New Oak Ridge Head Football Coach

[OC55]

Gray was never offered the Loudon job

[VilleRam]

Sorry guys, all I know is what I've been told. If you've heard different, so be it. He wasn't the same year Rankin took over, I think it might have been when Reid was hired although I don't know for sure. By the way, just to make a correction, it was Lebanon he got offered, not Loudon...got them confused. I got my information right from the horses mouth and he's a pretty honest guy...in fact he's brutally honest sometimes. You don't have to believe me or him that's perfectly fine, I believe him though.

[KooAidDrinker]

VilleRam not much support to your answers. Are you related to him? There are plenty of coaches with head coaching experience that have applied. I just don't understand hiring Gray if he has no head coaching experience, has not coached at OR since the early part of the decade, but has found his way on three other staffs. All while keeping his teaching job at OR. Does that sound like a good fit?

[VilleRam]

I'm not related to him. There are other good coaches with HC that have applied and I would have no problem with them being hired. I don't have tunnel vision in that respect. It's not going to be hard to turn the program around and some of the names mentioned could do it I believe.

 

On paper, yes there are better candidates. Obviously you want someone with experience as a HC, I completely understand that point. But you don't hire a resume, you hire a person. Gray's resume is ho-hum, nothing that stands out, but all I'm trying to say is that Ron Gray the person is the right fit for Oak Ridge.

 

Here are some positives for him: he's a teacher at Oak Ridge and he has history with the program. He knows the tradition, he knows the town, he knows the facilities from top to bottom, and most importantly he knows almost all of the kids that will play. He's a family man and a good person overall. He has a great football mind, he works as hard as any coach, he can coach other coaches, he knows the middle schools well having been the head coach at Jefferson for several years. He knows how to use the players he has and he takes care of players. Players respond well to both his personality and the way he coaches.

 

And for the negatives: he has no head coach experience. He's been passed over for the Oak Ridge job twice. He didn't leave the program on good terms in '05 and some people remember that. Has been at 3 programs in the last 3 years.

 

Really, to be honest, his negatives don't have anything to do with his ability as a coach in my opinion. He's still a dang fine coach, but there are some questions about his personality which really doesn't jive with everyone. The things that stand out as the biggest things though, the kids respond to him very well and he's been apart of some very good programs.

[akula21]

Well said ram, I wasn't trying to be overly critical of you and it makes more sense if he was in the running at Alcoa after meadows left and they hired reid.

 

I think we can all agree we just want the hiring process to speed up and finish so we can get behind our new coach and get the program back to a high level.

[KooAidDrinker]

VilleRam he just does not make sense as a hire. No experience seems to be the least of concerns. Why did he leave to coach at three other schools since 2005? Why three other schools? That should tell you something. I think you have been hoodwinked a little, which leads me to believe you are either related to him, have a love fest for him with BladeRunner. The obvious candidate is Pemberton. He is the name I heard last week from someone close to the situation. I guess Pemberton would be a good thing for Gray he could get back on the staff.

[bladerunner]

VilleRam he just does not make sense as a hire. No experience seems to be the least of concerns. Why did he leave to coach at three other schools since 2005? Why three other schools? That should tell you something. I think you have been hoodwinked a little, which leads me to believe you are either related to him, have a love fest for him with BladeRunner. The obvious candidate is Pemberton. He is the name I heard last week from someone close to the situation. I guess Pemberton would be a good thing for Gray he could get back on the staff.

 

Now I have been called out.

I do not know Coach Gray, I never said he should be hired. I said that if others are going to attack him, give the reasons why. I'm still waiting on them, he has been called a back staber, however there is no proof.

 

I have heard that a lot of people want Coach Gaddis I said

he has way too much luggage to bring back. That's all

.

Mr Aid, who is your love fest for? Who do you want?

Are you from OR? I know that there are some of the former coaching staff posting on here are you one of them?

[KooAidDrinker]

I live in New Hampshire, but lived in Knoxville during my time in college. I have buddies that played at Oak Ridge and know of both Gaddis and Gray. Most of my buddies that know both like Gaddis much better and actually don't trust Gray at all. I really don't have a dog in the race, but I think it would not make sense to hire a guy with no experience over a pool of qualified candidates. I have friends that keep up with the situation and they tell me it is going to be Pemberton. I think that would be a good hire. I do not have anything against Gray, but have heard some of the backstabbing stories, but I take those with a grain of salt. I do find it interesting he has been on three staffs in three seasons. He may be a good choice for OR, but I think it would be hard to overlook experienced choices. As for guys on the staff now, I couldn't tell you who is and who isn't except for all the chatter on here about the assistants. I do know whoever takes over will have to find a way to work with those guys because high school is not like college. You don't get to clean house.

[VilleRam]

VilleRam he just does not make sense as a hire. No experience seems to be the least of concerns. Why did he leave to coach at three other schools since 2005? Why three other schools? That should tell you something. I think you have been hoodwinked a little, which leads me to believe you are either related to him, have a love fest for him with BladeRunner. The obvious candidate is Pemberton. He is the name I heard last week from someone close to the situation. I guess Pemberton would be a good thing for Gray he could get back on the staff.

 

 

It's not like he doesn't have experience, he's coached for 20 years. He's coached college football, junior high, and high school. I think this is a case of judging someone based on paper without actually knowing them. He's a very impressive guy when you meet him in person. You can go meet him, he'll tell you anything you want to know about him.

 

Pemberton would be a fine choice. I've talked to him a few times when I visited Ron at Catholic practices, very impressive. I don't know what is relationship with Ron was like but hopefully yeah he would get back on the staff, that would be great.

 

I'm not related to Ron. I played for him at OR and we're still pretty good friends. I get the impression you think I'm completely in the tank for him. I want him to be the HC at Oak Ridge but I will support whoever is hired. Like I've said a couple times, there are sever good candidates who could turn this program around, Pemberton is one, Ron Gray is one. I know him the best which is why I support him.

[KooAidDrinker]

I know him the best which is why I support him.

 

 

I can live with that.

[bladerunner]

I know him the best which is why I support him.

 

 

I can live with that.

 

RE: Gaddis there is a lot that you don't know, if your friends know, they are very liberal. It's free country, but Gaddis Is not a good fit in my opinion I think it was Bounder that brought up that famous saying"you can never go home" Again, Coach Gray brings baggage as well. I would prefer no baggage.... & head coaching experience as well, & someone who has been & knows how to get back to the State.

[KooAidDrinker]

Gaddis is not a good fit? Because he consistently won and was the last to win a state championship? You must be talking about his personal life. Well last I checked people make mistakes, but the guys I hung with in college got me to love OR football because the stories they told of that guy. I met him a few times and I wanted to go back in time and play for him. I'm orginally from Pennsylvania and I thought TN football was awful, but went to almost every OR game I could because they were fun to watch and Coach Gaddis had that program and town alive. The thing about OR that alot do not see is that its not the same town that it was in 1991. There are less jobs. The homes from I have been told are falling apart and the taxes are out of control that no industry will move in.