General: Keeping up with sports in Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University football coach Andy McCollum can't be faulted for his lack of optimism. Or, maybe he can.

Rodney Dangerfield he's not. Instead, expect McCollum on the sidelines next year behind rose-colored glasses and a set of blinders.

We'll see if it turns out to be a compliment or not, the fact he recently lost two assistant coaches to Ron Zook's new staff at the University of Florida.

No sweat for McCollum.

A short list of candidates is always anxiously pining for a chance to test the sublime airiness draping the chalked-off gridiron nestled on the campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

McCollum has that list ready to call on, according to a recent story by the fine MTSU beat writer for The Tennessean, Wendy Smith.

"Some of them have got really good jobs right now that may be willing to give those up to be part of something special and those are the kind of guys I'm looking for," a long-winded McCollum is quoted as saying.

I'll bet.

I mean, who wouldn't enjoy the emotional fires inherent in coaching in the vaunted Sun Belt Conference, and routinely doing battle with name brands North Texas State, New Mexico State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe?

Then there's the possibility of being top dog in the Sun Belt and advancing to postseason glory in the New Orleans Bowl against an opponent most of the nation has never heard of, before a rabid crowd of less than 20,000.

What assistant coach worth his whistle wouldn't jump at such a chance?

Just asking. It's all football, isn't it?

GREENER PASTURES FOR UT HOOPS?

Do University of Tennessee basketball fans (yes, there are some) have any idea what they want?

Does the pond of orange prefer style versus substance when it comes to backing their men's basketball coach? It seems that way. That is, if you equate substance with wins. Jerry Green was 89-36 during his four years with the Volunteers, the best anyone has done in Knoxville during a similar time span.

Okay, so the record was 3-5 in NCAA Tournament play and there was that slide late in the season.

If Green had been able to spread out a few more losses and not raised the traffic cones' expectations to the hilt, he might still be there.

UT fans seem ever so happy with new coach Buzz Peterson and his current 6-8 record.

Style over substance? It's too early too tell. Both are considered excellent coaches. It just so happens that Peterson is a GQ centerfold (assuming the mag has such a thing) and Green was the bore touting the importance of burial insurance.

Addendum: Vols forward Ron Slay was labeled "a punk" in print months ago by a Knoxville sports writer for his, well, punk-like shenanigans. If so, he's an even bigger one this year. He looks like he's added about 15 pounds to his face. Maybe trash talking is not just fattening but has local consequences as well.

Next door, UT women's basketball coach, Pat Summitt, has been offered a job as consultant to the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, home of former Lady Vols star Chamique Holdsclaw.

Her first piece of advice could be this: Don't schedule UConn.

WOODY STILL RINGS HOLLOW

During head football coach Woody Widenhofer's lopsided losing tenure at Vanderbilt, he blamed referees, his own players, and the media for the Commodores' problems, shrugging from this shoulders any failures by himself or his coaching staff.

Former Furman coach Bobby Johnson now has the job, and with it more money for himself and his assistants, along with a promise of a new cooperation from the Vanderbilt administration to improve the program, heightened essentials not enjoyed by Widenhofer.

Widenhofer was quick to use this turnaround for his own damage control, saying that the new coach will enjoy advantages he never had. The implication being, of course, that he would have been more successful given the full course instead of the entree.

I don't think it would have mattered. There are a handful of coaches who can get two or three wins from a team, even a mediocre one, from their ability, and at Vanderbilt that's a big deal. I don't know if Johnson is one of those coaches. I know Widenhofer is not.

It's not about X's and O's. That's a given. Coaches attend all the seminars, watch all the film and video, read reams of material, consult others in their profession. They all know their stuff. The more important part involves such things as delegating important responsibilities to a capable staff, organizational skills, accountability, and having that rare quality of personality that encourages getting the most out of their players most of the time.

Widenhofer never got past the little things, like learning how to read a clock.

Personally, I was skeptical of him from the start. Anyone who would cave in to allowing the mispronunciation of his last name is suspect.

FOX FOLKS GETTING TOO FOXY

The Tennessee Titans under head coach Jeff Fisher finished 7-9 after going 13-3 the previous two seasons.

Sunday's main sports headline in The Tennessean: "Fisher admired for handling failure."

The sub-head: "Cunningham: Good example set in 2001."

Gunther Cunningham is the assistant head coach for the Titans. He was axed at the end of the 2000 season as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The story came from Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt. The headlines alone drew some sharp criticism from Fox Sports Radio's Ben Maller.

"That's a crap fluff piece," he shouted to early morning listeners. "The Titans are out of the playoffs and they're already kissing Fisher's a.. ."

Maller's "opinion" might be better appreciated if he'd actually read the entire story and not just the headlines. That's tantamount to judging the merits of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged by its title.