To point out the obvious, people on Rocky Top aren’t very pleased with Derek Dooley and the fact that the Volunteers just can’t seem to get over the hump against a ranked opponent.
It seems that after each Saturday the chatter of “Fire him!” or “He just needs more time!” spark back up, and I don’t blame Tennessee fans. They want to see wins.
So does Athletic Director Dave Hart.
After this past Saturday’s loss to then No. 19 Mississippi State, it seemed that the discourse had finally taken the step from talking about how the Volunteers should take a coaching chance to how they need to make a coaching change.
Hart will have a tough decision when the end of the season rolls around. He’ll have to decide whether to stay the course and believe in due process or let Dooley go and move onward in a new direction.
Dooley has had his struggles, but it does seem that the team is very close to breaking through and getting a marquee win. At this point it is more of a lack of player execution than a problem of Dooley making bad coaching decisions.
Hart will have his work cut out for him, but in the meantime he should stay silent on the matter. He should neither fully endorse Dooley nor remove the head coach.
Volunteer fans are upset, but that’s no reason to fuel any fires, is it?
On the one hand, if Hart is to publicly come out and denounce his faith in Dooley he might as well just get rid of him right now, and for all intents and purposes, you’ve just thrown in the towel for this 2012 season. There is no reason to do that. Tennessee still has a good chance to go to a bowl game and have a successful season. Fans might look back and wonder what could have been with wins against Florida and Mississippi State, but a 7-5 or 8-4 record are what most predicted the Vols would finish at anyway.
On the other, if Hart is to come out and fully endorse Dooley, it would reflect poorly on Hart and the athletic department if they are to part ways with the coach after this season ends. At that point, coaches who are looking at Knoxville are going to be wondering if a public endorsement from the university really means anything. I believe Tennessee is a very desirable destination for a head coach and a lot of people would love to have the job, but why make it more difficult on yourself by creating a sense of distrust from the start if you do decide to go in a new direction?
There is no reason to say anything at all, even if the fan base is upset.
In no way is Hart’s decision going to be easy when the season ends. Barring an upset win in the next two weeks over No. 1 Alabama or No. 7 South Carolina, or an upset loss in the final month of the season, the question about Dooley’s job will linger in the headlines until a decision is made.
But until this season is over, the athletic department should stay quiet.
