The Univ. of Tennessee yesterday "backed out of a deal" to make Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano UT's new football coach after "unprecedented social media backlash to reports," according to Dan Wolken of USA TODAY. A source said that UT was "reassessing its situation after both sides essentially were bullied out of the deal." UT AD John Currie flew to Columbus yesterday in "hopes of culminating the deal and bringing Schiano back to Knoxville for a news conference." The paperwork was in the "process of being finalized when the decision was made to reassess the situation." Part of the backlash "stems from Schiano's connection to Penn State and Jerry Sandusky" (USA TODAY, 11/27). In Knoxville, Blake Toppmeyer notes as news "leaked of UT's intended hire, it was met with backlash from Vols fans, plus some local and state politicians as well as local business owners." People gathered on campus yesterday to "march and voice displeasure against the news." Others took to social media to "voice disapproval." Currie has never hired a football coach before, and he said that he "didn't plan to use a search firm to assist him" (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 11/27). In Chattanooga, David Cobb in a front-page piece notes an iconic rock on UT's campus was "painted with the message, 'Schiano covered up child rape at Penn State.'" A man with a megaphone stood on the steps outside the UT athletic department offices yesterday and shouted to a crowd of several dozen, "Who would you take over Schiano?" The crowd responded, "Anybody." Then they broke into a chant of, "Hell no, Schiano!" (Chattanooga TIMES FREE PRESS, 11/27). NBCSN's Mike Florio notes Schiano's connection to Penn State gives fans who did not like the hire "something tangible they can rally around" ("PFT," NBCSN, 11/27).
PLACING THE BLAME: THE RINGER's Rodger Sherman writes it "quickly became apparent that the school couldn’t hire Schiano with this kind of backlash" -- especially for Currie, who was "hired in February with the implication that this coaching hire would define his tenure." UT and Schiano had "reportedly signed preliminary paperwork, but the Vols backed out after the fanbase’s vocal opposition." Sherman: "It's unclear whether the university will owe Schiano any money -- or whether he might sue the school -- but regardless, it’s stunning to see a school that had progressed so far in the process change course on account of fan outrage" (THERINGER.com, 11/27). In Knoxville, John Adams writes Currie’s first coaching search has "reached the 'disaster' stage." The problem with Schiano taking a job as "high-profile as UT’s football coach is that the subject was even up for discussion." Adams: "And that’s on Currie, not Schiano." Currie reportedly "headed up a small search team," which includes Peyton Manning. Sherman: "All he had to do was check 'Wikipedia.'" Instead, Currie and the Schiano family reportedly were "blindsided by the reaction to Schiano's potential hiring" (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 11/27). ESPN's Booger McFarland said, "Whoever they get, they deserve. Especially if this AD is going to be the guy that's hiring him" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 11/27). In Chattanooga, Mark Wiedmer wonders why it took fan opinions to "apparently bring a swift end to Schiano's candidacy." Was Schiano "really the biggest, best guy out there" that Currie could "find to turn around Big Orange football?" Wiedmer: "A guy who has never set foot in the Southeastern Conference?" When the rock at UT was painted by the students yesterday, Currie had a "problem he should have seen coming before he reached out" to Schiano (Chattanooga TIMES FREE PRESS, 11/27).
LOCAL POLITICIANS WEIGHING IN: ESPN.com noted Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Faison was "one of at least three state representatives who went on Twitter or issued statements to criticize" the possibility of UT hiring Schiano. Republican gubernatorial candidates Mae Beavers, Diane Black, Beth Harwell and Bill Lee also "relayed their objections to a Schiano hire" (ESPN.com, 11/26). The TIMES FREE PRESS' Wiedmer notes even White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders "weighed in on her Facebook page" about the possibility of UT hiring Schiano (Chattanooga TIMES FREE PRESS, 11/27).
THE DAMAGE IS DONE: USA TODAY's Wolken writes yesterday's events were the "perfect combination of fan hubris, local media ignorance, mob mentality and unrealistic expectations." UT was "apoplectic in a manner that was unprecedented, undeserved and arguably frightening." What UT fans "don’t understand" is that their behavior yesterday "hurt the program." UT’s fan base will "forever carry the stain inside the profession of being crybabies for whom nothing is good enough" (USA TODAY, 11/27).
