Tag Archives: Tony Vitello

Gameday Today: Bob Shoop’s covfefe, cocky wide receivers, and recovering former QBs

Bob Shoop’s covfefe oops, cocky wide receivers, and recovering former quarterbacks, all in today’s Vols link roundup.

Football

Tennessee defensive coordinator has apparently out-covfefe’d Donald Trump. I vote ei.

New Vols wide receivers coach likes his receivers to be cocky and knows how to handle ’em that way:

“I love ‘em cocky,’’ Beard said. “I love ‘em. Why? That’s who you are. That’s all the great receivers.

“It’s not about, `Oh, you can’t handle those guys because they’re cocky.’ No, you’ve got to explain to them when and when not to exercise those actions. Once you learn how to cultivate them and coach them up on when should and shouldn’t, you’ve got a great football player. So I like them cocky.’’

One of his other quirky qualifications is “juice,” meaning a guy whose actions prove that he just loves to play.

And Tennessee coaches are pleased that the offensive line is taking on a leadership role this year. It’s important, says offensive coordinator Larry Scott:

“You always want your guys up front to set the tone, no matter how experience or how skilled you are everywhere else,” he said. “Football games are won, especially in the SEC, up front. It’s a line-of-scrimmage league. With that being said, you always want that to kind of be the strength, even though they may be young or whatever. 

“It’s the mentality and the mindset that you’ve got to have from those guys up front that’s more important than anything else.”

Vince Ferrara ranks the SEC’s toughest stretches in the 2017 schedule. The Vols’ schedule ranks 12th, from October 14-28, which is South Carolina, at Alabama, and at Kentucky. That really doesn’t sound all that bad, as far as gauntlets go.

VFLs

It’s a shame that former quarterback Jonathan Crompton does not look back at his Tennessee days fondly. I don’t blame him, as too many folks were too ugly during that tough time and, as the quarterback, he was often the target.

What would have happened if Peyton Manning had left Tennessee early for the NFL? Surprisingly, the answer is not, “The world would have come to a screeching halt.” Maybe there would be fewer folks named “Peyton” or “Payton” in East Tennessee right now. Or maybe not.

Baseball

Get to know new baseball coach Tony Vitello a little bit:

If five minutes isn’t enough and you’d rather have 40, here’s the entire presser:

Hoops

Three players — James Daniel III, Lamonte Turner, and John Fulkerson — are not playing in the Rocky Top League, which holds its draft this Wednesday.

Recruiting

New offers:

 

 

Gameday Today: A new record, a new coach, and a new assignment for you

 

Christian Coleman sets a new record, Tennessee baseball hires a new coach, and the football program begins summer workouts and apparently expects you to help. This and more in Gameday Today.

Christian Coleman

Breaking news: Tennessee track and field star Christian Coleman is FAST. Coleman set a collegiate record in the 100 meter with a time of 9.82.

https://twitter.com/Vol_Track/status/872653353385205760

Baseball

Tennessee has hired Tony Vitello as its new head baseball coach. The job offer apparently came shortly after a 1:45 a.m. phone call from John Currie to Vitello, who was consoling himself by watching Tombstone after the Arkansas team of which he was an assistant coach had lost in the NCAA Tournament:

“I don’t know how good I am in a formal interview,” Vitello said, “but at 1:45 in the morning you throw everything out the window. It was just chatting about the job and … that turned into a teleconference the next morning and that turned into meeting some place (Tuesday) night.”

If you’re interested in a 12-click slideshow (or have a subscription), GoVols247 has a list of the MLB players Vitello has coached.

Tennessee Football commences summer workouts

Do you remember that old public service announcement about forest fires? We’re introduced to Smokey the Bear, who somberly says that, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Okay, hold that in your mind a second.

Now, do you remember comedian Steven Wright and his joke about seeing that Smokey the Bear PSA as a kid? You know, this one:

Yeah, that’s the feeling I had at the tail end of UT Football’s latest video showing the players starting the summer strength and conditioning program:

https://twitter.com/vol_football/status/872585221891268609

It’s my turn? Oh, no. Where does one buy a medicine ball?

Other Football

The SEC Network has a video of Cole Cubelic opining on the SEC’s Top 5 offensive lines. His list is Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, and then a bunch of others grouped together, including Tennessee. I still think the Vols’ o-line is being underrated and undervalued.

Great quote from offensive coordinator Larry Scott:

“I would never sacrifice recruiting. Never,” he said at the Big Orange Caravan stop in Chattanooga on Saturday. “You can be as good a coach as you want to be, but if you ain’t coaching good players and good people, good luck.”

VFLs

This is a great story about how Cam Sutton blew the Pittsburgh Steelers away with his knowledge of the game:

“We hold a dinner for all the NFL head coaches and general managers the night before our NFL Pro Day, when they come to our campus and they test our players,” Jones said. “Mike Tomlin, who’s a great friend of mine, and Kevin Colbert, the GM of the Pittsburgh Steelers, come in and take Cameron Sutton into our defensive back meeting room. Mike Tomlin says to Cam Sutton, ‘OK, pick a game, and I want you to talk about it. You’re gonna tell me your assignment.’ Cam says, ‘I want to watch the App State game, so they put the App State game in, and Cam is telling ‘em the front, the coverage, the defensive line’s responsibilities, the linebackers, the entire secondary.

“Then Kevin Colbert steps in and says, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re playing us. We don’t go for that game. You’ve rehearsed this. Take that game out. I want the second quarter of the Nebraska game.’ So they put the second quarter of the Nebraska game in, and Cam Sutton does the same thing, saying everyone’s assignment.

“Mike Tomlin comes out and says, ‘Butch, I need to see you.’ I said, ‘What’s up?’ He goes, ‘In all my years of coaching, I’ve never been through an interview like that. He could tell us everything.’

Woo for Cam.

Peyton Manning is becoming a strategic advisor to helmet-maker Riddell.

Recruiting

There were a whole bunch of new offers extended by the Vols’ coaching staff over the past couple of days: