Tennessee's Plan E Proves Successful: Vols Hire LA Tech's Derek Dooley

In a press conference scheduled to start Friday at 9 P.M., Tennessee is expected to announce that Derek Dooley will be the football program's next head coach. In the meantime, the university has posted a statement on its website:

The University of Tennessee is introducing Derek Dooley as the 22nd head coach in school history during a Friday press conference at 9 p.m. Eastern time inside Neyland Stadium's Peyton Manning Locker Room Complex.

Dooley, 41, comes to the Vols after three seasons as head coach at Louisiana Tech, where he also served as athletics director since March 2008. Dooley compiled a 17-20 overall record in three seasons with the Bulldogs, including an 8-5 mark in 2008 that was highlighted by the school's first bowl game and bowl victory in 30 years at the Independence Bowl. For his efforts, the Louisiana Sports Writers' Association named him Coach of the Year.

Dooley began his coaching career in 1996 as a graduate assistant at Georgia under defensive coordinator Joe Kines. After serving as wide receivers coach and co-recruiting coordinator at SMU from 1997-99, Dooley joined the staff at LSU under head coach Nick Saban as recruiting coordinator from 2000-02 and running backs coach and special teams coordinator from 2003-04. While LSU's recruiting coordinator, Dooley helped the Tigers land No. 1 classes in 2001 and 2003.

He left LSU with Saban to serve as tight ends coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06, before being named to his first head coaching position at Louisiana Tech on Dec. 17, 2006.

Dooley, son of former Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley, was a walk-on wide receiver at Virginia before earning a scholarship after his second season and leading the Cavaliers to three bowl appearances and the 1989 ACC championship.

"We are excited to welcome Derek and Allison to the University of Tennessee family," said UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton. "Derek is one of the bright young coaches in America. He understands our league and the competitive environment in which we compete.

"He took a very difficult first head coaching job and has made significant strides there in a short period of time. He is incredibly bright, a tireless recruiter and excellent on-the-field coach."

Dooley is married to Dr. Allison Jeffers Dooley, an OBGYN. They have two sons, John Taylor (11) and Peyton (8), and a daughter, Juliana (6). Dooley earned his bachelor's degree in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia in 1990, and his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1994. Before embarking on his coaching career, Dooley practiced law at a private law firm in Atlanta for two years.

For more on Dooley and the future of Tennessee Volunteers football, check out our Vols blog, Rocky Top Talk.

ESPN’s Joe Schad says it’s now official: Tennessee has hired Derek Dooley as its next head coach. Dooley was the 6th or 7th choice on their list, and well … Rocky Top Talk put it best: “What’s the opposite of splash?”

For a refresher — or more likely, an introduction — on who Dooley is, see Spencer Hall’s previously posted intelligence report.

Derek Dooley! Wait, um…who’s that? He’s the current coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and has a 17-20 record in three seasons as their head coach. He’s also the current AD at Louisiana Tech, so he’s quite the multitasker.

And is he qualified to take the job? He’s been a college head coach before, sure. This makes Tennessee’s job search better than at least half of all Notre Dame coaching searches to start, but let’s not get carried away here. Dooley was recruiting coordinator/running backs coach under Nick Saban at LSU from 2000 to 2004, and is very organized, but this is far from the five-tool coaching hire Tennessee wanted to make here. Dooley is young, enthusiastic, and knows how to recruit. He was also a middling coach at Louisiana Tech. Potential is nice, but proven results would be nicer in what amounts to a huge leap of faith for Tennessee.

So Tennessee could entrust their program to a sub-.500 guy from the WAC? Yes. That is precisely what they might be close to doing. If he did not have the same last name as Vince Dooley, there is no way he would even be considered for this job. Consider the hire to be a variation on the classic maneuver perfected by Alabama AD Mal Moore, “The Mike Shula:”

1. Have insane beliefs about coaching talent and genes

2. Find excitable coaching spawn with well-typed, underwhelming resume

3. ENGAGE LARGE CONTRACT.

I’ve got a hot stock tip on a young sketchy company that might fold overnight or make billions. Who should I send it to? Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton, who is quickly becoming the Dave Kingman of ADs by taking huge swings and hoping for the best with his eyes closed.

Derek Dooley could get to Tennessee and win five national championships. This is within the realm of the possible. Given his record right now—a 4-8 showing last year, especially—it’s not probable, and that’s why Mike Hamilton should not be loaned chips at the blackjack table in Tunica. He likes gambling, and if the Kiffin and Dooley hirings are any indication, he likes gambling poorly.

The most important question: Does Dooley slap players?

Answer: only when players have their helmets on.

ESPN is reporting it now, and if Joe Schad says it must be, then it must be: Derek Dooley is the next head coach at Tennessee, leaving behind a 17-20 record and the athletic director position at Louisiana Tech.

The Salt Lake Trib is reporting that Utah’s Kyle Whittingham turned down something between $3 to 4 million this morning from Tennessee, joining Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, Duke coach David Cutcliffe and former NFL coach Jon Gruden in the long list of people who turned the job down.

Please, please, notice that we’re extending this to you at the end of a ten-foot pole: 790 The Sports Animal is reporting that Derek Dooley is the next coach at Tennessee. Is the current Louisiana Tech coach and athletic director going to be next head coach at Tennessee? At the moment, it’s just as likely as David Cutcliffe was yesterday, and as likely as Troy Calhoun was on Wednesday, so in so many words: maybe? 

/shrugsshoulders

P.S. The Lafayette Advertiser is reporting Dooley's leaving, as well. 

David Cutcliffe, per pay site Volquest.com and Knoxville sports radio station AM 990, will stay at Duke and not become the next head football coach at Tennessee. The issues scuttling the move were said to center on the coaching staff, which Cutcliffe wanted to bring over from Duke to Knoxville. This was something the administration evidently did not want to happen, and now Tennessee has to go to plans D, E, F, and possibly into the Ws and Xs at this point.

Those letters represent, among other people: current Vol assistant Kippy Brown, LA Tech coach Derek Dooley, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Lovie Smith, and even Houston’s Kevin Sumlin. Sure, he just received a contract extension, but those are just playful fiction at this point, something the last few weeks should have made abundantly clear.

We’re turning once again to the questionable journalism of the Knoxville paper, so take this with a deer lick of salt, but they’re reporting negotiations between the University of Tennessee and Duke’s David Cutcliffe are nearing completion. This comes in the wake of multiple sources stating the Vols would not be hiring a head coach tonight.

Keep one eye on SBN’s Rocky Top Talk for all the latest.

And the dance continues. Earlier Thursday afternoon, reports surfaced out of North Carolina that David Cutcliffe was leaving Duke to become the head football coach at Tennessee. Not so fast. 

The Knoxville News Sentinel is now saying that there has been no deal reached to bring Cutcliffe to Tennessee, according to a "source close to the situation." 

While there appears to be mutual interest and a deal could be struck, UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said earlier in the day that the interviewing process is ongoing.

This was confirmed by WBIR contributor Brent Hubbs of Volquest.com, who said that he's "spoken to Cutcliffe personally--and Cutcliffe told him that report is not true."

So, we're right back to where we started. Which is with a Tennessee football program without a coach. Perhaps Wes Rucker, reporter for the Chattanooga TFP, said it best: "Dang, people. Vols have had a coaching vacancy for less than 48 hours ... Chill."

According to a report by WFMY in Durham, North Carolina, David Cutcliffe is leaving Duke and returning to Tennessee to replace Lane Kiffin as the school's new head coach. 

There of course has been no official announcement, just that a "source close to Cutcliffe told WFMY that Cutcliffe would be making the move back to Vol country." Additionally: "Conversations between 10News and our counterparts at WFMY indicate that the source is close to Cutcliffe and reliable."

It's obviously still very early in this report, so expect more updates, both in this StoryStream and at Rocky Top Talk. 

Since just about everyone is turning down Tennessee for their head coaching position, they have been forced to move on to former offensive coordinator and current Duke head coach, David Cutcliffe. Maybe. According to Rocky Top Talk, an "inside source at the Duke Athletic Department, David Cutcliffe is set to make some sort of an announcement shortly." 

This could mean ... anything. Or absolutely nothing. But it's all certainly ... interesting, especially considering Troy Calhoun just recently released his own statement, saying he was staying at Air Force. 

And now, to add some fuel to this Internet fire of a rumor: Duke currently has no football staff listed for 2010 on its official athletic site. Do with that what you will. 

UPDATE: As JackD points out in the comments, the Duke football coaches page is back up, with a big ol' picture of David Cutcliffe right at the top. 

Air Force put a quick end to any and all thoughts of head coach Troy Calhoun leaving to takeover at Tennessee. The school released a statement from Calhoun Thursday afternoon, saying he is staying at the Academy. 

"We are more than grateful and proud to be closely involved with the character building of our cadets and the mission of the United States Air Force Academy. We are diligently recruiting and working with our team to prepare for the upcoming season. We look forward to coaching and being a part of the Air Force Academy team both on and off the field in 2010."

David Cutcliffe, Tennessee turns its lonely eyes toward you.