The Name Game: Davis Remains Top Target at Tennessee
“The Name Game†at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Tennessee Volunteers…
If Butch Davis was trying to downplay a report out of Knoxville, Tenn., that he was No. 1 on Tennessee’s wish list to be its football coach next season, he did little to dismiss the possibility on Sunday. Davis, the coach at North Carolina, pointedly declined to comment when asked about it during a conference call with reporters. “I already addressed that last week,’’ Davis said. “There’s no further discussion about that.’’ After the longtime Vols coach Phillip Fulmer announced last week he would step down after this season, Davis quickly tried to brush off speculation he would be a candidate…. So it’s over. Or is it? The problem with denials is they don’t always stick. Remember last December, when Bobby Petrino assured the Atlanta Falcons he would remain as coach shortly before departing for Arkansas? Or when Miami Dolphins Coach Nick Saban insisted he would not leave for Alabama two seasons ago? How about 2001, when Davis said he would remain with the Miami Hurricanes, only to accept the job as coach of the Cleveland Browns? There certainly are reasons why Tennessee would be an attractive proposition for Davis. The Vols play in the Southeastern Conference, which is superior to the Atlantic Coast Conference in football. And at Tennessee, the football program is No. 1 on campus. Davis will always be No. 2 at North Carolina – or 1-A at best – behind Roy Williams and his basketball powerhouse. Still, Davis did keep his word last year at North Carolina when his name came up as a candidate for the Arkansas job before Petrino grabbed it. Davis, in his first year with the Tar Heels, said he would remain and he did. Of course, that loyalty came at a cost. North Carolina gave Davis an extra $291,000 a year in salary and extended his contract through 2014. You have to wonder if North Carolina will have to bump it up again to keep Davis from leaving. And how much it might cost this time. North Carolina fans, who have watched Davis rebuild the program into a conference contender in two years, shouldn’t rest easy until Tennessee has announced its new coach. – New York Times
That also helps explain the interest in Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. I’ve heard negative comments about Leach in conjunction with the UT job: “He’s too quirky.” “He wouldn’t fit in Knoxville.” Leach is a native Californian who grew up in Wyoming, where he was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has a law degree from Pepperdine University, is obsessed with pirates and never played a down of college football. Oh, one other thing: His offense averages 566.3 yards – or about 300 more yards per game than the Vols. That alone makes him worthy of consideration. You can’t fault UT for wanting to hire North Carolina coach Butch Davis. But if the interest isn’t mutual, then the Vols at least should do their homework on Leach. He has never had a losing season in nine years at Texas Tech and is averaging almost nine wins per season for the last seven years. Moreover, his innovative offense is about as far removed from UT’s offense as a space shuttle is from a horse and buggy. – Knoxville News
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has to be on the radar of Tennessee A.D. Mike Hamilton, but Hamilton may have to get in line for one of the hottest coaches in the nation. While Tech A.D. Gerald Myers said recently he wants to extend Leach’s deal, Leach wanted the extension before the start of the season and Myers refused. Minnesota’s Tim Brewster is in the mix, too. Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly remains an interesting option. His body of work in a short time at Central Michigan and Cincinnati speaks for itself. There aren’t many coaches better than Kelly, but he has no ties to the South. – Rivals.com
North Carolina athletics director Dick Baddour has a longstanding policy not to discuss whether any other school has called him to inquire about a coach, or whether he has called any school to ask about one of their coaches. So when asked Monday whether Tennessee has asked permission to talk to football coach Butch Davis about its head coaching vacancy, Baddour said he wanted to stick with that policy. However, “Coach Davis has spoken clearly and loudly about his commitment to North Carolina,” Baddour said. “All of us, especially Coach Davis, are so focused on the team and this week’s game at Maryland — and I’m just so proud and happy for this program, and what he has done.” – Charlotte Observer
Tennessee’s search for a new coach to replace Philip Fulmer will involve Chuck Neinas, arguably college sports’ most prominent search consultant. Neinas is the former head of the College Football Association and once served as the Big 12 commissioner. Matches he’s made include Houston Nutt to Ole Miss, Bob Stoops to Oklahoma and Urban Meyer to Florida. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton wouldn’t say if head coaching experience were a prerequisite for the job… The Knoxville News-Sentinel cited multiple sources as saying that North Carolina’s Butch Davis is Tennessee’s leading candidate. Davis, 56, spurned an advance from his home state school Arkansas last year. Other names expected to be on Tennessee’s list include Texas Tech’s Mike Leach, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly and Minnesota’s Tim Brewster. – Clarion-Ledger
Bucs coach Jon Gruden’s name has been linked to a coaching vacancy — this one at the University of Tennessee, where he once was a graduate assistant — and Gruden is forced to shoot down another rumor. “I’ve said it from the beginning, this is the only job I’ve really ever wanted,” Gruden said. “As long as the Glazers will have me, I’ll be here. I’ve got a lot of respect for Tennessee. I grew up down there a little bit. My wife is from there. But this is where I want to be, and I can only make myself that clear.” Even if Gruden were interested in the job, it’s not a given the Bucs would let him out of his contract, which in January was extended through the 2011 season. Another consideration: Gruden makes more than $4-million annually, though Tennessee might be poised to offer a package competitive with NFL salaries. – St. Petersburg Times
Leach’s name has surfaced for openings in recent years at places like Arkansas and UCLA but he stayed put. Now, officials at Tennessee and Washington could come calling Leach’s name. Phillip Fulmer is being forced out after 17 years as Tennessee’s coach, a run that included a national championship and a 150-51 record with the Vols. Tyrone Willingham, who was fired late last month after the Huskies lost their ninth consecutive game, was ousted because he failed to restore Washington to national prominence. Leach’s pass-happy offense has proved effective in the years since he came to Tech in 2000. The coach with a law degree and a penchant for all things pirate related has taken the Red Raiders to bowl games every year. – Reporter News
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said Monday that he’s focused on his team’s game Nov. 22 at Oklahoma and not his name circulating in reports about job openings around the country. On Saturday, The Knoxville New Sentinel published a story citing multiple unnamed sources that said Tennessee had tabbed North Carolina coach Butch Davis as the leading candidate to replace the ousted Phillip Fulmer. The story also said that if Tennessee couldn’t get Davis, Leach, Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly and Minnesota coach Tim Brewster would be among the candidates considered. “I don’t pay any attention, just get ready for OU,” Leach said. “Playing OU is enough hand full without worrying about any of that.” Leach is under contract through 2010. Tech athletic director Gerald Myers has said he plans to extend Leach’s contract to five years after the regular season. Leach has a $500,000 buyout clause in his contract. If he stays through 2009, he’ll receive an $800,000 contract completion bonus that would pay him, without incentives, a total of $2.65 million for the 2009 season. He’ll get a $200,000 contract completion bonus if he stays through 2010. That said, he’s never had a higher market value with the Red Raiders at 10-0 and No. 2 in the nation and BCS rankings. – Dallas Morning News