Mike Gundy
Quick Bio: Although he may be more well known now for his mullet than anything else, Mike Gundy has a strong track record as a head coach. And we also know he’s a grown man from the famous rant he went on years ago.
Pros: Gundy has won the Big 12 conference once with Oklahoma State and has led them to five 10-win seasons since he took over as head coach in 2005. The Cowboys could end up with 10 wins again this season too. He helped Oklahoma State finish No. 3 in the country in 2011.
Cons/Questions: Much like Mike Leach, Gundy is known for his offense and not his defense. And as said previously, that doesn’t typically work in the SEC.
Gary Patterson
Quick Bio: Gary Patterson has taken TCU to new heights during his long tenure as the Horned Frogs head coach. Dennis Franchione left after the 2000 regular season after back-to-back successful seasons, and Patterson has been the head coach since the bowl game after the 2000 regular season. He’s gone on to win 157 of his 213 games at TCU since.
Pros: Patterson has transformed TCU into a Big 12 power. He helped them transition from the Conference USA to the Mountain West and then into the Big 12 in 2012. Since joining the Big 12, the Horned Frogs have won the conference once and are right in the middle of the hunt for a conference title this season.
Cons/Questions: Tennessee interviewed Patterson back in 2008 after they fired Phillip Fulmer and passed on him then. Patterson may hold resentment over that, and he also seems content at TCU.
Mike Tomlin
Quick Bio: Mike Tomlin is widely regarded as one of the better coaches in the NFL. He’s coached the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007 and has taken them to two Super Bowls and won one of them. He’s proven himself at the highest level, and there’s reportedly some interest for the Tennessee job from him or his camp.
Pros: What more is there to say? He’s won a Super Bowl and has been highly successful with one of the best franchises in the NFL. He’s a defensive mind who knows how to hire assistants to help out in other areas.
Cons/Questions: Tomlin has never been a head coach in the college ranks and hasn’t coached in college since 2000. Plus, how much interest does he actually have? This feels like a very long shot of happening, but Tomlin has been around Tennessee’s campus multiple times and would be a home run hire if it happened.
3 Responses
My opinion is: Be careful who you wish for, you might get them! We all know Jon Gruden knows a lot about football but how much does he know about being a College Football Coach? We need a person who is a dynamic coach that will take these recruits to the next level. We already have the talent in place, we just need to have a coach that knows how to develop them. So, Mr. Currie, please be careful and choose the right coach this time! I love Tennessee Vols football and just want it back to the glory days. Go Big Orange!
I don’t get the reluctance to welcome Jon Gruden back to The Hill. Any leader making anything much more complicated than meat loaf has to delegate much of what gets done to assistants. Does Jon Gruden know how to win football games? I think he does. Will elite players flock to K-town to play for him? I think they will. Can Coach Gruden attract good assistants? He must have to win a Super Bowl.
He is the guy if the university will finally show it cares about winning.
Bobby Petrine, T. Martin, new ideas, more disciplined better connected to the players. Able to instill Tennessee volunteers traditional into the game .and bring us back where we belong. I think recruting will still be good with either one of these as coaches?