Tis’ the season for giving.
But don’t get us wrong, the getting’s pretty awesome too. It’s the holiday season, so we’ve come up with a Christmas gift guide for Tennessee athletics, whether you’re looking for a last minute gift or something to buy with your the money you received from the lazy givers in your life.
Butch Jones: This year we’d give Butch Jones an offensive line. The one thing that kept his team from making noise in a suspect SEC East this year was weak offensive line play. It doesn’t look to get much better next year. Four of the team’s five starters return from a unit that lead the SEC in sacks allowed. Only six teams in the nation gave up more sacks than Tennessee last season. No matter how much Josh Dobbs develops, he can’t make plays if he’s lying on his back.
We’d also throw a little honesty in Butch’s stocking. Jones isn’t categorically a liar, but seems to have a moral blind-spot when it comes to injury reports (see Worley, Justin and North, Marquez). Saying “the so-called experts” predicted the team to finish with two to four wins was laughably inaccurate. Butch seems like a good guy. He has to learn fans and media members aren’t stupid and, while benign, his fibs hurt his credibility.
Donnie Tyndall: The only gift that may help Donnie Tyndall is a time machine. Tyndall’s tenure will, at worst, be over at the end of the year because of NCAA indiscretions while at Southern Miss. At best, Tyndall’s put himself a year behind in the recruiting game with a roster demolished by transfers after Cuonzo Martin left for greener pastures (and fair market value) at Cal.
There’s probably nothing else Tyndall can do to save his job at UT but change the past. The fan base, likely, won’t be willing to wait three more years to get to a 20 win season. If Cuonzo Martin’s Sweet 16 wasn’t enough to pacify the fan base after missing the tournament two straight seasons, Tyndall will have a tough time keeping fans emotionally invested with a team that may struggle to win 15 games this year.
Holly Warlick: Holly Warlick needs a birth to the Final Four this year. Holly’s done more than should have been expected of her given the situation she inherited. Her ascension to the head job came in the worst possible way and many fans wanted UT to throw money at Nikki Caldwell to replace Pat because of her previous head coaching experience. Holly’s loss in the Sweet 16 last year didn’t diminish those concerns. It should be noted that, while Caldwell is a fine coach, she’s never advanced past the Sweet 16 in her coaching career. A Final Four birth would galvanize the fan base and cement Holly as the rightful heir to Pat’s throne.
Dave Hart: This year we’d give Hart a copy of Disney’s Frozen soundtrack. Hart’s done a number of good things in his tenure. When it’s gotten ugly under Hart, though, it’s been down right hideous. Usually, those missteps seem to come when Hart refuses to relinquish control. “Let It Go” should be Hart’s mantra for 2015.
He was afraid Cuonzo Martin couldn’t sustain his success at UT so he low-balled him on his contract extension offer instead of rolling out an industry standard $2 million contract with a $3 million buyout. A $2 million deal would have put Cuonzo around fifth in the conference in total salary. That would have been a discount for the coach with the third highest winning percentage in the league during his tenure coming off a Sweet 16 season. Instead, Hart tried to lowball Martin, then played hardball with compensation for his first choice to replace Cuonzo in Mike White from Louisiana Tech. White decided to stay in Rustin which left Hart with nowhere to turn but Tyndall.
In Hart’s defense coaching salaries are completely out of whack in collegiate sports. Recalibrating them wasn’t Hart’s cross to bear. Hart couldn’t leave well enough alone. The program has been a dumpster fire ever since.
The debacle surrounding the Lady Vol logo’s demise could have been avoided with a little finesse as well. I’m sure Hart’s had to deal with a number of established employees challenging his authority as he’s made necessary changes in the last few years. You catch more bees with honey, however, and Hart’s lack of explanation for the move makes him look spiteful. Hart doesn’t owe the thousands of former Lady Vol athletes and fans up in arms, an explanation. He’s the boss. He can do whatever he wants. Failing to give one, though, has burned the bridge with a large portion of the fan base and alumni. That bridge can probably never be rebuilt.
The Fans: Finally, we’d give the fan base a little consistency. Every on-field win seems to be followed by some sort of off-field controversy. It would be nice for fans if everything in Knoxville was just kind of chill this year. Things don’t have to be spectacular. If fans could just enjoy a win without waiting for the other shoe to drop, that would be nice. Beat South Carolina? The star player is accused of rape. Go to a Sweet 16? Lose your coach to a lesser program. Hire a new coach with a great record? Said coach is implicated in big time NCAA issues. It’s been an awful few years for Tennessee fans. If 2015 was nice and boring that would be okay with us.
Will West is the co-host of Sports 180 on the Sports Animal. Listen live from 12:00-3:00 PM every weekday here.
