Neyland will occasionally be open. I have to fight the urge to walk in every time. As you'll notice, I don't always succeed.

So there you have it, fellow Vols. That’s my album. I hope it was good enough to remind alumni of some fond memories and to inspire Vol fans that have never been here to make their mecca. It’s necessary. Those last few pictures of a majestic, empty Neyland don’t compare to how I felt when I was standing there taking them. After all, if you’re from Tennessee, it’s your campus.

Photo: Amy Smotherman Burgess, KNS

Tennessee’s coaching staff has been celebrated from its earliest moments by both fans and the media. For several different reasons, the staff has a sort of star quality. For one, there’s the obvious appeal of Lane Kiffin coaching with his father (shades of Junior Griffey knocking back-to-back dingers with Senior).

Much has also been made about the staff’s experience, and reasonably so.  Look at the coordinators: not only is Monte Kiffin one of the foremost defensive minds in football history, he also has college head coaching experience (albeit only two years in the Eighties). Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who most Vol fans couldn’t pick out of a line-up, presided over a Purdue offense that produced the two record-setting careers of Drew Brees and Kyle Orton.

The experience extends to the position coaches. Most notably, there’s the incredibly interesting career of Ed Orgeron. He’s been the subject of both books and songs, and as the Ole Miss head coach, he created an animalistic ritual called “Wild Boys” that involves him and his team screaming and ripping off their shirts (it’s been documented that he brought it with him to UT). While O proved to be an incapable SEC head coach, he does a great job with the defensive linemen. He’s also an “assistant head coach” to Kiffin, even though I don’t really know what he does to earn that title.

Each of UT’s other position coaches boast strong resumes; all but two have coached positionally at another SEC school (Reaves at Carolina, Gran at Auburn, Wilson at Ole Miss, Thompson at Alabama). Secondary coach Willie Mack Garza has never coached in the SEC, but has experience as a defensive coordinator and has also coached at TCU. This is also the first SEC job for offensive line coach James Cregg, but he held the same position at the NFL level for Kiffin in Oakland.

Really, Kiffin himself was the biggest question mark experience-wise. Be that as it may, any immaturity on his part is nullified and then some by the three-digit number of years his staff has collectively coached at quality positions.

All this coaching experience is great, but there’s one very distinct reason that I believe in this staff, and that’s its work ethic. This staff works extremely hard and its paying dividends everywhere. Consider how motivated the Vols are this year, both as a team and individually. Guys aren’t getting in trouble with the law anymore (absolutely not, in fact, since Kiffin’s hiring) and they are bringing it in practice. And it’s all because the staff has made it clear that their own discipline and hard work WILL be emulated by anyone wanting playing time on Saturdays. This is great for team chemistry, for the same reason a frat dude loves the pledge brother getting hazed beside him. When our guys are having one of those spontaneous 50 yard-line huddles, how can you not believe they like each other? A lot more helmet slapping and strutting this year. They just look like they’re having fun, and anyone who has played pee-wee sports knows that if nothing else, the game should be fun. On that note, winning is paramount to having fun in sports, and in college football, recruiting is unequivocally the most important ingredient in a winning formula. There’s really no argument otherwise.

And thus, we come to the zenith of Tennessee’s coaching staff. Half of the ten coaches have either been recruiting coordinators or the lead recruiter on a previous staff. They’re ace recruiters. They just get it. How are they so good? Well, they heed the words of the great Kevin Spacey, who said that, in order to win, “you only need the will to do what the other guy won’t.” If it’s gonna help him recruit and its feasible, Lane Kiffin’s gonna do it, I promise. Will some of these things draw criticism or make people think Kiffin is a clown? Yes, it will, but such criticism is foolish. Yeah, I said it. Based on this staff’s experience and recruiting stature, I wouldn’t doubt anything they did at this point. Consider how Kiffin and Orgeron choppered into a Georgia high school game to watch offensive lineman Juwuan James. People everywhere blasted it, saying it was gaudy and pretentious. They might have been right, but I have a news flash for you: Juwuan James committed to Tennessee last night. Results, people.

In the wake of the James commitment (huge get, by the way) VolChat poster volsandcoltsfan made an astute observation that speaks to the staff’s  relentlessness in recruiting. It was reported by the AJC that James called Orgeron to commit to the Vols at 9 o’clock last night, and O passed the phone around to the ENTIRE coaching staff. Later in the story it mentions that James had to leave a voicemail for Georgia’s coaching staff. Nine PM and our whole staff is still at the office. I was reminded of the proverbial high school sports adage, “if you aren’t getting better, your opponent is.”

So take a look at Tennessee’s recruiting class (currently ranked 6th nationally by Rivals) and if you’re still a naysayer, hear this: keep at it while I try to curb my enthusiasm about these guys. If you’re a Vol fan, chances are you are a Fulmer apologist. To you, I say get over it. Otherwise, you’re just a fan of an unemployed (for the moment?) football coach. And if you aren’t a Vol, you’re probably a fan of an opposing school. And to you, I say come get some, homie. Keep trying to avoid the fact that Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin is like the precocious young lion in a pack full of beasts. This season he’s just clawing around while his mane begins to grow, but it won’t be long before he’s on the prowl, seeking to devour anything that stands in the way of him being king of the freakin’ jungle.

In really any sport, when the elements of a team are collectively unfamiliar with each other, it takes time for coaches and players to learn their roles. Thinking about those early losses makes Tennessee’s 2009 team no exception. Even the most unbiased observer has to admit the Vols would stand a much greater chance to beat both UCLA and Auburn at this point in the season. If your counter argument to this high level of play is that it came too late in the season, think about that. Isn’t that asking a little too much out of your 34 year old rookie coach? I think so. You can’t just produce a contender after 6 months on the job. This team has gotten better every week, and that’s really all I care about.

CROMPTON - In case you guys didn’t know, Jonathan can play. His mountain values have carried him lately, and he has made a remarkable turnaround in his career. Amazing Crompy Stat #1: JC is currently 4th in the nation (that’s err’ body) with 21 touchdown passes on the season. Count ‘em: THREE quarterbacks in all of college football have thrown more touchdowns this year. Astounding. Amazing Crompy Stat #2: In UT’s last four games, the Crompster has a 14 to 2 touchdown to interception ratio. I’ll pause so you can pick up your jaw….I mean, are you guys as blown away by our quarterback as I am? Because we’ve discussed the subject at length here at 16th and Highland, I don’t want to dive into it too deep. I’ll simply say this: to go from being incapable of leading a team to victory against Wyoming, to having a breakout game to start the season, to only disappoint Big Orange fans with reminiscent performances early, to where he is now - Crompton has just been a very pleasant surprise. Doesn’t a 7 to 1 TD to INT ratio in the past four games (3 of them SEC, including nationally ranked Alabama and Carolina) make him the SEC’s best quarterback over that span? Am I crazy? And I really hate to go this far because of all the variables, but it’s worth noting at this point that continued success could lead to Jonathan Crompton’s drafting into the NFL. He’s 6-4 with a live arm and the numbers (if he stays on pace) to boot. Sure, the League will take into account his prior struggles, but there’s no way NFL teams will view his shortcomings with the disdain that UT’s fanbase did last year. All I’m saying is that quarterbacks with Crompton’s measurables and stats usually get drafted. They should invent an award for what Kiffin, Chaney, and David Reaves have done with this guy. And in no way do I say that to point out how bad Crompton has been in the past, but instead to celebrate the incredible improvements he’s made.

RECEIVERS – Going hand in hand with Crompton’s success is the emergence of the receiving corps that was lethargic early on, especially against Auburn. Gerald Jones, Denarius Moore, and Luke Stocker all have great chemistry with Crompy right now. Even Nu’Keese, Hancock, and Teague are looking better at this point.This mutual improvement between QB and wideouts doesn’t diminish the individual progress made by the receivers. Guys are running better routes, getting more seperation, and are making things happen after the catch.

RUNNING BACKS - Even if you take into account the immediate success of Tennessee’s run game this season, the weekly improvements by our backs are there. Bryce seems to be gaining a step as he continues to battle a hip flexer, and Hardesty is still full steam ahead. I’m so thankful he’s been able to stay healthy. The backs’ improvements extend to special teams, evidenced by David Oku’s opening kickoff return against Memphis. The fourth back, Tauren Poole, got sent to the locker room early Saturday night, seemingly because of an act of frustration. That’s understandable, given that Poole is a pretty good back and he just isn’t getting many chances in UT’s crowded backfield. Sadly for Poole, this is a good problem for the Vol coaching staff.

OFFENSIVE LINE – The big uglies have improved along with the rest of the offense. Freshman Aaron Douglas has come on strong at right tackle. The tight end in him makes him a dynamic tackle, very strong and athletic. He has great potential. The Sullins twins have performed admirably as of late, and mainstays Chris Scott and Jacques McClendon continue to get the job done. Hardesty’s 100 ypg average is a great testament to the O-line’s effectiveness.

DEFENSIVE LINE – Dan Williams has become Tennessee’s best defensive tackle since Justin Harrell. His speed makes him a very intriguing player and he should be great at the next level. He and Chris Walker (5.5 sacks) have led Orgeron’s unit this season while freshman tackle Montori Hughes and junior end Ben Martin have developed into reliable starters. Senior Wes Brown continues to get everything he can out of his knees. And the depth has strengthened on the defensive line, with one-time starter Gerald Williams and Willie Bohannon becoming very capable backups at end. Freshman Marlon Walls is seeing a lot of action at tackle and Andre Mathis has also contributed.

LINEBACKER - The ‘backer play might be the most impressive among UT’s position units given its utter depletion at this point. With Nick Reviez and Savy Frazier crutchin’ it on the sidelines, freshmen Herman Lathers and Nigel Mitchell Thornton passed their first test at middle linebacker against Memphis. Hopefully they can be consistent in this final SEC stretch. Lathers is an especially good looking prosect. Senior leader Rico McCoy has shored up his game as the season has progressed. For most of his career, the only gripe with Rico has been missed tackles; his 76 tackles are 4th most in the SEC. He also leads the SEC in forced fumbles with 4 on the year. LaMarcus Thompson has also played really well.

DEFENSIVE BACKS – The DB’s improvement can be traced by the following  stat: in each of UT’s last four games, the opposing leading receiver has been a big, fast, downfield threat (UM’s Duke Calhoun, USC’s Alshon Jeffrey, Bama’s Julio Jones, UGA’s A.J. Green). Those four receivers averaged just 5 catches and 52 yards against Tennessee. None of them caught touchdowns, an amazing feat for UT’s D. Monte Kiffin has done a phenomenal job of re-learning the college game on the fly and adapting his defense accordingly. Eric Berry was around the ball all night against Memphis and stepped oh-so-much closer to the NCAA INT return yardage record. Dennis Rogan has been solid and despite his recent suspension, Janzen Jackson has been a stalwart. Monte is salivating at the thought of having Janzen for at least the next two years.

A 5-4 record is generally not very impressive but anyone who has watched Tennessee this season knows its wins and losses aren’t indicative of its level of play. The Vols are a different team whichever way you slice it. Did you know we are the least penalized team in the SEC? How about the fact that UT’s 12 fourth down conversions are the SEC’s second most, and its opponents’ 3 are tied for least? Have you considered Tennessee’s presence in the upcoming NFL draft? By my count, there are 10 Vols that could potentially be drafted . Yes, they are Fulmer recruited players, but at least half didn’t stand a chance at being drafted at this time last season.

If the Vols run the table, win a New Year’s Day bowl, and finish 9-4, it would be one of the better turnarounds in recent SEC history and Kiffin should receive serious consideration for SEC Coach of the Year. You may say I’m getting ahead of myself and you’re probably right, but at this point, I expect my Vols to win these last three games. I don’t know what percentage of that statement is objective football analysis and what is fan bias, but fan or not, you can’t help but be impressed with Lane Kiffin’s 5-4 Tennessee Volunteers.