Danny White, new Vols Athletics Director, announced in his introductory press conference on Friday that he would begin his search to fill the head coaching vacancy over the weekend. More importantly, he stated that he wanted to move quickly.
Plane tracking, endless scrolling on social media, and around the clock national media coverage now ensue. It seems Tennessee is finally getting serious about its football program again.
There are no “Grumors” this time around. Danny White is notorious for keeping things quiet and in his previous coaching searches, he did not leak much information.
Reportedly, White has even misled media members in the past to keep them off his trail. White will not be escaping for a vacation in the midst of a coaching search.
KNOXVILLE, TN – January 22, 2021 – Chancellor Donde Plowman during the introductory press conference of Athletic Director Danny White in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Donde Plowman, University of Tennessee chancellor, confirmed that money will not be an issue in negotiating with candidates. It’s also evident that Danny White’s vision is to bring a National Championship back to Knoxville.
Although Tennessee is facing an ongoing NCAA investigation, the feel of the current coaching search compared to the past three coaching searches are night and day.
Will Plowman, White, and Boyd knock it out of the park? That remains to be seen. There are several uncertainties still on the table.
Lingering Questions
What punishments will Tennessee face as a result of the findings in the investigation? Will any staff members remain at Tennessee? Will the new staff be able to hold together an already seemingly depleted roster?
Although the answers to those uncertainties will play a large role in the rebuild of the Tennessee football program, Danny White is up to the challenge of making Tennessee elite again.
As we await any sort of official announcement, I believe we are very close to knowing who will be the next head coach of the Tennessee Vols.
“We understand the sensitivity and urgency of finding a coach or sports executive. That’s why we have completed most coach searches in 10 to 14 days”. This is Parker Search Firm’s vision, who Tennessee hired to aid in its athletic director search and its head coaching search.
It’s very hard to believe that anyone knows for certain what Danny White’s next move will be. Why? Well, you can’t even track the university’s private jets by their tail numbers. This indicates to me that the Vols are moving in silence when it comes to interviewing candidates.
White mentioned he wants someone with head coaching experience, integrity, and “have an aggressive vision to make Tennessee highly, highly competitive”.
Longshots
This could mean a few fan-favorites such as Lane Kiffin and Hugh Freeze likely aren’t candidates, as they each have their individual histories of NCAA violations.
Regardless, I believe White will hire a coach who will bring a winning culture back to Tennessee. Grab some popcorn, have your Twitter feed refreshed, and get ready for a wild week.
