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The thirty most bizarre moments Tennessee has faced
Jan 26, 2021, 2:24 PM
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Tennessee’s decade of debacles: Ranking the 30 most bizarre moments on Rocky Top
By David Ubben and Bruce Feldman Jan 25, 2021
Last Monday, Tennessee held yet another changing of the guard ceremony. Since Phillip Fulmer resigned as head coach in 2008, Tennessee has had five chancellors, four system presidents, five athletic directors and four football coaches, while new athletic director Danny White searches for a fifth coach.
But when Fulmer handed over the reins of the football program to Lane Kiffin before the 2009 season, Tennessee was still a mostly normal, productive place.
Since Kiffin left on a wild night more than a decade ago, well, Tennessee has been consistently walking down a long, dark, unpredictable path. Some issues surfaced off the field. Others surfaced on it. Along the way, the Vols have been marked by the unbelievable.
What are Tennessee’s new athletic director and football coach walking into? In short, an effort to undo more than a decade of madness.
How much has happened? The Athletic looked back at the 30 things that feel like they could have happened only at (or to) Tennessee since Kiffin bolted for USC after the 2009 season. There was … a lot of Derek Dooley.
Let’s get to our list.
1. Schiano Sunday
On Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, then-Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano looked destined to become Tennessee’s next head coach. Schiano and Tennessee athletic director John Currie signed a memorandum of understanding. After a winding, lengthy search, the Vols had their replacement for Butch Jones. Planning for a news conference later that night had begun. Then came the uproar on the internet. How much was based around Schiano’s mixed results as a head coach and how much was based around a dubious link to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State is a matter of perspective, dependent upon who is asked. But about 100 fans rallied at the steps of the football facility demanding change. Others painted “Schiano covered up child rape at Penn State” on The Rock on Tennessee’s campus.
Even state representatives Jeremy Faison and Eddie Smith spoke out against Schiano’s hiring.
By night’s end, the deal was torn up and Tennessee backed out on the memorandum of understanding, restarting its search and fueling the idea that fans were in charge of the program instead of the people paid to direct it.
2. Tennessee fires Jeremy Pruitt after an internal investigation, and Phillip Fulmer “retires” but is given the same buyout money as if he were fired
Last Monday featured one of the most tone-deaf news conferences in SEC history. UT chancellor Donde Plowman and president Randy Boyd used the stage to not only bury Pruitt, but they did so while gushing about Fulmer, the same guy who hand-picked Pruitt and gave him a contract extension not long after his team lost to Georgia State: “We’re as proud of you today as we were that night in Tempe when you held that (national championship) trophy above your head,” Boyd said to Fulmer, who led the Vols to their most recent national and SEC titles as head coach in 1998.
Then, there was Fulmer. When asked about Pruitt’s legacy, the former Vols coach tried to praise his hire: “Certainly, the recruiting has been good.”
Um, yeah. This after UT fired Pruitt and nine staffers in the wake of recruiting violations, and at a press conference where the chancellor went on to say: “If you put integrity first, then this is the place you want to come to.”
3. The Lane Kiffin riot
On the night of Jan. 12, 2010, rumors began to surface that Kiffin was taking the USC job after just one year as Tennessee’s coach. Tennessee hastily organized a farewell news conference and Kiffin made some brief comments. Outside, fans filled the streets and chanted. “F— Lane Kiffin!” was one particularly memorable refrain. Some fans rushed the lobby of the facility and UT police were called to maintain order. A few fans outside set fires, and reports that Kiffin and assistant Ed Orgeron were raiding Tennessee’s recruiting class to take players to USC only intensified fans’ rage. For many, the hope was to block the coaches’ cars from leaving the facility. Kiffin didn’t end up leaving until about 4 a.m.
4. Fulmer’s second takeover
In 2005, Vols legend Johnny Majors referred to Fulmer as “Judas Brutus,” the former UT head coach taking a dig at his old protege, who got his job after Majors underwent heart surgery and Fulmer went 3-0 while he was in recovery in 1992. Fulmer had his own frosty exit from the coaching ranks in Knoxville but was able to maneuver back into power in 2017 as the embattled Currie embarked on a meandering coaching search to replace Jones. Sources say Fulmer was busy undermining Currie to Vols brass, which soon led to the old coach becoming the AD and being hailed by a wounded fan base as a savior.
And then Fulmer hired Pruitt.
5. The John Currie/Mike Leach interview that wasn’t
If your name is Danny White, we recommend skipping to No. 6. Currie had been Tennessee’s athletic director only eight months when he got on a plane, flew cross-country and went missing in the midst of Tennessee’s quickly deteriorating coaching search that had failed to land Mike Gundy, Dave Doeren and others.
Earlier in the week, the crowd at a Vols basketball game chanted “Fire Currie.” Chancellor Beverly Davenport obliged the angry crowd later that week. Currie was nearing a deal with Leach to become Tennessee’s next head coach when Davenport elected to pull him off the road, later replacing him with Fulmer.
6. The never-ending Grumors
At some point in the past decade, the only thing that made Vols fans’ hearts beat faster than UT legend Peyton Manning was former UT grad assistant Jon Gruden, the Super Bowl-winning coach who became a TV talking head and, in the eyes of many, a fantasy Vols coach. Speculation was in a frenzy with all sorts of rumors too numerous — and often preposterous — to mention.
Except this one: In 2017, there were Gruden sightings at Calhoun’s, the popular riverfront restaurant/bar near Neyland Stadium.
Gruden AND Manning meeting at Calhoun’s?! Could it be? Somehow, no one snapped a photo of this meeting??? Turns out, nope. But there was a good reason for that — Gruden was more than 2,500 miles away, prepping for a Monday Night Football broadcast, and wouldn’t be coming back to coaching. Well, he would, but it was in the NFL, not in the SEC.
With much of the Tennessee fan base pining for Gruden, of course, anybody else they could get was going to sound like a huge disappointment.
7. The 2010 LSU loss
First-year coach Derek Dooley beat No. 12 LSU in Death Valley. Until he didn’t. After a frenzied final play full of substitutions and a celebration on Tennessee’s sideline, a review revealed Tennessee had 13 players on the field, giving Les Miles’ Tigers one final untimed down. Stevan Ridley scored for a 16-14 victory against the Vols.
8. The 2018 document dump
Months after the dust settled on Tennessee’s 2017 coaching search, officials released several hundred pages of correspondence via email and phone to reporters. The material wasn’t flattering to the outgoing Currie, and it also offered a rare look behind the curtain at coaches and their agents angling for consideration.
Among the most lasting nuggets: Interim Tennessee coach Brady Hoke texting Currie and getting a “Sorry, who is this?” in reply, Hoke’s consistent all-caps texting style and the start of Tennessee fans’ feud with USA Today columnist Dan Wolken. In the same text exchange, Currie called Tennessee fans “wacko” and asked for help on selling the idea of Schiano’s hiring.
9. The 2019 Georgia State loss
Just before dawn, a boat in the Vol Navy caught fire and sank. It was an ominous sign. Tennessee’s improved roster, fresh off signing a top-10 recruiting class, made its 2019 debut as a 26-point favorite against Georgia State, which went 2-10 in 2018. The Vols turned the ball over on their second offensive snap but took a fourth-quarter lead before giving up 17 consecutive points and losing 38-30, the program’s first loss to a Group of 5 opponent since 2008 against Wyoming — the first game after Fulmer resigned.
10. Champions of life and five-star hearts
Jones did something Pruitt, Dooley and Kiffin didn’t manage to do in Knoxville. He had two seasons in which the Vols finished ranked in the AP Top 25. He also had a few cringe-worthy sound bites that left UT fans wincing. The worst came in 2016, after the Vols — the media’s preseason pick to win the SEC East — were eliminated from the division title race.
“They’ve won the biggest championship, that’s the championship of life,” Jones said.
His attempt to sugarcoat his team’s shortcoming fell flat. Months later, he frustrated fans again while trying to sell a recruiting class that had fallen to No. 17 nationally.
“The only five-star that we even concern ourselves with is a five-star heart,” Jones said.
Mentioning either quote to Vols fans is like playing that Freakbass rap song to diehard Notre Dame fans.
11. The turnover trash can
Miami’s turnover chain was the talk of college football to start the 2017 season. And after a disappointing finish to the 2016 campaign, with critics of Jones growing louder, debuting the turnover trash can in the Monday night opener against Georgia Tech teed up Tennessee as the joke of college football the entire night. The idea was to get turnovers and put the ball in the trash can after the defense forced them, but … the unfortunate side effect lives on years later.
12. Shy Tuttle falls on a helmet
Jones’ final season in Knoxville was dismal. He went 0-6 in the SEC before being fired, and things went off the rails — well, further off the rails — in late September, after the Vols barely beat UMass (0-4) at home. The next day, a report by longtime local reporter Jimmy Hyams said that defensive tackle Shy Tuttle missed the game because safety Nigel Warrior punched him in the face, after another report by 247Sports said that the 300-pounder had suffered an orbital bone injury.
“Football is an emotional game,” Jones said when asked about the incident.
He then explained that “the injury was caused not by a teammate.”
“He landed on a helmet and that’s the truth,” Jones said.
From there, Jones ranted about negativity surrounding the program.
“I think we have to understand, what do we want out of our media?” Jones said. “This place with the drama, and again, these are kids and I think we all have children and we’re all adults. Are we focused on Tennessee football from a recruiting standpoint, from all the positive things we’ve done, from all the positive things this football program brings to the community, this great fan base? Are we in the reality world of TV?”
That reality show would only get more bizarre a few months later after he was fired and UT tried to find his replacement.
13. Pruitt’s babushka costs Tennessee $100,000
Pruitt figured out that gaiters serving as masks slipped down, so his solution was to wrap it over the top of his head. The problem: It often covered everything on his face except his nose and mouth. The SEC issues $100,000 fines for poor adherence to sideline COVID-19 protocols, and Tennessee, already facing a budget deficit in the mid-eight digits, had to deal with a fine on top of it.
“I wore my mask wrong,” Pruitt said.
And once again, it turned Tennessee into a punch line across the sport.
14. Kentucky finally beats the Vols
The Joker Phillips era in Lexington was not one UK fans remember fondly, but he did lead the Wildcats to their first win against the Vols since 1984. It was 2011, Dooley’s second season at UT. Tennessee came into the game 1-6 in SEC play and had been held to seven points or fewer in four of its previous five conference games. The Wildcats came into the game in even worse shape. Both their starting and backup QBs were injured, so Phillips turned to backup receiver Matt Roark, who completed only four passes for 15 yards.
But Roark ran for 124 yards and the Vols turned the ball over three times. UK won, 10-7, snapping Tennessee’s 26-game win streak in the series. The defeat ended the Vols’ hopes of becoming bowl eligible. After the game, reports surfaced about a rift in the locker room that centered around star receiver Da’Rick Rogers having “a complete meltdown.” After the season, seven of Dooley’s nine assistants left Knoxville, including defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who took a job at Washington.
15. Dooley: “You’re not going to have Tennessee to kick around anymore”
Dooley was feeling confident when he unleashed that bold declaration from the lectern at SEC media days entering his third season in 2012.
“It’s been a tough four years for Tennessee,” Dooley said. “I know the SEC has enjoyed taking advantage of our tough times. But you’re not going to have Tennessee to kick around anymore.”
Then the Vols lost their next seven SEC games — four by double digits, capped by a 23-point drubbing from Vanderbilt — and Dooley was fired. Interim coach Jim Chaney led the Vols to a win in the finale against Kentucky, which also entered the game winless in the SEC.
16. Fulmer gets banned from Vols football practice
When a coach loses by 33 at home to Missouri and then by 25 against Vandy to end the season, as the Vols did in Pruitt’s first year, it’s obvious the program needs all the help it can get. But Fulmer couldn’t help himself and got caught on video coaching the Vols’ offensive line — his former job before he became head coach. The Vols were hit with an NCAA violation.
That was among 14 violations the school self-reported — all were Level III (minor) infractions. Fulmer’s violation occurred during a Sept. 11, 2018, practice, and he was banned from attending practice for five days.
17. Dooley leans on a dog statue for motivation
After Arkansas rolled the Vols 49-7 to send them to 0-6 in SEC play in 2011, Dooley brought an orange ceramic dog to the practice field the following week as the Vols prepared for Vanderbilt. He told players to “feed the orange dog,” signifying positive thinking, and not to feed the red dog, which symbolized negative thinking.
OK …
18. Dooley’s stool
It’s not as disgusting as it sounds, but you’ll get a lot of eye rolls if you mention it to any Vols fan. In his third and final year, the embattled coach had midseason hip surgery. He coached one game from the press box, a 41-31 loss to Mississippi State, and he said he didn’t like that he couldn’t look his players in their eyes. So he decided to have a stool brought down to the sideline and had a staffer move it around while he walked with crutches so he could position himself throughout the course of the game. It didn’t seem to help. UT lost to Alabama 44-13.
19. Pruitt proclaims the 2020s the “decade of the Vols”
Tennessee had just rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat Indiana in the Gator Bowl, and in a celebratory locker room on the second day of a new decade, Pruitt told his team it was going to be the “decade of the Vols.”
A little more than a year later, he has been fired for cause after going 3-7 in 2020, including a six-game losing streak that tied a school record.
20. Pruitt calls out Tennessee fans after lackluster spring game attendance
The new coach’s first game in front of the Vols fans did not get off to a glorious start. He ripped his players, calling out some who he said “flat out quit,” and even the fans too.
“There were some people that weren’t here. Why weren’t they here?” Pruitt said about an announced spring crowd of 65,000. “I think we all need to look in the mirror and see who we want to be.”
The next time UT fans were able to watch Pruitt’s team, the Vols lost 40-14 to West Virginia in his official debut.
21. Charlie Strong turns down Tennessee
Then-Louisville coach Charlie Strong was one of the hottest names in college coaching in 2012, as the Cardinals went 11-2 with a win against Florida in the Sugar Bowl. Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart interviewed Strong and offered him the job to replace Dooley. After a night’s sleep, Strong said no thanks. A year later, Strong took the Texas job.
In retrospect, it’s not a decision that would have altered much of Tennessee’s course, but being stiff-armed by a coach choosing to stay at Louisville rather than wear the Power T was a humbling moment that still stings on paper.
22. Tennessee wins and loses rivalry games on Hail Marys in back to back seasons
Hail Marys are like shooting stars. It feels like the sport may see two or three in an entire season. Tennessee had rivalry games swing on Hail Marys in consecutive seasons.
In 2016, Tennessee beat Georgia when Jauan Jennings hauled in a Hail Mary to rescue the Vols, who coughed up a lead on a bomb from Jacob Eason seconds earlier.
But a year later, Jones’ descent began when the Vols lost to Florida on the game’s final play when Tyrie Cleveland got behind the defense for a 63-yard touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks. Both teams were ranked at the time but finished with four wins and fired their coaches.
23. Fulmer proclaims the Vols are back
At the tail end of an event celebrating the Vols’ second consecutive top-10 recruiting class last February, Fulmer had no time for shyness.
“The Vols are back,” Fulmer said, pausing to let a little drama build. “And before long, we’ll be taking a bite out of everybody we play’s ###.”
In addition to the firing of Pruitt after the 3-7 campaign in 2020, Fulmer retired but was given a buyout through his contract in 2023 that he’d have been given if he were fired.
24. Vols get rings for TaxSlayer Bowl victory
When Tennessee beat Iowa 45-28 in the 2014 TaxSlayer Bowl to punctuate the season with its seventh victory for its first winning season in five years, the Vols were pumped. In fact, they were so excited they had rings made up to commemorate the win that said “Gator Bowl Champions” on the front surrounding the shiny Power T. Problem is, the game played in Jacksonville was no longer called the Gator Bowl. That stopped the year before.
Also, at a school that claims six national titles, making jewelry to commemorate a 7-6 season didn’t play well with fans.
25. The 2010 Music City Bowl loss
Trailing by three with just 31 seconds left, North Carolina had no timeouts when it got the ball on its own 20. As the clocked ticked under 10 seconds, the Tar Heels were inside Tennessee’s 20 and half the field goal team ran on the field while quarterback T.J. Yates was trying to spike the football with one second left. The clock ran out and Tennessee celebrated as its sideline spilled onto the field.
“The game is over!” proclaimed the referee into the stadium PA.
Dooley shook hands with UNC coach Butch Davis at midfield.
However, a review revealed the ball was snapped and spiked with one second left. UNC was penalized five yards for too many players on the field. The next season, the NCAA added a 10-second runoff for clock-stopping penalties in the final minute of a game.
But on that day, UNC got one more chance. It made a 39-yard field goal and won the game in double overtime, 30-27.
26. Derek Dooley offers lessons in shower technique
After an outbreak of staph infection on his roster, Dooley offered his team lessons in how to shower. And then explained it publicly.
“We did a clinic yesterday on proper shower technique and soap and using a rag. We put some new rags in,” Dooley said. “Y’all think I’m kidding, but I’m serious. … We talked a little bit about application of soap to the rag and making sure you hit all your body.”
27. Tennessee loses to BYU after giving up unthinkable bomb
The week after Tennessee lost to Georgia State, BYU trailed the Vols by three with 17 seconds left on its own 20-yard line and no timeouts. Cornerback Alontae Taylor bit on a route and Zach Wilson somehow found Micah Simon for a 64-yard completion. BYU rushed to spike the ball and kicked a field goal to send the game into overtime.
What coverage were the Vols in on that final play?
“The one that you don’t let them throw it 75 yards in,” Pruitt said.
Tennessee lost in double overtime when Ty’Son Williams carried a pile of Vols defenders into the end zone.
(Ubben’s note: My reaction to this play, miraculously caught on video and captured as a still, remains my Twitter avatar)
28. Tennessee’s 51-year streak of NFL Draft picks ends
If you wonder just how awful recruiting was under Dooley, forget that he signed a few classes that were ranked in the top 20 at the time and consider this: The Vols had gone 51 years in a row with at least one player taken in the NFL Draft — the sixth-longest streak in college football until 2015. Then, the Vols missed out on getting a player selected the following year too. Ouch.
29. Pig Howard’s touchback costs the Vols a breakthrough victory
Jones, in his first season, had No. 6 Georgia on the ropes in overtime. Howard took a jet sweep and lunged toward the pylon, but he fumbled the ball out of bounds for a touchback.
Georgia kicked a 42-yard winning field goal four plays later to deny the Vols a mammoth upset. Tennessee has still gone without a win against a top-10 team since 2006
30. Dooley compares his team to Rommel at Normandy
Dooley shared a distinction with Mike Leach and Rick Neuheisel that they’d all gone to law school, and like the pirate-loving Leach, the Vols coach had a love for history that would surface in his news conferences. In Dooley’s first season at Tennessee, the Vols were 2-5 and 0-4 in SEC play when he attempted to offer some colorful context to his young team by making the comparison to the Germans during the invasion of Normandy during World War II.
“Right now we’re like the Germans in World War II,” Dooley said. “Here come the boats. They’re coming. You have the binoculars, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, the invasion is coming.. . . We weren’t ready for this. Now what do we do? We better wait until (German field marshal Erwin) Rommel tells us what to do.’”
The Vols lost their next game at South Carolina by two touchdowns, 38-24. Their defense was still a mess. But at least they scored more than 17 points in an SEC game for the first time.
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