David Glenn Will Ask Cutcliffe Regarding UT Job

[TwoDukeTattoos]

I called into the DG show last night on 850 The Buzz asking if he had any insight regarding UT and Cutcliffe. He did indicate, if I'm not mistaken, that Cutcliffe will be a top candidate, but, other than that he didn't have any insight to offer. DG did say, however, that Cutcliffe is scheduled to appear on his show today and he will ask Cut point blank if he would be interested in the UT job. I am not sure what time Cut is slotted to appear, so if anyone hears the interview, please let us know!

[6th Man]

Here's my plea to Coach Cut...he has spoken a lot this year about how his dad taught him to always leave a place better off than he found it. That is also what he is stressing to his players, especially seniors this year. The seniors are doing that(thank you seniors), but as a whole if Coach Cut left, Duke would not be better off. When I envision Coach Cut leaving, he will leave behind a program that is going to bowl games. A program that another coach can come into and not have to try and build a program. One that has established itself for recruits, fans, and winning ball games. I think he can do just that. It's going to take some time and the improved facilities we keep hearing about.

So come on Coach. Stay and make sure when you do leave, it is indeed much better off than you found it!

[Diddy]

Cutcliff has already proven one thing. He has proven that Duke is a legitimate team where a coach can win games.

I never thought he would be here for long. He is too good of an offensive coach to stick at Duke, especially so late in his career. The unlimited budgets and power at a SEC, Big 12, or even Pac-10 team are too enticing to turn your back on. Also, since I also follow UT football, I figured that Fat Boy wasn't long for that job without Cutcliff.

You know what, I don't think Duke will miss Cutcliff. He has shown what winning a few games at Duke can do. I think Duke will now be a serious destination for an up and comming, lower tier coach, or high quality assistant coach.

Unlike many of you, I have never harbored dreams of finding another K, ie someone who will stick arround forever. Until Duke seriously upgrades the facilities, keeping a rising star coach will be too dificult. But Cut is a special case. He has proven, long before Duke, that he is an offensive guru, and a solid to good head coach. Duke's next guy will be someone the football world has heard of, and he will be on his way up. He will have to stay longer to prove himself, and he will. The next guy could stay for 4-5 years, and when he leaves that coach will leave behind a legacy of winning for another HC, possibly even a Duke grad who is an assistant.

Let's face it. Prior to this year Duke Football was a complete joke. Cut has proven that Duke does not have to be a joke. He has enhanced us tremendously. Taking over, and being successfull at a Virginia, or Ole Miss, or Ball State is nice, and will get you a better job. But you have to win 8-10 games at those schools. Come coach at Duke, win 6-8 games and a crown jewel of college football will come calling. Duke is situated in a geographic region rich with talent, ie recruiting connections to take with you to better schools. And Duke will be going after coaches' favorites, the kids who aren't superstars but are smart, good kids. The coach at a Charlotte power doesn't care who takes the non-scholarly superstar, but he will always remember who offered for one of his favorite brainiacs.

Duke can be one of the Stepping Stone programs, until we can produce a homegrown, alumnus coach who will stick for a couple of decades. Cut has shown that it can be done, so good luck to him.

Plus, we can use his buyout money for the next guy's salary package.

[Highlander]

You guys are talking about him as if he is already gone, which is far from the case. He hasn't even coached one half of one season yet. I, for one, would be very surprised and disappointed if Cutcliffe left Duke this year, especially considering how much Duke has invested in him and his vision. Doing so would be catastrophic to our program, in that it would reinforce the stereotype that our program is not worth the time of a top tier coach.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

You know what, I don't think Duke will miss Cutcliff. He has shown what winning a few games at Duke can do. I think Duke will now be a serious destination for an up and comming, lower tier coach, or high quality assistant coach.

Unlike many of you, I have never harbored dreams of finding another K, ie someone who will stick arround forever. Until Duke seriously upgrades the facilities, keeping a rising star coach will be too dificult. But Cut is a special case. He has proven, long before Duke, that he is an offensive guru, and a solid to good head coach. Duke's next guy will be someone the football world has heard of, and he will be on his way up. He will have to stay longer to prove himself, and he will. The next guy could stay for 4-5 years, and when he leaves that coach will leave behind a legacy of winning for another HC, possibly even a Duke grad who is an assistant.

No one would disagree with the statement that we are better off with Cut. But if he left right away, that would be a horrible blow to the program. All those big recruits who have verballed to come play for Cut... probably gone. This program has several years to go before it even has a chance to stand on its own. Right now, Cut is the program. If he went right back to UT it might look suspiciously as if he had abandoned them in the hopes of a collapse and immediate return as the savior. That wouldn't look good to anyone except maybe UT fans.

[jimsumner]

For a man with one foot out the door, Cutcliffe sure does spend a lot of time talking about next year and the year after that and the year after that.

[DeepBlue70]

Some guys still value character built on loyalty. Not everyone takes the money and runs. Not everyone is lured by the glamour of a name. Half a season is way too early for a guy of Cut's character to leave and be able to live with himself. No way he goes

[SilkyJ]

For a man with one foot out the door, Cutcliffe sure does spend a lot of time talking about next year and the year after that and the year after that.

Really guys. I guess its always better to have low expectations and be pleasantly surprised (under-promise/over-deliver) but I'd be extremely surprised if Cut left after this year. But even more than that, I would be absolutely mystified if he was using Duke as a stepping stone. Duke is not a stepping stone for anyone. We were one of the worst teams in 1-A the last 4 years, and have been at least in the bottom tier the last 10+ years- And that's being generous!

There are plenty of people who would argue that Cutliffe's move from Offensive Coordinator at UT, to HC at Duke is a step down -- certainly there are lot's of people in his position who would not have accepted or been interested in the position. When you are a premier OC and ex-HC (not a "premier" one necessarily, but a very, very successful one) in the best conference in the country, you don't take a step down just to take a step up a year later because quite simply, you don't need to. Duke is way below the types of jobs he could have gotten last year.

That's only the objective/situational part. Add in what I've heard about his character and reputation it would surprise me even further if he came in with the intention of leaving after a year or two.

Now, I will say its possible he could go to UT, but I don't think he had any intention of leaving quickly back when he took the job. For him, UT is kind of like going home. Its not exactly the same, but we wouldn't be talking about "stepping stones" if Coach K suddenly retired and coach dawkins came back. Unexpected circumstances. Coach going home. It happens, but I can't imagine he had the intention of using Duke as a stepping stone.

[Jaymf7]

I would think that, for a special kind of coach, the challenge of turning a struggling program like Duke into a sustainably successful program is particularly appealing. We all know how high the expectations at UT are. Indeed, I think Fulmer has done a lot for that school and where is he now? How many other high profile coaches have suffered similar fates (different sport, but how are the Yankees doing in the postseason this year?)? For Cutcliffe to go back to UT and save the program from one or two down years is not nearly the same opportunity that he now has to turn a very weak (but newly resource rich) program into a contending program. Here, he can truly leave a legacy. I hope that motivates him. Based on his decision to come in the first place, my guess is that it does.

[Devilsfan]

I think that Coach Cut is the best football coach Duke has ever gotten and that includes the Ol'Ball Coach and Mr. Wade imo. I love what he has accomplished in such a short period of time. From moving the student section and the band to the home side, to enfocing the parking around Yoh, to getting two Super Bowl QBs on campus, to featuring so many players on his show and in our programs, to starting the clean up of the cess pool called Wallace Wade, to the new unis, to building one of the best damn staffs in the land, to the Devil's Walk (through Cameron on Blue White day I hear), to starting to fill our stadium, to nearly cutting out all stupid mistakes on the field, to returning PRIDE to Duke football, to the "I am DUKE!! cry", to well you get the point.
That's why I root so hard for the Vols and Phillip Fulmer each and every Saturday. Please Vols start winning some games!!!!! We want to keep our coach and his staff in Durham.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

While I think this sort of discussion is a bit premature, if we're going to have the conversation, let's remember a turning point regarding the Duke job for Coach Cutrcliffe. He asked if he could reassemble his staff from Ole Miss as part of the deal. This is the same staff he refused to "throw under the bus" at Ole Miss. Is he likely to head back to Knoxville after a few months here? Probably not. I think he's got higher principles than that. In a few years? Who knows? We can hope that in a few years we all see him as central to Duke's identity as is Coach K

[Diddy]

How closely have you people followed Div 1 Football low these many years?

Butch Davis resurrects Miami. Has them on the brink of a national championship. And promptly leaves for the NFL (more $, more prestige, etc)

Nick Saban resurrects MSU. They are close to toppeling mighty UM in the state. And then he promptly leaves for LSU. Which he resurrects into a national title machine. Until he leaves for the NFL, literally in dead of night. When he comes back to college FB, he comes back to the same conference, the same division, to one of LSU's most hated long term rivals, Alabama.

Rich Rodriquez goes to his ALMA freaking MATER, and resurrects the program from just slightlly better than Duke. He turns WVU into a perenial BCS contender. He signs a HUGE buyout clause, builds a nice house, and swears eternal fealty. Until Michigan comes calling.

Do you think Duke is so amazing that we are immune from the reality of college football? I mean, I can see why Cut would want to stay at a school whose academic requirements preclude most of the top players in the sport, a school where 70% attendance is a cause for celebration, and a school whose facilities are in worse shape than a lot of top high schools, and are certainly among the absolute worst in College football, a school in a conference where FB is the poor cousine of basketball.

Who in (insert your Diety here)'s name would want to go to a school in a football crazy conference, a school that is allergic to serious academic requirements, a school were a bad team gets 100,000 fans for a home game, a school with fantastic, state of the art facilities? Why would he want to go back to the city where all of his wife's and children's friends still live? Who really wants that kind of happiness?

What about Duke is so amazing that a coach wouldn't leave? How many of you on this board would not leave for a more prestigious job that paid significantly more money?

Or, to put it another way:

Suppose, over the next 5 or so years, Johnny Dawkins turns Stanford into a serious contender on the national stage. If, over that same 5 or so years, Coach K were to decide to call it a career, how many here fully expect Dawkins to drop Stanford like its hot and hie on back to Durham? If you expect Dawkins to come back, then don't be surprised if someone else does it to us.

As for Duke not being a stepping stone: What is more impressive? Winning 8-10 games at a state school in a BCS conference, or even a mid major, or winning 4-7 games at Duke? A big time school would look at the 4-7 game winner at Duke and think "Gee, if he can do it at a joke program like Duke, what can he do here at Mammoth U with all our focus, money, facilities, and academic non chalance."

What is more impressive in your mind?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

How closely have you people followed Div 1 Football low these many years?

There is no way on God's green Earth that a coach will turn down $8 millions a year to coach the LA Lakers. What kind of fool would the man have to be to turn down that kind of money - a $6 million a year raise? If he's that crazy why would we still want him at Duke? NO ONE turns down that kind of money.

Well, we all know that Coach K DID turn down the Lakers. We didn't run him out of town on a rail for doing it, either. Coach Cut is a man of the same integrity as Coach K. He's only in his first year here and not his 20+ (at the time of the Lakers thing), so he doesn't have the deep roots here, but they are firmly in the ground and getting deeper every day. He's getting the love from the team, the administration and the fans.

Diddy, I think your logic and arguments are valid for most people and most institutions, but not for Duke and not for Coach Cutcliffe. As the ads say "We are DUKE!"

[JG Nothing]

I seriously doubt Tennessee wants a guy fired from Ole Miss. Also, Cutcliffe has a reputation (warranted or not) among some in the SEC for not being able to recruit at an elite level.
Judging by the VolNation bulletin board most of the fans sure don't want to see Cutcliffe hired as the Vols head coach.
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tenne...cutcliffe.html
I think Cutcliffe will be courted in the future but not by Tennessee. If they fire Fulmer, they will want a fresh start and a more exciting name. Regardless, I am thrilled with what Cutcliffe has done at Duke and very glad he is our coach.

[formerdukeathlete]

I seriously doubt Tennessee wants a guy fired from Ole Miss. Also, Cutcliffe has a reputation (warranted or not) among some in the SEC for not being able to recruit at an elite level.
Judging by the VolNation bulletin board most of the fans sure don't want to see Cutcliffe hired as the Vols head coach.
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tenne...cutcliffe.html
I think Cutcliffe will be courted in the future but not by Tennessee. If they fire Fulmer, they will want a fresh start and a more exciting name. Regardless, I am thrilled with what Cutcliffe has done at Duke and very glad he is our coach.

Read somewhere that Cut's contract with Duke does not contain a buyout. Jim Sumner or someone closer to the pulse may know more about this.

On the recruiting front, yes, we landed Renfree, the highest rated qb recruit for Duke since who, Ben Bennett? And, Desmond Scott. However, Roof's couple first full recruiting classes were about as strong or stronger than Cut's first full class. The 2009 class has a number of kids who have had no other BCS offers. Jim Harbaugh at Stanford (paid about 500k a year less than Cut) is ripping it out of the frame recruiting wise - Stanford's 09 class currently is ranked about 15th.

Diddy makes a number of points which get out in front of this issue, kind of contrarian to the perhaps commonly held view that Cut will not leave early and or that he will retire at Duke. For the right offer, I think Cut would leave. He is paid pretty well at Duke and has his staff in place. I think it would have to be a pretty attractive situation, with an all-clear on his health. Another factor - our won - loss record this season. A couple more GA tech game like performances and that pretty attractive situation is less likely to be offered.

[arnie]

When Butch Davis takes the UT job at the end of this year, that will take care of most of my football concerns!

[budwom]

First of all, Coachspeak 101 indicates that the ONLY possible answer Cutcliffe could give regarding the possibility of taking the UT job is that Fullmer is the coach at Tennessee, period. He's not going to discuss hypotheticals.

I also think there are strong possibilities that 1) UT would not offer the job to Cutcliffe, and 2) he might not take the job, especially this early in his tenure at Duke. Sure, the man has to do what's best for him, but Duke did give him another crack at head coaching, and is paying him somewhere around $2 million per year. I'd bet he'll be around for at least a few more years, and possibly quite a bit longer. I hope so.

[JasonEvans]

People I know who follow the Tennessee program say there is almost no chance at all that they would hire Cut if they got rid of Fulmer.

The consensus seems to be that -- barring a total collapse this season -- Fulmer will be given another year to turn it around. And, if they do let him go, they are going to look for a younger, hotter name than Cut. While it is true that Cut was OC at Tennessee and did a nice job in that role, it is not like things were fabulous under his stewardship of the Tennessee offense the past couple years. It is not like everyone looked at Tennessee and said, "their strategy is to outscore you because their defense sucks."

--Jason "Cut is here and this will be his home for a while, I strongly suspect" Evans

[Devilsfan]

Did Joe Alliva hire Cut?

[jafarr1]

On the recruiting front, yes, we landed Renfree, the highest rated qb recruit for Duke since who, Ben Bennett? And, Desmond Scott. However, Roof's couple first full recruiting classes were about as strong or stronger than Cut's first full class. The 2009 class has a number of kids who have had no other BCS offers. Jim Harbaugh at Stanford (paid about 500k a year less than Cut) is ripping it out of the frame recruiting wise - Stanford's 09 class currently is ranked about 15th.

Stanford beat USC last year. You'd better believe that has some impact on Harbaugh's ability to land some bigger names, at least in the current class.

I'd be interested to know how you concluded that Roof's classes were rated above Cutcliffe's. Comparing 2005 (the Oghobaase class) to 2009 using Rivals, Duke has one more 4-star players, three more 3-star players, and better-regarded players at the bottom of the class. ESPN, similarly, has Duke's 2009 class rated above its 2005 class - and there's still room for Duke to land a couple more highly regarded players. (I'll admit I didn't check Scout for comparison, but Scout tends to be fairly hit-and-miss with football.)

You also criticize Cutcliffe for taking players with no other BCS offers. Roof did that quite a bit as well, so I'm not sure what your point is.

One true positive that Cutcliffe has changed is he has re-opened lines of communication with NC (and surrounding states) high school coaches, something Roof let fall apart. That will pay longer term dividends, both in increasing the local fan base and giving us a better shot with local players whose families want them staying close to home - and who are easier to visit and evaluate.

Is recruiting light years ahead of Roof's best classes under Cutcliffe? According to the ratings, no. But his first full class, on paper, appears to be stronger than Roof's best class, he's building a local recruiting network, he's bringing in more speed than Roof ever did, and he's bringing in some impact players.

I'm no Cutcliffe apologist, but I've seen little to dislike about his recruiting to date. Right now, I'm far more worried about whether we'll put a couple more W's up this season, as that would really help to open up recruiting.