NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It started out as just another normal Sunday in Knoxville.
Well, actually not really.
Led by interim head coach Brady Hoke, the Tennessee Volunteers made history on Saturday night – and a not-so-exciting history for that matter. The Vols’ football program suffered its first 8-loss season after losing to in-state rival Vanderbilt – going winless in the SEC for the first time since the league started football play in 1933.
The administration and fans felt this was rock bottom for Tennessee Football, but they knew a challenge was still upon them knowing they still had to name a head coach.
On Sunday morning word was released that Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano was closing a deal with Tennessee athletic director John Currie, to be the next head football coach at the University of Tennessee.
Schiano’s 68-67 record over 11 years at Rutgers and his failed two-year, 11-21 record as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was enough to make Tennessee fans enraged.
However, a losing record was not all that Tennessee fans were mad about. Outrage was sparked when articles from USA Today & The Washington Post resurfaced on Rocky Top regarding the Penn State Jerry Sandusky case.
An article resurfaced on Twitter from, The Washington Post, dated July 12, 2016 headlined:
“Greg Schiano, Tom Bradley knew of Jerry Sandusky abuse at Penn State, documents show.”
This sparked many media-members, fans, and even state representatives to take to Twitter to voice their unhappiness in this said hire.
Tennessee State Representative Jeremy Faison stated:
“The head football coach at the University of Tennessee is the highest-paid state employee. They’re the face of our state. We don’t need a man who has that type of potential reproach in their life as the highest-paid state employee. It’s egregious to the people and it’s wrong to the taxpayers.”
He was not the only State Representative to make a comment on the matter. Jason Zachary tweeted:
“I have reached out to @John_Currie and others in administration at UT expressing that WE as a TN Community do not approve of Schiano. #higherstandards.”
And…
Representative of the 13th district in Knoxville, Eddie Smith, tweeted:
“Our Tennessee standards mean something, and a Greg Schiano hire would be anathema to all that our University and our community stand for. I sincerely hope that these rumors are not true, because even serious consideration would be unacceptable.”
Also…
Republican candidate for governor Bill Lee weighs in as well:
“We expect the highest standards for our public institutions. The special few chosen to lead within those institutions should have a demonstrated history of integrity and character. I hope today’s rumors are not true, because protecting children is more important than anything.”
Not to mention…
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders apparently wrote on her personal Facebook account stating her unhappiness in this “hire” as well stating:
“Guess who’s the new head football coach at the University of Tennessee. Yup. The guy who covered for Jerry Sandusky. #GregSchiano,”
So, with all the unhappiness expressed on Twitter, it was released Sunday evening that the Greg Schiano deal was off and he would not be the next leader of the Orange and White’s football team.
Tennessee fans thought that their voice was finally heard and a hire as big as this one should not be taken lightly.
However, of course, it would not stop here. Both parties signed the memorandum of understanding Sunday evening in Columbus, Ohio, which means there could be some type of “buy-out” between Schiano and The University of Tennessee; however, no word has been confirmed.
On Monday morning, John Currie finally released at statement regarding his thoughts on pursing Schiano.
Read it here:
https://twitter.com/JesseReSimonton/status/935186154357391360
Posted by: Madison Blevins
