Some University of Tennessee football faithful are expressing their displeasure with the hiring of Derek Dooley as the new head football coach. The apparent departure of Kippy Brown for a job with the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL has helped add fuel to this fire. These detractors assume that Dooley's losing record in three years as a head coach at Louisiana Tech can only translate to less than spectacular results as a head coach in the SEC. While these arguments hold some credence, Dooley did lead Louisiana Tech to an Independence Bowl victory in 2008, his second year in charge, after inheriting a program that had not received a bowl invitation since 2001. Dooley's experience as athletics director at Louisiana Tech should also benefit him as he takes the reins of a team, the size and scope of that of Tennesee's football program.
In the last fourteen months, the Tennessee football program has made a great deal of headlines. Many supporters have not been fond of several of the headlines that the program was making. Secondary NCAA violations were becoming commonplace and reprimands by the SEC were more common than not. With Derek Dooley as the head coach these types of headlines will likely disappear from the papers. Some of Tennessee's supporters should ask themselves if they prefer a program built on sound bites and NCAA violations or one that is built on a disciplined approach with respect for the program as well as those within and outside of the university.
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