Published April 20, 2012 - 11:38am
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Year three is an important one in Knoxville for Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley.
If the Vols don’t get their act together, he could be on the way out.
Tennessee has a football program with a rich history that includes six national titles, a unit that peaked on a national stage under Phillip Fulmer — whose now reportedly a leading candidate for the Arkansas gig — with nine double-digit win seasons over a 15-year span. Next to Steve Spurrier’s Gators, the Vols were the annual favorites in SEC East.
But that’s old news. It’s been awhile since playing under the lights at Neyland Stadium actually meant something.
Since Fulmer departed in 2010 after a subpar season, the Vols have continued to sputter in the wins and losses department. Tennessee has registered 11 victories in 25 tries under Dooley and finished in the East cellar last season. Dating back to 2002, four years after quarterback Tee Martin and the Vols captured the school’s most recent national title, Tennessee is 9-21 against conference rivals Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Seven of those victories came between 2003 and 2006, further defining UT’s recent plummet into mediocrity. The last time Tennessee appeared the SEC Championship Game was in 2007.
Last season’s brutal 10-7 loss at Kentucky put the finishing touches on Tennessee’s embarrassing season, just its third 5-7 campaign in two decades. The Orange and White fortress around Dooley began crumbling soon thereafter.
Five assistant coaches quit after the stinker in Lexington and Dooley’s been stuck with constant off-the-field headaches and academic distractions this off-season. Recently, talented wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers has promised the coaching staff that his non-football issues are over. That’s great for the Vols, because they need all the playmakers they can get and a little luck in the injury department.
One bright acquisition in 2012 is Sal Sunseri, Alabama’s former outside linebackers coach who took over as the team’s defensive coordinator. Alongside d-coordinator Kirby Smart, Sunseri helped direct one of the nation’s nastiest defenses, a unit that ranked first in all the vital categories — total defense, scoring defense, third-down efficient, first downs allowed and red zone efficiency.
Sunseri doesn’t have the athletes at his disposal that he enjoyed in Tuscaloosa, but Tennessee returns a number of players capable of making the switch to Sunseri’s playbook, including sophomore standout A.J. Johnson. A key factor will be the Vols’ ability to make adjustments on that side of the ball after intermission. Tennessee outscored the opposition 161-111 before halftime in 2011, but in the quarters that count, were beaten 160-77.
Offensively, Tennessee should be fine with a veteran returning quarterback and running backs Marlin Lane and Rajion Neal. Justin Hunter provides an impact target on the outside after coming back from a season-ending ACL tear.
With a fresh look on defense and a All-SEC caliber signal caller, Dooley will need to make the most of his $1.8 million contract this season — perhaps beating the Gators while they’re down — to fight another day in Knoxville.
Times are tough, but Tennessee’s offense at full-strength could delay Dooley’s departure at least one, maybe two, more seasons.
What an abysmal article.
It’s farcical to suggest that off-field issues have been an issue. UT has way fewer academic and legal problems than any of the serious SEC competitors; it’s a more cogent argument that we have way too few off-field issues and a team of “good ‘ole guys.” I hardly think Da’Rick being a bit of a selfish teammate constitutes grounds for the line in your article about off-field problems.
Explain to me how the one good thing we have going is the Alabama transplant? Typical. How about a roster with minute turnover and the return of almost every starter from a year ago. How about the fact that although a high number of coaches churned out, the resumes of their replacements suggest an upgrade in both recruiting and coaching ability overall. How about an extremely experienced line protecting a gunslinger QB who will have two future 1st or 2nd rounders and the top-rated Juco player to throw to.
Finally, I love the suggestion of the last line, that success this year may buy him a year or two, but inevitably Dooley will fail……..
- You return most of the starters on a team that finished 5-7 … you’re excited about that?
- About the gunslinger QB and talented wideout, did I not say Tennessee should be fine on offense?
- Do you really think Dooley will be in Knoxville in 2014?
Take off the Smokey blinders, please. The Vols will inevitably finish fifth in the East most likely ahead of Vandy and Kentucky. Missouri, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia are all better teams in their own division.
Not a good look for a program with a rich history.
I think Dooley has done an outstanding job at UT. Remember folks, he inherited a mess.
There’s no way you can constitute consecutive losing seasons as outstanding. That’s unacceptable in Knoxville, hence why Fulmer got the boot.
I know, I see your point, but you’ve got to clean the house first to make it a home. UT’s house was trashed beyond belief. It takes time.
For the record swanndiggs, its three straight wins over Clemson. Hard to believe you live in Columbia and don’t know that. There’s absolutely no way Tennessee challenges for second or third in the East this season. I don’t see it and neither does the majority of other sports writers.
Funny how sc fans, after finally having some success, and finally beating Clemson back to back are now the type of fans they hated when they were getting stomped.
Dooley has done a good job with what he was left with. No coach would have done any better dealing with the attrition from Fulmer leaving and the Kiffin disaster. Fulmer did need to go when he did.
Dooley is recruiting well. Has some great assistants in place, and will produce a better team this year. SEC east champs, not even close yet. Will they knock off some better teams, yes. Could they finish 3rd or if they really come together 2nd, there is a chance. UT finally has some depth and a lot of talented guys with experience.
Oh yeah and off field issues, Dooley has done a much better job and since he has come in. SC has had more issues over the past few years than UT. Living in Columbia , I should know.
Right because as South Carolina fans we hated reading unbiased articles about other teams. Let the guy write. Nothing he wrote in his article is anything other than facts. He wasnt trash talking Dooley he simply said , in less words, that he wasnt getting the job done, and at a school like Tennessee it is unexceptable because of what they used to be. To your “finally having success” statement its not that South Carolina fans are turning into the people we used to hate, its that people like you are finally realizing that we are gaining some hard earned respect and you feel threatened that we are now a team to be taken seriously. if you really are so quick to say something like that remember that you your self are part of a fan base that had a team that had double digit winning seasons 9 out of 15 years and you were that person we used to hate because your team had so much success off of our team and that if we are guilty of acting like this so are you. its just that now the sides are flipped and your are having a hard time dealing with it. which is fine and it will come in time but probably not too soon as i reallly feel that tennessee will be a much better football team this year and you wont have to cope with being where your team currently is. honestly i felt like the writer complemented tenessee pretty well in saying that mediocrity can and will not be tolerated at the University of Tennesse because of their tradition in winning they used to have. please sir do not feel like every bad thing written about your school is an attack on the program. learn to recognize an unbiased article when it is in front of you, learn to read everything think before you speak and have a nice day.
Preach it brother.
There’s no way Tennessee can finish second or third in the East. That’s laughable. Vols fans are denying the inevitable (Dooley lasting no more than 3 more seasons)
Well predictions are like opinions, everybody has them.
First my response was never triggered as I thought the article was “an attack”, more like a lack of all the facts.
It’s true, back to back losing seasons is unacceptable, I don’t care who the coach is, be Saban, Spurrier, Miles, or even Neyland himself could have walked into the dumpster fire that was UT’s program when Dooley came on and had a drastic change immediately. Anyone realistic knew it was going to be a hard long road and take at least 3 to 4 years before there was going to be a significant change.
Fulmer underpreformed his last several years, and even though he had highly ranked recruiting classes, they were full of busts and bad apples. Then Kiffin came in with his highly rated recruiting class also filled with busts and bad apples. Dooley came into a program that had self-destructed, then had to rebuild everything from scratch. In those back to back losing seasons UT put out squads filled with Freshmen and Soph’s who had a lot of learning to do to compete in the SEC. So YES I am happy to have so many starters returning from a 5-7 season. Those young players have a lot of experience, and have had more time to learn, and the talent to compete. Not to mention brutal schedules and key injuries. Anyone else from the east play LSU, BAMA, and Arkansas last year?
The UK loss was tough, but it had to end sometime. It came close several times to much better teams. To beat them as many times as we did in a row is hard to believe.
I do think Dooley will be around come 2014. I also think it is very realistic that UT will finish higher than 5th as you stated. The East is not as solid as the West. Florida is down, Georgia and SC will be very good, Vandy will be better, Mizzou will be good as well. Still there is no dominate team in the East. I said UT COULD finish 2nd or 3rd, not that they WOULD.
As you stated the Offense will be explosive. Losing Hunter last year was major. It changed the whole complexity of the offense. You like up Hunter, Rogers, and Patterson, along with several talented TE’s. That will be hard to stop w/ Bray. Lane and Neal along with incoming Baroque, and the rushing game, will be much better. Coach Graham will teach them to be great, just as he did w/ Lattimore. Coach Sal will get the D in line as well, there is talent there and a 3-4 is a better front for the talent UT has than a 4-3. If any team hopes to be competitive, you have to have some depth. UT finally has some depth at key positions which is key.
Scargamecocks, my response never bashed SC or disrespected as you took it. SC will be tough this year. What I did state was in response to Crawford’s comment of off field issues. It has been quieter since Dooley has been at the helm, but also stated SC has had more issues as of late. UT has had more than it’s share of problems under Fulmer and Kiffin. As for being unbiased…. I guess there is a new meaning the term unbiased.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but include the whole story.
Well said and you make good points.
But, we’ll come back to this story in December. And see what UT’s record is.
“Funny how sc fans, after finally having some success, and finally beating Clemson back to back are now the type of fans they hated when they were getting stomped.”
I guess I should rethink my definition of disrespect and bashing.