Firing George Watts and Norbert Elliot? What?! Those two were the only ones who knew what they were doing.
Firing George Watts and Norbert Elliot? What?! Those two were the only ones who knew what they were doing.
What's the inside story here? I bet it's interesting.
Read the comments, especially the one from FormerTrackVol.
The inside story is Mike Hamilton is an idiot who put JJ in charge of the men's program in the face of overwhelming alumni and current athlete opinion not to. Then because JJ is a snake in the grass he fired two pillars of the Tenn program.
Sucks for those two. Hopefully they end up at a place where they are well-received and their contributions are respected.
Previous poster nailed it on the head... JJ is just trying to save his own A$$ right now... Both the Men's and Women's teams are in the tank... He won't make it 2 more years.. He's been exposed
An alumni wrote:
The inside story is Mike Hamilton is an idiot who put JJ in charge of the men's program in the face of overwhelming alumni and current athlete opinion not to. Then because JJ is a snake in the grass he fired two pillars of the Tenn program.
Ham is the same guy who hired Lane Kiffin for football and Bruce Pearl for basketball. Serious character problems with both.
Look hard at the state of UT athletics . Not very impressive lately JJ is a joke. Coach Watts did alot with a little.
Watts should have been in charge of both programs. JJ seems like he is full of himself.
JJ Clark, Champion of Penn Relays And Not Much Else, may know how to coach family members who happen to run the 800, but he sure can't manage a track program.
As someone with no knowledge of the Tennessee program whatsoever the part about this that bothers me most is refusing to grant the athlete any type of release. I understand if you have stipulations on it like no going in conference or no going to whoever your rival(Vandy?) is. It just seems like unnecessary retaliation to prevent an athlete from leaving if he thinks the coaches are steering him in the wrong direction. I'm sure people disagree with me on this but just putting my opinion out there.
sad to hear about coach watts. he gave me a chance as a walk on in 1997. hopefully he will end up somewhere that actually spends a little scholarship money on cross country and the distances.
That post nails it ! It is a sad day for Tennessee Track and Field. Two outstanding gentlemen and coaches have been let go. Moreover the heart and sole of Tennessee Track and Field has been gutted. Norbert and George can hold thier heads high knowing what they have done for VOL TF. It will be a cold day in hell before Clark will ever be able to look in the mirror and see anything but garbage.
Downhill Living wrote:
As someone with no knowledge of the Tennessee program whatsoever the part about this that bothers me most is refusing to grant the athlete any type of release. I understand if you have stipulations on it like no going in conference or no going to whoever your rival(Vandy?) is. It just seems like unnecessary retaliation to prevent an athlete from leaving if he thinks the coaches are steering him in the wrong direction. I'm sure people disagree with me on this but just putting my opinion out there.
This post shows just how bad the athletic department at Tennessee is getting...
Downhill Living thinks that Vandy is a rival of Tennessee.
WOW!!
Watts never has had any money for scholarships, not with JJ and not with Webb. The difference is that with Webb Watts could coach, while with JJ--well, they just don't get along.
UT has done this kind of thing before to those who have been loyal to them: Majors and Fulmer ring a bell? Clark is not a Vol, he just plays one on TV. Guys like Watts bleed orange, and here's what they get for it.
UT's athletics department is in the tank, and it would be better to publicly expose that than to let it keep going the way it's going.
JJ Clark is such a pompous ass. Sorry to hear this news. Coach Watts was a great coach and good guy.
July 2, 2011
9:20 a.m.
JohnnyRotten writes:
Which men's track athletes had the most success this year?
Sprints.
So let's get rid of the guy who coaches them.
Which men's athletes have been having considerable success recently? Middle distance and distance: see Franklin, Peacock, Spooner, Sigilai, and, going back a little, Famiglietti, Morgan, Pitcher, and Williams. And there are many, many more.
So let's get rid of the guy who coaches them, who made relationships with coaches nationwide (collegiate and high school), who sends men to the Olympics and beyond.
Great job.
Yeah, watching from a distance I can see that there are problems with the program, but I don't see Watts and Elliot being the problems.
Knoxville is one of the best areas of the country right now insofar as producing outstanding distance runners, sprinters, and jumpers. Why are so few signing with UT? Why are they going to NC State, Duke, Texas A&M, and elsewhere?
Where are the vaulters and the multis guys that UT was known for for years? Where is all the money going, all 12.6 scholarships? Why are so many transfering out of the program? I'm not just talking about Locke, because there are others as well, good athletes who can score at the SEC level and beyond.
What has happened to SeaRay Relays, which used to be one of the premier outdoor meets of the year?
I just heard that Vin is very close to signing a deal with USATF and he wants to bring in his own guy to succeed him at the helm at UO and he believes that Watts is the right man to run the ship at the University of Nike
I'm glad people here see JJ for what he has been to the men's program. Our ignorant athletic department hired JJ to be the DIRECTOR of the Track and Field program. The programs sucked so he pulls out two scapegoats and fired them. It is one of the most infuriating situations I have ever been a part of.
JJ takes absolutely no accountability for what he has done to the program. What an impressive leader.
Coach Watts and Elliott will be sorely missed. Two great coaches and two incredible people.