I dunno, I can think of a few reasons to stay at Duke.

A: He might not think he's up to dealing with the more deranged portions of Tennessee's fanbase (especially after this past weekend)

B: He's already started building at Duke, and while he obviously wouldn't be starting from scratch at Tennessee he'd have to do a lot of work just to keep their current recruiting class from jumping ship.

C: Along those lines, it's a lot easier for him to endear himself to Duke's fanbase than it would be to Tennessee's. He has to achieve a much lower level of success in order to feel secure in his position.

D: Duke could come in with a large amount of money. We don't know what kind of financial resources their athletic boosters would be willing to put forward, and we may never know since they're a private institution.

E: This is just a personal bias, but I'd rather live in the Triangle than in Knoxville. However, I can't really speak objectively on that one and I'm sure Cutcliffe has a higher opinion of life in Knoxville than I.

1/14/2010 7:14:40 PM

tenn should hire monte kiffin to get back at lane and then to ultimately break up the kiffin family.

1/14/2010 7:23:15 PM

http://bustersports.com/blog/buster-blog/2010/01/14/david-cutcliffe-leaving-duke-for-tennessee/

1/14/2010 7:35:38 PM

Tennessee doesn't have state income tax. That's reason enough to leave.

[Edited on January 14, 2010 at 7:42 PM. Reason : ]

1/14/2010 7:42:33 PM

That is a pretty solid reason.

Ah well, it'll be kinda bittersweet to see Duke sink back into the gutter again. On the one hand, "YAY we won't have to worry about losing to Duke again for a long time". On the other hand, nobody likes having your neighbor get beat up all the time.

1/14/2010 8:09:48 PM

fuck duke

1/14/2010 8:12:24 PM

jojn gruden to duke i can feel it

1/14/2010 8:13:02 PM

^^ I second that. Their fans fit into two categories. One, nerds that know nothing about athletics and don't care for them outside of getting on television for basketball games. Or two, Jersey bandwagon trash that loves Journey and Bruce Springsteen.

I'll admit that I'm a nerd (you have to have some nerd in you if you double major in microbiology and biochemistry), but I also grew up playing sports and loving everything about them. There's a clear difference between the nerds that had well rounded childhoods and those that spent their childhood shut in-doors hating sports b/c they were picked last or not at all for pick-up games during gym class.

[Edited on January 14, 2010 at 8:21 PM. Reason : ]

1/14/2010 8:20:53 PM

Quote :

"Tennessee: Despite a report that has surfaced, FootballScoop has confirmed that as of 3 minutes ago, David Cutcliffe has not received an offer. Cutcliffe may end up with the job, but we have confirmed there is no offer at this point."

and

Quote :

"Tennessee: ESPN’s Joe Schad is reporting Kippy Brown is scheduled to interview tomorrow morning. Schad says Mike Hamilton wants to have a new coach by Friday night."

http://www.footballscoop.com/?cat=24

1/14/2010 8:27:30 PM

Quote :

"Otherwise, UT would have Duke's vaunted defensive coaching staff."

From the other thread....SchndlrsFist you are aware that Duke's DC got a head coaching job at San Jose State right?

1/15/2010 12:43:40 PM

Cutcliffe is super loyal to "his guys" and was going to bring all of them still on his staff to UT. This was the sticking point and I'm glad it was. I didn't want Cutcliffe at all. If UT is going to "settle" for a "Tennessee Guy" then I want that guy to be Kippy Brown. This would also mean keeping Thompson, Cheany, Cregg on the staff. Fuck Reeves, he sucks and was only hired because he is brother-in-law of Lane's. See ya bitch.

1/15/2010 12:52:11 PM

Quote :

"Derek Dooley will reportedly be named Tennessee's next head coach even though the Vols still have one interview left to conduct. Multiple media sources are reporting that the former Louisiana Tech head coach has agreed to replace Lane Kiffin, who left UT for Southern California on Tuesday, and a deal is imminent. UT athletic director Mike Hamilton is set to interview interim head coach Kippy Brown at 1 p.m. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was the other finalist, according to a source close to the process. A Louisiana Tech spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the move but said to check back later this afternoon."

Quote :

"Dooley started his college coaching career with a one-year stint as a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia in 1996. Dooley spent the 1997–99 seasons as wide receivers coach at Southern Methodist University, while also holding the duties of assistant recruiting coordinator during his final two years. In 2000, Dooley was hired by Nick Saban at LSU as the Tigers’ recruiting coordinator/tight ends coach, a capacity in which he served until 2002. Dooley then spent the 2003-04 seasons coaching the Tigers’ running backs and special teams. In 2005, Dooley left LSU with Saban when the latter became head coach of the Miami Dolphins. On December 17, 2006, Dooley was hired as the new head coach at Louisiana Tech University. He replaces former coach Jack Bicknell, who was fired on December 4 after the Bulldogs finished 3–10 in 2006."

1/15/2010 1:01:09 PM

^ heard that Dooley was the man on ESPN radio about 30 minutes ago. Seems like a stretch hire. I assume he is related to the former great Georgia coach Dooley? UT fans are about to be pissed off and will probably riot some more.

1/15/2010 1:33:00 PM

haha, if the legendary awesome UT program is going through this trying to find a coach, I have to laugh derisively at all of you state fans who want TOB fired.

1/15/2010 1:48:53 PM

Quote :

"Dooley, 41, is 17-20 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech with a 12-12 record in the Western Athletic Conference."

yikes

1/15/2010 2:01:41 PM

Its Louisiana Tech, and they were 3-10 the year before he got there.

Who knows he may be a good one. He's the son of a legend. Gene Chizik did pretty well at Auburn after a ton of people said he would suck. Some of them said that though because he was white.

1/15/2010 2:35:21 PM

Quote :

"Gene Chizik did pretty well at Auburn after a ton of people said he would suck"

I think it's way too soon to declare Chizik a success, especially if you consider how much talent he inherited from Tuberville.

1/15/2010 3:01:10 PM

Malzahn deserves at least a little credit doesn't he?

1/15/2010 3:33:38 PM

On a different coaching change note, did anyone see that GT hired Al Groh as their DC. Surprising move that I hope blows up in their face.

1/15/2010 3:57:16 PM

Looks like Tennessee made a good ol' boy hire.

1/15/2010 4:05:27 PM

Dooley was a great hire.


Just ask LSU fans.

1/15/2010 5:05:44 PM

Quote :

"On a different coaching change note, did anyone see that GT hired Al Groh as their DC. Surprising move that I hope blows up in their face."

I thought Groh had a reputation as a great defensive mind, no?

1/15/2010 5:10:28 PM

HAHAHAHA wow, thats the best UT could do?


Jesus, have fun with that.


Wow, Joe Schad on ESPN is trying to spin it like they turned down Cutcliff, Gruden, and all those other coaches and decided they needed to go with an up and coming young coach instead.

No no, what happened is that NONE of those other people you wanted would take the job, so you had to settle on this guy.

Now I know what it was like to see our search for a basketball coach from the outside.

[Edited on January 15, 2010 at 6:13 PM. Reason : .]

1/15/2010 6:03:07 PM

There has apparently been several Mike Leach sitings around Greenville....just rumor though.

1/17/2010 12:03:01 PM

Leach would be a great hire for ECU, and honestly an upgrade from Holtz.

Holtz is a pretty damn good coach, don't get me wrong, but despite the recent situation, I think Leach could take ECU beyond just conference success.

1/17/2010 1:06:57 PM

^ no way holland hires leach after the allegations against him.

1/17/2010 1:07:32 PM

this is much more likely than leach

http://www.reflector.com/ecu/report-stockstill-says-hes-spoken-ecu-officials-20404

[Edited on January 17, 2010 at 1:10 PM. Reason : or maybe ruffin mcneil]

1/17/2010 1:08:44 PM

^^

agreed, it's doubtful that it would actually happen.

1/17/2010 1:13:10 PM

shit, I wouldn't mind NC State picking up Leach. He's an outstanding coach.

1/17/2010 1:14:16 PM

Terry Holland's response to the fans concerning the new coach search...

Quote :

"Update of Search Process for the Pirate Nation: First, thank you for all the valuable input you have provided me as we have been evaluating and establishing our direction. Unfortunately, it is impossible in this case to answer your e-mails directly and it would not be fair to those involved for me to use the names of potential candidates in this update, so you may have to read between the lines to see where your particular favorite candidate may fit in. The only time in ECU Football history that compares to the current momentum the Pirate Nation has created was the famous Peach Bowl year. It is imperative that we learn from that experience so that we do not repeat any mistakes that can possibly be avoided. Let's evaluate the potential categories: 1. Internal candidates - all the current staff members have been interviewed individually as of yesterday, either as a candidate or to express their own feelings about potential candidates, either external or internal. I must tell you that every single staff member represented themselves extremely well and all professed their respect and love for this football program, university and the Greenville community. They are all in an extremely vulnerable position that is not of their own making and we need to return their love and respect for what they have helped us build, particularly at this time in their professional and personal lives. There are several who would make great head coaches, but as I told them yesterday, my instincts tell me we need to do all in our power to hire someone who has successful head coaching experience, and therefore, someone who has hired and managed a staff while managing all the other duties required of today's head coaches. Of lesser consideration is the fact that choosing one assistant over another could create some division among our team members and our fan base who are supporting their own favorite. 2. Hot, young head coaches clearly on their way up the career ladder - there were two of these on my initial wish list and both have been able to manage one winning season while rebuilding in tough situations. I have a personal relationship with both of these coaches and was prepared to go after them hard as they would be close to identical to the leadership that has been so very successful here for the last five years. However, before our vacancy occurred, one was being interviewed and subsequently hired by another institution. The other has been interviewed or offered an interview at all the instutions with openings (including Notre Dame), except for USC. In spite of all the good that has come from the past five years, I am now convinced it is not necessary to plow that same ground again at this time. 3. Hot, young coordinators clearly on their way up the career ladder - even under the very best circumstances, there is a learning curve for those having to hire and manage a staff and everything else today's head coaches have to do. And, let's face it, these guys are programmed to move up the ladder and will quickly leave one job for another at the first opportunity for perceived "greener pastures." This program is poised to establish permanent upward momentum. I do not want even a short learning curve to disrupt the momentum that has been established. To the extent possible, avoiding another change of leadership, or even the threat of a change, would seem a prudent course of action. 4. The "retreads" are those former HEAD coaches with recognizable names who were dismissed from those position for not meeting either on-field expecations or off-field expectations. History tells us that regardless of whether the dismissal seemed fair or not, these individuals never seem to again at the level they previously enjoyed again and many never return to coaching at all. Think about it ... why are they still available after all the job openings with many institutions in desparate situations to hire good coaches? I do not believe every other institution is simply too blind to see the advantages. And, again, history tells us that they are unlikely to ever achieve at the same level. I am not willing to accept the limitation that the best we can hope for being less than they achieved previously. As a side note, many assistant coaches, and even coordinators, have been fired and subsequently rehired and eventually have become good or great head coaches. 5. The last category is those coaches who have taken over tough situations and who have built strong programs from the ground up with the assumption they may be there for the rest of their lives. So, they need to WIN, but they also need to take extra care TO DO IT RIGHT because they may live in this "house" forever. They are hard workers who operate under the radar screen of today's national exposure on ESPN and national rankings, but ever so often you get a glimpse of one in the FCS playoffs or at bowl time. There are several in this category that are on our radar screen at this time and they will be pursued aggressively. By and large, they are not household names today but they are highly-respected by their coaching peers, even those peers in glamorous, high exposure head coaching positions. These coaches may have found themselves in a tough spot or two, not of their own making, at some time in their careers but they have subsequently proven themselves as head coaches against institutions with more resources and talent. They succeed because they have learned to be relentless recruiters and builders, putting each piece in place to improve their respective programs. In my opinion, we need a proven builder with strong recruiting experience and ties who believes ECU can win a national championship and is willing to put his career and reputation on the line with us day after day, year after year to chase that dream. It is time for the Pirate Nation to take full ownership of the future of this athletic program by embracing our new coach and treating the coach and his family as we would treat our own family members if they were in such a leadership position. We should not be looking to ride the coat-tails of a "name" coach. We should be building a program that stands on its own two feet no matter who holds the title of Head Coach, AD, or whatever. "

1/17/2010 6:55:13 PM

Stockstill is the new Coach

Agreement in principal.

Final terms await some of the crap going on with USF and which ECU coaches are still around.

Levitt is suing to get his job back and that is affecting all the assistants involved with this.

USF is a craphole and is now messing up things for ECU and MTSU.

way to go

1/18/2010 11:37:13 AM

They hired Stockstill? Wow. His brother used to be a guidance counseler at my high school in Florida and was also the golf coach. His brother was like 6'8".

1/18/2010 3:34:30 PM

Stockstill won't be bringing Manny Diaz, he was hired as the new DC at Mississippi State (something the crack investigative staff at the N&O missed when bringing up all the local ties): http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/eastcarolina/story/290027.html.

Still, Stockstill is a good hire, particularly if his OC Tony Franklin comes along. Middle Tennessee State ran a pretty exciting spread offense this year. The DC position would appear to be up for grabs.

[Edited on January 18, 2010 at 3:50 PM. Reason : .]

1/18/2010 3:49:58 PM

rumor is Stockstill turned the job down, wants to continue building a program at MTSU...

Mike Leach pleeeeeease!!!

1/19/2010 10:13:33 AM

not surprised. Stockstill will hold out another season or two for a BCS offer.

1/19/2010 11:28:52 AM

What's worse? UT getting shafted by Cutcliffe for Duke, or ECU getting shafted by Stockstill for fucking MTSU?

1/19/2010 3:37:53 PM

Tennessee

Much bigger gap between Duke and Tennessee than MTSU and ECU

1/19/2010 3:38:45 PM

tennessee

1/19/2010 3:40:38 PM

I read somewhere that he makes in the neighborhood of $450,000 at MTSU and ECU offered him over a million bux per year. thats ALOT of cash to turn down.

1/19/2010 4:25:24 PM

Well, all sources are saying Ruffin McNeill from Texas tech will be the Head Coach at ECU, announcement due at 5pm today.

1/21/2010 4:41:54 PM

^ yup

http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2010/01/21/ruffin-mcneill-will-be-ecus-next-head-coach/

1/21/2010 4:56:02 PM

his press conference, he makes a semi-shoutout to Wilson w00t w00t

1/22/2010 3:23:56 PM

which rumor was funnier:

"Leach to ECU" c 2009

or

"Zook to ECU" c 2005

1/22/2010 5:06:18 PM

Quote :

"USF is a craphole and is now messing up things for ECU and MTSU."

Ahahaha, are you retarded? USF has the sort of environment someone can really succeed in (BCS conference, big city, NFL stadium, fanbase, Florida recruiting). ECU...is in Greenville.

1/22/2010 8:32:39 PM

^ Which is awesome

1/25/2010 8:38:10 PM