With the recent news that Lane Kiffin is bolting from Tennessee faster than a lineman from the salad bar, it’s impossible not to wonder when — not if — the Vols will express interest in Duke coach David Cutcliffe.
If they’re smart, they called him yesterday.
Memo to Cutcliffe from the ACC: Don’t go. Please?
Cutcliffe has made the conference better from the bottom up, but he would be a smart choice for Tennessee, which has to make a move quickly. He was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator there for the two seasons prior to his arrival at Duke. He was on the Vols’ staff from 1982 to 1998 before taking the head job at Mississippi. His record during 19 seasons as an assistant at Tennessee is 173-54-7 (.754).
It sounds like a no-brainer.
But it’s not the perfect marriage.
David Cutcliffe is old school. He’s a southern gentleman and downright nice guy who believes in hard work and loyalty. He’s a straight shooter. He’s a disciplinarian. He knows what the compliance office does. He believes in what he’s building at Duke, and it has shown the past two seasons.
ESPN.com
1/14/10
