4th&inches

Take it easy chief. That was a rebuilding year for MBA and Byrnes was the best team in the country that year. MBA was overmatched that game yes, but let's wait for the game. Show a little class.

Here's what TheColdHardTruth doesn't seem to understand. This isn't the Alabama coaching search. The search committee should be taking into account other factors than football pedigree, such as the ability to develop young men. In fact that should be the number one priority for a HIGH SCHOOL coach. RedTwin, i think that the middle school Latin teacher is actually Anne Christiansen. That will certainly bring a unique perspective to the search.

Another reasonable and unbiased post by TheColdHardTruth. Let's break down this search committee of yours. The high school principal: Jamie Tillman. One of the most respected and liked men on campus. Served as the athletic director before Jeff Rutledge, a role he was much more active in than JR. He served the role of athletic director for 6 or 7 (maybe 8) years before becoming the principal of the high school. Sounds pretty qualified to me. The Junior School Principal: Peter Thurmond. Another highly respected leader at MBA. He coached BGA in the years that BGA was pretty formidable, winning at least one state championship if I'm not mistaken. Sounds pretty qualified to me. High school math teacher and member of the coaching staff: Floyd Elliot. Served as head coach before Bowers came has been a highly successful defensive coordinator at MBA for years. Sounds pretty qualified to me. So the committe as a whole has: Two of the best leaders on campus, one of whom possesses significant coaching experience while the other possesses significant experience as the lead athletic administrator at MBA. One experienced member of the football coaching staff. One teacher with little to no football experience but with a very good understanding of the school and its mission who can provide some much-needed perspective. And a teacher and coach with little to no football experience but who is new to the school and able to provide a fresh viewpoint that would be difficult for some of the more tenured faculty members to see. I think that this sounds like a very balanced committee with different viewpoints all qualified to help MBA find a coach who is right for MBA on more levels than just wins and losses. Hate to break it to you TheColdHardTruth, but you just made a heck of a statement about Gioia's ability to put together a dynamic and qualified group to find a head coach. If he does as well at finding a coach as he did at finding the search committee, i'll be thrilled.

Would you mind explaining what is wrong with the headmaster of a prestigious school that prides itself on more than football wanting to have control over the head coach? And what exactly do you mean by "control"? Not letting in students who won't be able to do the work? Not allowing the rest of the athletic programs suffer at the expense of football? I am very confused. To me, if the coach doesn't answer to the headmaster in high school there is a serious priority check in order.

To TheColdHardTruth: I usually just lurk on this board every once in a while to get a pulse and see what people are talking about, but I can't bite my tongue any longer with your posts. 1.) Stop this "I will be vindicated when DM is named head coach" business. No one is disagreeing with you that he is a leading candidate. If anything, you're late to the party on acknowledging his candidacy. 2.) Whatever your beef is with BG, that's understandable. He's not going to please everybody, and you are certainly not alone in your distaste. In fact, BG hating has been in vogue for a while now. 3.) MBA didn't RUN OFF another good coach with Robert Black. The guy got a HEAD COACHING JOB at his college alma mater. He's not exactly taking the first bus out of town. 4.) Rutledge interviewed at BA and got on the radio and talked about how BA was the best place in the state for high school athletics while still under MBA employment. If you're the MBA head coach and AD, I don't think it's too much to ask for you to want to be there and consider it the best job in the state. COllege coaching and high school coaching are two totally different animals and no matter what a coach's credentials are, sometimes high school is just not the right fit. All of those factors make Rutledge's push out the door completely acceptable. Thanks for your efforts JR, but you dug your own grave. 5.) Take away DM's family ties and he is still a young coach who's dream job is to coach at his alma mater. I'd say that's a good quality in a head coach. I don't expect him to sniffing at other coaching positions if he got the job. He coached at MBA out of college, he coached at Miami and left some good college opportunities for a head coaching job at FRA, and left a head job at FRA for an assistant job at MBA. He has made sacrifices to be MBA's head coach. I would be thrilled to see him hired, and I think that a lot of other people in the MBA community would be as well. Don't throw him under the bus just because BG likes him. 6.) Brad Gioia wants to see MBA football succeed. He knows that the board and the community won't accept anything less. He will not hire an unqualified coach just to have a "yes man". Get off your soap box. Congratulations on being a former faculty member but you're not the only one who knows the inner workings of the school.

Reminds me of another offensive player that was scary on defense, Travis Stephens of Clarksville NE brought the hat before becoming a good RB for the Vols.

I'm new to the board and the posts are great. Wondering what people's thoughts are on who the are the hardest hitters to come through Tennessee.