By Jimmy Hyams
After the Greg Schiano fiasco and the fan backlash, Tennessee is back to the drawing board trying to find a coach to replace Butch Jones.
I’ve never seen anything quite like what transpired Sunday afternoon.
When word was leaked that Schiano was going to be hired by Tennessee, fans and social media ripped the decision on twitter and facebook and every where else they could.
Protestors painted The Rock on campus and lined up outside Neyland Stadium and other campus spots to voice their displeasure over hiring a man who might or might not have seen Jerry Sandusky molest a young boy at Penn State.
In documents released in the summer of 2016, Schiano says he didn’t. Whistle blower Mike McQueary said he was told Schiano did. Another assistant, Tom Bradley, said he wasn’t aware of Schiano seeing anything regarding Sandusky.
Schiano has worked at Ohio State as defensive coordinator since December 2015 – hired before the report as published.
I don’t recall any backlash at Ohio State when the story was reported, but there is now – some protestors have lined up to say Schiano should be fired.
Unfortunately in our society, you are now guilty until proven innocent.
If Schiano is innocent, his treatment by fans and media and politicians is abhorrent. His reputation has been ruined. And for people on emotional rants to call him a child molester is absurd and irresponsible.
If Schiano did know about Sandusky and didn’t report it, shame on Schiano. But there is no proof of this.
Problem is, I don’t know the truth. And most people don’t either.
Even not knowing the truth for sure, I wouldn’t have hired Schiano. He wasn’t on my list. Not because he can’t coach. Because you don’t roll the dice on a hire like this. I expected some backlash, but nothing like this.
Some have argued that Currie didn’t vet Schiano and should have hired a search firm.
I disagree. I have no doubt Currie vetted Schiano – and he said so in a statement. He didn’t need a search firm to research Schiano’s past and read the article that appeared about 16 months ago.
What he needed was better judgment.
He’s not the only one. I have no doubt Peyton Manning and Jimmy Haslam signed off on the hiring of Schiano. Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, wanted to hire Schiano at Cleveland several years ago but was talked out of it by others in the front office, according to one article I read.
Manning was surely on board. He texted a number of former Vols asking for their support of Schiano.
Heath Shuler texted his support for Schiano and got about 500 negative responses.
Shuler said didn’t know about Schiano’s possible knowledge of the Sandusky situation when he sent the text.
I am convinced some of the backlash is not just about Schiano’s background but about UT not hiring Jon Gruden.
So many fans were so invested – like they were in 2012 – that hiring anyone else but Curry would be a disappointment.
Gruden didn’t feel the need to announce he wasn’t a candidate because he never made it known he was a candidate.
Currie probably liked the attention from fans and media diverted to Gruden so he could conduct his search in private.
Currie might regret that decision now – just as he must regret hiring Schiano, then being forced to nullify the deal by the Tennessee administration.
Schiano signed a memorandum of understanding. I’m sure Currie did, too. I don’t know if UT’s chancellor or president did. Did that document need the signatures of UT’s chancellor and president to make it valid? Maybe they did.
If so, what does UT owe Schiano to negate the deal?
I don’t know that answer – yet. But it could millions.
I also don’t know where Currie looks next.
I have no doubt the pool of candidates has been limited based on the Schiano disaster.
I do know that former LSU coach Les Miles called a prominent UT booster Sunday night to inquire about the LSU job.
My top two candidates are David Cutcliffe and Kevin Steele.
I don’t know if Cutcliffe would leave Duke, where going 6-6 and making a bowl game is acceptable. He did a terrific job as offensive coordinator at Tennessee and coached both the Mannings – Peyton and Eli.
And Steele, as defensive coordinator at Auburn, just beat Alabama, whipped Georgia and has the Tigers in contention for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff.
Steele is a former player and assistant at Tennessee. He also has worked for five coaches who have won a national championship.
UT could do a lot worse.
It already has.
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