OT: Tennessee now interviewing Jeff Brohm.
In what only can be described as the worst scenario possible for Purdue football, ESPN is stating that Tennessee and Brohm are in talks regarding their vacant head coaching position. If true, this is very unfortunate for Purdue fans after living through 4 years of crap. If this comes to fruition, I hope Purdue offers Bo Pelini, who is very similar in mentality and approach.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
I know West Lafayette stinks like a post-apocalyptic industrial wasteland, but at least Chicago is nearby. I kinda think the Purdue gig is a better job. Purdue is in the West division. Nebraska imploded. Wisconsin is the only team over there worth their salt. Seems like he could stay at PU and bring back some of that Brees-era Purdue winning seasons. But I bet Tennessee is willing to pay 3 or 4 times as much as Purdue.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
It's not a better job.
Purdue has been one of the worst programs in the Big Ten for awhile now.
At least Tennessee has the potential to be good. They have so many more natural football resources built in to recruit and excel. Purdue sucks, and probably always will suck. Even during the magical Tiller years, wasn't the best bowl they made the Sun Bowl?
November 29th, 2017 at 11:30 AM ^
They lost the 2001 Rose Bowl under Tiller. I guess it's just my midwest-bias shining through. I'd never want to live in Tennessee. My brother lived there for 9 months. He wasn't impressed either. I guess it's an OK state if you like whiskey and chewing tobacco, and think Peyton Manning was a more deserving Heisman candidate than Charles Woodson.
EDIT: don't get me wrong, for football reasons, the Tennessee job is way better. I'm more thinking quality of life. (I'm also swayed by the HBO documentary, "Meth Storm," I just watched. That was about Arkansas, but isn't Tennessee basically the same as Arkansas, only with more coal and hillbillies?) Also, Tennessee has had a rough last decade. There were a couple 9 win seasons with the rest falling between 4 and 7 wins. Meh.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/tennessee/
November 29th, 2017 at 11:31 AM ^
We aren't talking about the state here. This is about the program and the resources around it.
Tennessee is infinitely better than Purdue with that. They have a lot of potential to be a really good program. Purdue will never be good.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^
Compare Purdue under Tiller to Tennessee's last decade:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/purdue/
It's probably a lot closer than folks think, and now that Purdue is in the West, they avoid playing OSU/PSU/MSU/UofM every year. Purdue went to bowl games in 10 of 12 years under Tiller. Tennessee has gone to a bowl game 5 of the last 10 years.
You may not be talking about the state, but I am. You gotta live somewhere. Indiana>Tennessee for me.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
These are two very different arguments. I think the head coach in any state is probably doing just fine, and isn't too concerned with other people struggling. The head coach at Idaho or insert whatever boring state you'd like is probably happier than a pig in shit.
Do they really? They will probably play 1 or 2 of those teams every year.
Honestly, I don't really think it's all that debatable that Tennessee has a massive amount more of resources and a much greater appeal to students. Purdue is a sink hole, no one wants to play there and they will probably never, ever be good.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
Who has the most Big 10 basketball championships? It's not Indiana or Ohio State. It's Purdue. If the place is such a sink hole and no one wants to play football there, why are they consistently very good at basketball? I understand you need more players to fill out a football roster and Indiana is a basketball state, but my point is, with good coaching, you can build a program. Why was Nebraska so good in football for all those years? Besides steroids, I mean?
November 29th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
You are moving onto basketball. You see how hard it is to defend Purdue as a football program?
Why does no one want to play football at Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Virginia, etc??
November 29th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
I rather enjoyed my time in Idaho.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^
lol Purdue is not a better job than Tennessee, and Tennessee is a fine state to live in. Nashville and the surrounding area is one of the fastest growing areas of the country. Nashville suburb Franklin is one of the richest suburbs in America. Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga are constantly rated as some of the nicest cities to live in. Tennessee is also home to one of the nation's nicest national parks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area is a HUGE tourist destination. The state also has no income tax. I would suggest opening your mind and heart up to the reality that there is good life/people outside of the northeast and west coast.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^
maybe you missed my comment about having a midwest bias?
November 29th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
The eastern portion of the "midwest" is basically an extension of the NE to me. Parts of Michigan and PA are much more like Massachusetts and Upstate NY than they are Indiana and Iowa. However, the sentiment of avoiding regional prejudices remain the same. There are good and shitty people and places everywhere in this country, and the ratio doesn't vary much from region to region.
November 29th, 2017 at 2:44 PM ^
Of Michigan?! What parts?!
Upstate NY is like the Midwest and not like the East Coast and no part of Michigan is anything like a single part of Massachusetts.
November 29th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 2:30 PM ^
Williamson County, and it's almost a distinction without a difference. Brentwood is the area between Nashville proper and Franklin. Many stars/wealthy people live in Franklin, many live in Brentwood. Both have household incomes well above the national average.
November 29th, 2017 at 5:06 PM ^
Brentwood has more money than Franklin but Franklin has the historical factor. By the way Belle Meade has more money.
East Nashville is hoping. My family lives there.
November 29th, 2017 at 9:10 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:48 AM ^
The Indiana in your universe must be vastly different to the one in mine.
November 29th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
But I'd take Knoxville over Lafayette any day. In Knoxville you've got access to some of the best hiking in the eastern half of the US. I'm not sure what's within an hour's drive of Lafayette besides Fair Oaks Dairy Farm and Gutwein Popcorn Company.
November 29th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
...that tells you what you're getting into.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:33 AM ^
Purdue played in the Rose Bowl in 2001 - Joe Tiller, Coach, Drew Brees, QB. They tied Michigan for the conference championship with a record 6-2. Lost in the Rose Bowl to Washington 34-24.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
At least Tennessee cares about football -- perhaps cares too much. I'm not sure many people in West Lafayette give a damn about football any more. All you need to remember are the stories about how bad the facilities were at Ross-Ade stadium. I'd add Tennessee's stadium hold almost twice as many people -- and they generally fill it.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
Have you seen their locker room?
November 29th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^
That speech was so lame and manufactured.
November 29th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
You could see it on the players faces...Like WTF is this guy saying? I guess we better get semi pumped.
November 29th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
High school-level stuff there.
November 29th, 2017 at 9:13 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:09 AM ^
Does that bald psycho come with Brohm? Because if so... GREAT HIRE!!!
November 29th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
Jeff Brohm's resume: real good at a CUSA school, one okayish year at Purdue. Let's hire him at one of the all-time football powerhouses.
Brady Hoke nods in approval.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Brady Hoke doesn't nod. He claps.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
Brady Hoke doesn't want to be fed. Brady Hoke wants to hunt...
November 29th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
Brady Hoke nods in approval
Brady Hoke claps in approval. FIFY
November 29th, 2017 at 11:16 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
13th all time in both wins and percentage, 6 national championships. They're definitely one of the top 10-15 programs all time. Haven't done much lately, but they hunger to return to glory. Sound like any other teams we know?
November 29th, 2017 at 11:29 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
Since WW1 we have 718 wins and Tennessee has 736. (To be fair they've also played more games, mostly because of all the extra bowls in the Rose-Bowl-only years.) Both programs are top-7 in winning percentage in that span, if you don't count Boise.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
The Vols have played football for 121 seasons, starting in 1891; their combined record of 830–375–53 ranks them thirteenth on the list of all-time win-loss percentage records .682 and ninth on by-victories list for college football programs as well as second on the all-time win/loss list of SEC programs 382–209–27 .640.Their all-time ranking in bowl appearances is third (52) and sixth in all-time bowl victories (28)
November 29th, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
A 6-6 record with one of those losses being to Rutgers (with the luxury of not having to play Ohio State and Penn State.)
Kind of sad that this is considered "okayish" at Purdue.
November 29th, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
He made a terrible Purdue program noticeably better immediately. While not world beaters, having Purdue hang in there with a Lamar Jackson led Louisville and then Michigan and Wisconsin is noteworthy. He's clearly a solid coach and if I were a Vols fan, I'd much rather have him than just about any other serious candidate in this search
November 29th, 2017 at 9:19 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 9:20 PM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
November 29th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Maybe they want some offense?
November 29th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
If Brohm turns them down or Purdue sweetens the pot and entices him to stay, it's going to look VERY bad for the Vols.