Postseason rebellion
Ole Miss hire Cutcliffe won't coach Vols after SEC title game
Posted: Thursday December 03, 1998 11:22 AM
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Cutcliffe will hit the recruiting trail for Ole Miss following the SEC Championship game AP |
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- It was clarification day for Tennessee.
At least three questions were answered for the No. 1 Volunteers on Wednesday: Offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe is leaving to become the head coach at Mississippi; he'll stay with the Vols through Saturday's Southeastern Conference championship game; but he will not coach through the bowl game.
One big issue left undecided is who will assume the play-calling duties in the bowl game. With a victory over Mississippi State on
Saturday, that bowl game could be for the national championship.
"We will talk about Mississippi State," coach Phillip Fulmer said when asked about the bowl plans. "Sunday we'll talk about anything you want to."
Cutcliffe accepted the Mississippi job Wednesday, then flew back to Knoxville for practice. He said it was an emotional day, but that after the announcement in Oxford his attention was centered on just one thing.
"I am totally focused on this football game, which is the biggest football game that I have ever been involved with," he said, referring to the SEC title match with Mississippi State.
Cutcliffe, 44, a 16-year member of the Tennessee staff who is also the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, will take over the Mississippi program on Sunday.
He called leaving Tennessee "hard in so many respects," including his friendships with Fulmer, other members of the staff, and the players.
"But from a professional standpoint, I know what my contributions have been and what I have been able to do here," he said. "It is time to move in another direction. So I am very excited about that."
Cutcliffe's departure could leave the Vols to play for a national championship with someone, probably running backs coach Randy Sanders, calling plays for the first time in his life.
But, Cutcliffe said, it would be virtually impossible to continue doing his job at Tennessee beyond this week.
"If you tried to go beyond that, you would absolutely be asking for problems, in my opinion," he said. "So this is the best
thing, no doubt in my mind."
Cutcliffe said he is not taking calls or discussing his plans for building a staff at Mississippi.
"That will be next week," he said.
Cutcliffe and Fulmer said the sideshow created by Cutcliffe's departure shouldn't affect the Vols on Saturday.
"We've been focused all week, absolutely," Fulmer said. "We don't like some of the distractions that have popped up, but we
have handled those well."
The Tennessee players were told of Cutcliffe's decision on Tuesday.
"I understand the business of college football," quarterback Tee Martin said. "I understand coaches are going to get promoted.
Athletes leave before they become seniors. That's how I look at it."
Martin said he never thought Cutcliffe wanted to end his career as an assistant coach, anyway.
"It's a coach's dream to move up and become a head coach," he said. "That's something he has to do as a man."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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