A quick thread on this most recent Tennessee coaching search:

1) Said yesterday it would make sense if White hires Leipold or Heupel. Someone he already knows well, no adjustment period in what is a brand new situation.

2) Tennessee was up against it. NCAA sanctions looming and a roster that puts them in bottom half of SEC. It’s a tough sell.

3) Tennessee likely tried to overpay for a bigger name coach. The James Franklin rumors seemed to have some merit. But here’s the thing. All Power 5 coaches make big money. Another million or two won’t make many coaches jump into what is an unstable situation.

4) Let’s look at the positives. Heupel has won a lot of games (28-8 at UCF). He can develop quarterbacks. His offenses score a lot of points. And it looks like he doesn’t have any NCAA baggage.
These are good things!

5) That all said, it’s possible Tennessee has run into the same trap as 2010 and rushed the hire. If Heupel wasn’t a top choice, why not just give the job to Steele for 2021? It isn’t like UT is going to compete for the East title this Fall.

6) No clue how this is going to work out. It’s a risk. Unless you got Saban or Urban it was always going to be a risk.