JJ Clark out at Tennessee

I am certainly not jealous. I liked Watts but felt new blood was needed in distance group anyway but the way JJ and Cronin handled it was low class.

I liked JJ as a middle distance female coach but outside of that he is unqualified.

This program is heading downhill fast and nothing short of the upcoming change is going to reverse it.

As to those questioning the validity of any of this all I can say is I can't reveal my sources BUT lets just say they are in the know and the "know" is NO more JJ and company at season's end.

U think ur annoyed wrote:

Washed up? Sorry we gave so many years to build and carry on a proud tradition......to see it go down the tubes. If he did his job the SEC way and not Villanova way we'd be relevant. We would have supported him and his staff if they included the rich tradition and shown progress, it's not a personal attack on JJ but a desire to get back to our winning ways. If you support this staff then volunteer your time and get this back to where it needs to be!!

What a dip!! That's football and not even Nova!!! You completely missed the point of what was said, it's the formula not the school. Different things work in each conference and saying Nova is relevant to the conversation because the Director at UT went to college there. It could be Georgetown, Kansas, Miami.........whichever school. It was not a bash on Nova but their formula in the SEC......that's it!!

How many schools have seperate athletic programs? I think Texas may be the only school. It was evident that UT was going to combine as many teams as they could when the timing was right (swimming just this last year when the men's coach got in trouble). At the time Webb retired JJ had won multiple NCAA and SEC titles. Why would you not give him the chance to direct both teams? What about when swimming combined? Kreidich was obviously the top choice to direct both teams since he had so much success with the women's team. I don't ever hear any of the alum swimmer's in an uproar even though I don't think the men's side is doing well. Maybe the alum should focus on supporting the men's team instead of constantly bringing down the program. I am sure they would love the same support that you recieved when you ran for the team!

Fasterrr wrote:

The current men's distance coach, Rodney Stoker, is a promising young coach, though, and doesn't reallty deserve to be tarred and feathered with his boss. Did great things with very little in NAIA.

Sad, but he will likely be on the outside looking in now.

This is neither here or there, but I here that JJ likes tossing salads...

I will add that the main reason watts didn't get many FL qualifiers was lack of resources ($$$) that was given to the distance program by Webb, and JJ. Hence, why you saw a lot of developmental guys that carried the teams through the 90's-when Watts was let go.

Keveren, MacLean (not FLN but NTN/9:04), Sonnenfeldt, Matthews, Lord were all very interested in Tennessee, but all werent given the money that other programs were offering up. If more money was allocated to the mens distance program, then Watts would have gotten at least Sonnenfeldt and MacLean. Matthews and Lord would have been more likely to follow.

None of the guys you mentioned really seemed like studs in high school. Very average. Sonnenfeldt in particular. Who could you possibly beat with those guys?

It's Tennessee.

There are a lot of programs with little money for distance who make it work.

Can you be top in the nation? Doubtful. But at a major program at Tennessee, you should be qualifying for nat's most years.

I have no dog in this fight, but all the guys mentioned are better than UT's number one guy in xc. Odonnell is a 8:04, 4:04 (indoor guy), Lord is an all-region/SEC xc guy and a 14:04 guy, and Sonnenfeldt is 2x All-Region/Acc guy. All better than anyone Tennessee has had as their number one in the past 5 years.

Come on, seenitbefore is clearly a troll.

Very average indeed my troll. Now name the last Tennessee distance runner to go what Lord (29:20 - 10K) and Sonnenfeldt (13:59 - 5K) did this past weekend.

HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!! Matt was open to having alum around and there is absolutely no comparison to track. Webb didn't go out like JT either. The reason why alums are so upset was that we gave to the program and JJ didn't seem to do anything to include us. We know Watts may not have been the best choice at the time........we're not blind to the fact that JJ had the better head coach resume. The fact that you are comparing UT Swim to what is going on with track is insulting to us and the swimmers!!! Totally different programs and Matt has kept the men's traditions alive and well. Oh yeah, he has also won!! Btw, you should be annoyed352......please take 865 off your tag.

If the staff is out then well see what happens when the dust settles. Hopefully it'll be like when Dooley left and the program welcomed their alum. The program is bigger than one person and we'll support it long after this current staff is gone. I hope Hart picks a person who wants to be there and knows what it is to rep the orange. If they choose to keep this staff I hope they get traction and get it done.

Actually, I believe that Lars had a “votes” from former males swimmers, both young and old so perhaps Matt was not the unanimous vote within the swim program. Annoyed865, Clark has been given plenty of time to head this program, he has effectively run the program(s) in to the bottom of the SEC and nearly cut all ties to the historical component that is a major factor in all programs, across the country, worth their weight in spikes. He cannot recruit worth a pot to piss in. You can be the greatest coach on the planet and if you have an impossible time of getting athletes to commit to the university – good luck with that. I am not insinuating that the next coach at The University of Tennessee will be, “The Greatest Coach In The World,” though at this point, he’s arguably not even the best coach in Knox County. You can be annoyed all you want; we have continued to show support at meets (XC/Sea Ray) in the past and I would imagine with Sea Ray Relays approaching my fellow brethren will turn out, likely not in droves, though I sure will not be one to fault them. One would likely find better results playing Tecmo track & field, or whatever video game it was that dates back in the day when I played with virtual nonsense. I myself have continued to encourage guys on the team who I have relationships with, which I am sure would chap Clark’s rear if he knew that :) That is not a pat on the back, just stating a fact. I for one, hope that Mr. Hart takes a real evaluation and a close analysis of the overall XC/TF program(s) and comes to the realization that it is time for a change. I also hope that he does this without the help of Clark’s cronies like Donna Thomas and such.

Patrick Gildea

He's done an awful lot with Jake Rainey, who was going to make FLN before his car wreck his senior year, and Jordan Chaney, who ran 4:12 and 1:51 his senior year.

bump

What dog does Sammy have in this fight?

Aight wrote:

I have no dog in this fight, but all the guys mentioned are better than UT's number one guy in xc. Odonnell is a 8:04, 4:04 (indoor guy), Lord is an all-region/SEC xc guy and a 14:04 guy, and Sonnenfeldt is 2x All-Region/Acc guy. All better than anyone Tennessee has had as their number one in the past 5 years.

Remind me again what Maclean ran at SECs?