Why Bobby Petrino, Chip Kelly, Mike Leach And Even Peyton Manning Would Be Bad Hires
Like fall leaves changing in the Great Smoky Mountains and tourists clogging Pigeon Forge for holiday shopping, it is merely a matter of time before Butch Jones gets fired as head football coach at Tennessee.
Knowing this will happen, Athletic Director John Currie can take his time and not make any snap judgements on hiring a new coach (as an example of why snap judgements are a bad idea he needs only to use LSU’s Joe Alleva as an example, who’s now stuck with hapless Coach O and a $12 million buyout).
As Currie goes through a list of potential candidates, here are five he should absolutely not consider in his search, and the reasons why each would be a big mistake on the level of a Coach O, tho for different reasons.
1.) Bobby Petrino
This guy has more baggage than rich American women traveling through Europe. By comparison, he makes Rick Pitino seem like a saint.
No program in college football should ever consider hiring Petrino. From “Plane-gate,” where he would have gladly stabbed his old boss Tommy Tubberville (no man of great character himself) in the back to bolting out of the Atlanta Falcons facility so fast he informed the players via notes on their lockers to “Motorcycle-gate” at Arkansas, he’s not worth the Lane Kiffin-type of distractions.
2.) Chip Kelly
His arrogance and ego would never fit in Knoxville and the cigar-chomping big-time Southern boys alumni. Also, what’s his motivation at this point? I get the feeling he would become bored really quickly and besides, how much of an appetite will he have for recruiting? He sure would have a big appetite for Calhoun’s ribs, tho!
3.) Mike Leach
Kind of a hybrid between Petrino and Kelly, Leach is simply not a good fit for Knoxville. For starters, UT needs a coach who is going to get the team tough, to play defense and compete in the SEC. The East is no longer there for the taking with Kirby Smart looking like the second coming of Nick Saban. Tennessee needs a good, hard-nosed fundamental coach, not one who’s into a “Air Raid” offense who is also a bit of a wildcard character.
4.) Peyton Manning
A sentimental suggestion by some in the media (and a few misguided alumni), this simply would be a huge mistake. Manning has no head coaching, coordinator or even position coaching experience. Being a “coach on the field” does not qualify. That would quickly become apparent in Knoxville, like Coach O in Baton Rouge.
5.) Phillip Fulmer
This would only work if Fulmer re-hired David Cutcliff to be his offensive coordinator. That’s when Fulmer had his most success. Fulmer – nicknamed the Big Pumpkin – would be a bigger failure in his second tenure at Tennessee than John Robinson II was at USC.
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