Tennessee (Finally) Fires Derek Dooley
Tennessee fans today got the news that they weren’t surprised or shocked about: Derek Dooley has been fired as the Volunteers head coach.
After his team was drilled 41-18 by Vanderbilt, Dooley was told that he wouldn’t be returning. And he wouldn’t even be asked to coach the team’s game against Kentucky, either.
And to make matters worse, but buying out Dooley’s contract will cost Tennessee a cool $5 million (FIVE MIIIIILION DOLLARS!).
Dooley’s highlights included (per The Clairon-Ledger):
- A 15-21 record
- A 0-15 record against ranked teams (we start to think what might have happened to Mark Richt if UGA hadn’t beaten Florida)
- An 0-7 SEC record this year, despite being a dark horse for the SEC East title and bringing back two good wide receivers and a good quarterback
- Getting schmacked by Vanderbilt
Tennessee’s athletic director Dave Hart said: “We very much appreciate the effort and energy that Derek Dooley and his staff have poured into our football program at the University of Tennessee. Derek and I met early this morning, and I informed him that I believed a change in leadership, despite the positive contributions he has made to the overall health of the program, was in the best long-term interests of Tennessee football. We will immediately begin the search for the best possible candidate to assume this leadership role.”
Jon Gruden’s been long linked with the UT job….apparently because his wife was a cheerleader there.
BOTTOM LINE: $5 MILLION BUYOUT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?