Byron Moore Announcement: What JUCO Recruit Means for Tennessee Football

By Ryan Wooden

Derek Dooley's first season in Knoxville was a trying one. The Vols had to scratch and claw just to muster up a 6-7 season that was capped off by a controversial loss in a second-tier bowl game to a North Carolina squad that was battered by injury and suspension.

If you were to look back through the history of the Tennessee football program, a season like the Vols had in 2010 isn't likely to stand out as anything but average.

Yet most Vol fans would be quick to point out that even making a bowl game with the deficiencies that the university had to deal with last season was actually beyond expectations.

It's hard to believe that a fanbase that can proudly claim six national championships would be happy with a six-win season, but with just 72 players on scholarship, reasonable Volunteer fans were exactly that...happy.

The clear lack of depth in 2010 made this recruiting class beyond pivotal and, in my opinion, this may wind up being the most important recruiting class the Vols have had in the last 10 years or more.

Derek Dooley more prepared for Tennessee job than his dad was for UGA?

Posted by Wright Blan

Former Georgia head mens' basketball coach Hugh Durham was asked recently about his thoughts on Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley and his father, former Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley. According to Durham, His Hairness was more prepared for the Tennessee job than his father was for Georgia.


Considering that the senior Dooley is winningest football coach in UGA history, that is saying a lot.

Tennessee an Underrated team for 2011 campaign

Tennessee football has seen quite a large amount of turmoil with three coaches in three seasons.

But Derek Dooley seems here to stay, especially after four straight wins with Tyler Bray at QB to make the Vols bowl eligible.

Dooley's club has a pretty favorable schedule in 2011, with their only tough road games being at Florida and Alabama.

In addition to Bray's return and a corps of talented young receivers ready to mature, the defense returns their entire secondary, with a pair of all-SEC safeties intact.

A matter of stability could do wonders for slowly returning Tennessee to prosperity, especially in a weakened SEC East.


Who are the Others ?

Final SEC Coaching Grades – Post-Bowl Edition

January 12th, 2011 09:02 AM
 Posted By: John Pennington

The season is over and the bowls have run their course. With that in mind we take one final look back at the men who led the SEC’s football programs in 2010. Below are our final grades for each man’s work this season. And we’ve changed a couple since the end of the regular season. Like the Birmingham school district, we reserve the right to make adjustments when necessary.

So How did Derek Dooley Stack up?

Vols continue Preparations For Music City

Vols complete second phase of bowl prep

by UT Sports Information on December 18, 2010

in Tennessee Vols Football

Tennessee finished up its fourth practice in three days Saturday afternoon at Haslam Field. After two practice-free weeks, UT head coach Derek Dooley was happy with the results from Phase II of the Vols’ preparations for the Dec. 30 Franklin American Mortgage Co. Music City Bowl versus North Carolina.

“We had a great minicamp,” Dooley said. “I was pleased with the attitude. They came to work and it was really physical. We worked on a lot of fundamentals and we worked on a lot of situations so I felt like our team got a little better.

“Now, we need to recover and turn our attention to North Carolina, which will start on Monday.”

Wiedmer: Simms has selfless attitude that will help UT win more - timesfreepress.com

KNOXVILLE — You figured Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms would have watched his game-winning touchdown pass to Denarius Moore against UAB about 92,000 times by the time Monday’s media luncheon rolled around.

After all, it was a perfect throw at a perfect time to save the Volunteers’ season. With a loss to the Blazers, they would have headed to Baton Rouge this weekend with a 1-3 record. Let the Vols vanish against UAB and the Big Orange Nation might have called it quits, failing to fill up Neyland Stadium for any game the rest of the season save Alabama.

Vols get set to go into great unknown



The Tennessee Volunteers take their first Road trip to LSU this Saturday.



                                   

                                    Vols get set to go into great unknown

                                                       By Chris Low

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley won’t take the maximum 70 players to LSU this weekend.

The Vols were already well under the scholarship limit in terms of players, and they’ve incurred several injuries in their first four games. Dooley said there would probably be approximately 66 players on the trip, and he joked that 30 of those had never been on a road trip at Tennessee before.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen,” Dooley said.

“Just think about when you got in the car with your four buddies and you’ve never been on a road trip before and you hit the highway. Man, you don’t know what’s going to happen because you don’t know these guys. That’s what we got.”

Dooley Can Finally Catch His Breath

By all accounts, Derek Dooley has probably felt more pressure the last month of his life than Law School ever provided. When Dooley got to Knoxville last month his plate was full. There was no time for sight seeing or taking in the natural beauty that East Tennesee has to offer. But what he did see was a program in complete dissaray, and a Staff that was already bare and getting slimmer by the second. Dooley knew he had a tough road to hoe and he would have to do it shorthanded. Then a funny thing Happened........

Dooley may have to change his tune

Derek Dooley has openly stated that he plans to offer a healthy dose of the ground game for the 2010 season. But as Signing day draws to an end, one thing is for sure. If Dooley runs the ball majority of the time he will have a ton of talent wondering why they came to Tennessee. Coach Dooley has inevitably inherited a much more talented club than he had at LA Tech, and his options seem almost endless as he prepares for the upcoming season. With full stables at the Running back position, and now landing highly touted WR's in Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter, Dooley can open up the playbook a little and press opposing defenses.

Poll: Mike Hamiltons' Job seems safe, for now !

Mike Hamilton has been reeling for the past Month. From dealing with the sudden vacancy of the Head Coaching position, sleepless nights, and many interviews, it seems as if he has  at least secured his position for another year. Hamilton received  a ton of scrutinization following Kiffins' departure who was dubbed as the Coach of the future for Tennessee.