Cutcliffe Goes to Duke - Who Will Replace Him?

by Mac B
(Knoxville)

Though the mood was generally positive when UT Football's Offensive Coordinator David Cutcliffe returned to Tennessee from the Head Coach position at Mississippi, there are been several rumblings since then.

Peyton and Eli Manning have both attributed the mentoring of Cutcliffe with their growth as quarterbacks and later success in the NFL, but those words of empowerment haven't stopped disappointed UT fans with blaming him for what many consider to be lack-luster seasons in 2006 and 2007.

Many UT fans have probably heard friends and others voice the question, "where's your brain, Cutcliffe?!" Some of us may even have asked that question ourselves.

In the end, David Cutcliffe has proven himself to have a brain after all. When offered over $1 million a year to be Head Coach at Duke, he bid farewell to his fair-weather fans in Tennessee, and to his measily $350,000 per year salary (Poor, David! To be required to live on such a pittance!).

What remains to be seen is whether he can do anything with the pitifully maligned Blue Devils football program, which went 1 and 11 this year, and 0 and 12 last year.

We shall see.

In the mean time, he has one more UT bowl game to coach. It will be VERY interesting to see who we replace Cutcliffe with. Old school? Or new blood?

With Fulmer's popularity waning, and a combined defeat spread of a staggering 100 points to Florida and Alabama - our two most-hated rivals - this fan is willing to bet we're going to go for someone young with some new ideas.

If I'm wrong, it's going to be a long 4 seasons to the end of Fulmer's contract.