Tennessee fans wanted a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach to take over after the ill-fated Butch Jones experiment, but it appears that they might be getting the wrong former Bucs coach.
No, Jon Gruden isn't walking through that door.
According to reports, Greg Schiano -- who coached the franchise from 2012-13 and had success building Rutgers into a relevant program from 2001-11 -- is close to taking control of a program desperate for national relevancy after a winless SEC campaign in 2017.
Let's just say that the news wasn't well-received.
Volunteers fans marching to the university athletic center to protest UT's possible decision to hire Greg Schiano as its new head football coach pic.twitter.com/pyq1qhYjn5
— Donovan Long (@WVLTDonovan) November 26, 2017
A small group is starting to get together at Neyland Stadium to protest a potential hiring of Greg Schiano. More cars are pulling up as I tweet. pic.twitter.com/urTpCvmvll
— Louis Fernandez Jr (@LouisWBIR) November 26, 2017
Folks still gathered at gate 21 outside of Neyland in response to the Schiano news. pic.twitter.com/9vmm6HeOiv
— Charlie Burris (@Charlie_Burris) November 26, 2017
Just received a pic of our first mattress burning pic.twitter.com/kHmspMOkDb
— Jon Reed (@Jon__Reed) November 26, 2017
Y'all...you couldn't script up a worse hire.
— Nathanael Rutherford (@Mr_Rutherford) November 26, 2017
The Sandusky thing is the absolute worst. Terrible. Inexcusable.
But even as a coach, he lost to Butch Jones 69-38 in 2010, is known for being strict and a control freak, then there's this. https://t.co/USVPtiPfst
Derek Dooley beat Butch Jones in 2011 - Butch Jones became Tennessee’s head coach.
— Barstool Rocky Top (@BarstoolTenn) November 26, 2017
Butch Jones beat Greg Schiano in 2010 - I can’t bring myself to type the next part.
Tennessee: we're excited to announce our new coach. You may remember him as the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) November 26, 2017
Vols fans: ASJKDL;LKHSDFA;LKH SD IT'S HPAPENING IT'S REALLY HAPPENING
Tennessee: GREG SCHIANO pic.twitter.com/82AcEIqk9y
Even if the Schiano deal falls through, I still think John Currie should be fired for even negotiating with Greg Schiano.
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) November 26, 2017
Starting to see some signs now. Fans are telling me they're upset with Schiano's past and alleged ties to the Penn State scandal. pic.twitter.com/2azdGMqB0H
— Louis Fernandez Jr (@LouisWBIR) November 26, 2017
The last of those tweets is in reference to Schiano's reported knowledge of Jerry Sandusky's abuse of young boys when the two served as assistants on Penn State's staff. But it's not merely fans showing anger. Local politicians have voiced their displeasure with the news as well.
Our Tennessee standards mean something, and a Greg Schiano hire would be anathema to all that our University and our community stand for. I sincerely hope that these rumors are not true, because even serious consideration would be unacceptable.
— Eddie Smith (@RepEddieSmith) November 26, 2017
I have reached out to @John_Currie and others in administration at UT expressing that WE as a TN Community do not approve of Schiano. #higherstandards
— Rep. Jason Zachary (@JasonZacharyTN) November 26, 2017
Former players? They're getting in on the action, too.
I’m just going to say this if we hire Greg Schiano as our next head coach my options will be open to which college program I will Be donating my TIME and MONEY to. (No disrespect to GS) but if UT leaders don’t take football serious then I will find the program that will!!!
— Albert Haynesworth (@haynesworthiii) November 26, 2017
Just got off phone with someone in the know about Schiano. Compared him to Butch Jones.
— Jayson Swain (@SwainEvent) November 26, 2017
Local beat writers, national writers outside of the college football world and many, many others are chiming in as well.
If Tennessee athletics were a child, you’d send it to military school.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) November 26, 2017
Tennessee hiring Schiano is one of the worst coaching moves of the past 10 years, in any sport, on any level.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) November 26, 2017
I agree with this. There were also SO many horrible things at Tampa he was accused of doing. He will probably win but you have to hope he's changed a TON https://t.co/N4fZ6xHM8H
— Will West (@WillWestWNML) November 26, 2017
Greg Schiano is a disaster of a hire for Tennessee. John Currie should resign if that’s his actual decision. Guy may have covered up child rape at Penn State. I would 1 billion % rather have Lane Kiffin back. Leach would also be better. So would Bobby Petrino. Just awful.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) November 26, 2017
Schiano is currently the defensive coordinator for Ohio State, which will play unbeaten Wisconsin for the Big Ten title on Saturday night in Indianapolis and could make the College Football Playoff with a victory.
