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Obama to Coach Vols?
AD Mike Hamilton hints football program is "moving ahead with a change"
From APB reports. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. University of Tennessee Athletics Director hinted that Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama was poised to take over as Volunteer football coach after Phillip Fulmer steps down at the end of the season.
Mike Strange, a veteran observer of the UT football program, said that the signs pointing to Obama as the next head coach of the Vols were clear.
"Hamilton tipped his hand by using buzzwords like 'hope' and 'change,'" said Strange. "Those terms have frequently been linked with the Democratic Senator from Illinois."
Hamilton "strongly hoped" that fans would pay tribute to Fulmer for his impact on the university, community, state and beyond, but said the football program was "moving ahead with change," clues that may very well indicate a successor to the dean of SEC coaches has already been chosen.
But Hamilton refused to discuss the Obama rumor.
"I'm not going to get into the specifics of any decisions," said Hamilton. "It was and is a process."
Contacted by phone on the campaign trail in Florida, Senator Obama left wide open the possibility of his taking over as the next head coach of the Vols.
"After I win the presidency, first I'll need to change the national dialogue by reaching across partisan lines. Then I'll turn around the economy, solve the healthcare crisis, fix the situation in the Middle East, restore our fundamental civil rights, rebuild America's reputation abroad, break our addiction to oil, end global warming, maybe appoint a few Supreme Court justices, and soak the rich with higher taxes," said Obama. "All of which I believe I can get done in my first week as president, by the way. After that, I wouldn't be averse to looking into bringing my patented hope formula to football program in desperate need of change."
Local bloggers fueled the Obama speculation, which ran wild on the Internet, causing fan reaction running the gamut through shock, joy, disbelief, uncertainty and anger.
"Barack Obama could be a transformative figure in the head coach race," wrote one anonymous poster on the No Silence Here Web site. "He could heal a divided Vol nation."
"Obama? He's unproven, an unknown quantity," wrote another anonymous poster. "Besides, he's not from around here."
"Well, he is going to have time on his hands come tomorrow," quipped a wag.
"Obama as head coach is crazy talk," commented another. "Can you imagine Joe Biden running the offense? He'd get the signals all crossed up. Plus, he'd give opposing teams mountains of poster-board material."
Another commenter felt that Obama had "proven that he could run an offense, but what about defense? I don't think he's got enough experience to be head coach of a football program as big as UT's. He's not ready. Let him work as an assistant coach somewhere for a couple of years before he tries to be a head coach in the SEC."
"He's a socialist! He can't lead the UT Vols!" complained another. "I don't know how you classify football politically, but whatever it is, it's the opposite of socialism."
"#$*}$*{&{#!!*%&$>*<}!!!" explained another.
Others were more positive.
"He's young he's fresh, he's got new ideas, and he's got stamina," wrote one. "I think he's just what we need."
"Sometimes you have to take a chance," wrote another. "If [Texas Tech Head Coach] Mike Leach or [Texas Defensive Coordinator Will] Muschamp aren't available, I'd settle for Obama."
Yet others commenters suggested a different approach.
"If we're bringing in politicians, why not John McCain?" wrote one. "He's a scrapper. He's comfortable in the underdog role and coming from behind, which is where Tennessee excels," wrote one. "And you have to believe that, as a maverick, he'd install a first-rate 'Wild Mustang' defensive package."
"What about Sarah Palin?" responded another. "If we're talking about going outside the Vol family, she's as outside an outsider as an outsider gets."
"No, no, no!" retorted another. "She's a bulldog. Let her go to Georgia."
Posted by Scott McNutt on November 4, 2008 at 6:07 AM
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