I'm just warning you, it's long. I interviewed and have quotes from John Keim from the Washington Examiner and a few current Redskins. Keim also sent me audio/transcripts from a few interviews he did from Wednesday's Redskins practice.

http://memphisroar.com/2009/11/coaching-...-decision/

Thoughts?

It's a fine story.

(11-27-2009 08:30 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  I'm just warning you, it's long. I interviewed and have quotes from John Keim from the Washington Examiner and a few current Redskins. Keim also sent me audio/transcripts from a few interviews he did from Wednesday's Redskins practice.

http://memphisroar.com/2009/11/coaching-...-decision/

Thoughts?

very very nice !

great article. This doesn't sound like a bad candidate, but he will have to find someone to help him with recruiting and get him in doors. As Keim states, he should have no porblem once he gets in the living room.

My mind is open and let's just see what happens. Thanks, Brooks.

“You got to somehow take the negative out of it,” said Tommy West on the day his firing was announced. “You’ve got to find a way to get the negative surrounding this thing out of it. I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know if you can do it. I’ve coached a lot of places. This is the only place … there’s a negativity here that, in the end, eats you up.”

Yes, take the negative out of it. If its Gray "Great" or if its Porter "Great"

good piece

Quote:This search is not simple. You are looking for a salesman. You are looking for a coach. You are looking for somone who will please both the big-money boosters and the $10-ticket walk-up fans. You are looking for a tireless worker. You are looking for a recruiter. You are looking for someone who won’t take “no” for an answer.

that's the key right there. The next coach has to be able and willing to put it all out there selling the program--to fans, boosters, players, parents. He can't be afraid to to speak clearly about what his needs are, and be vocally critical if they aren't being met.

Great Article!!! I hope this will open some peoples eyes and show them he will not be a bad hire but will be a very good hire.

Excellent, more indepth information on Jerry Gray than I have seen anywhere else. It is time that we start acting like a quality program. We shouldn't make coaching decisions based on popularity or short term thought processes.

Appreciate the insight and hope more "fans" will take the time to read before they post negative comments. If JG gets the job then count me in to support the program.

Great article from the only source we have for such information!! Thanks.

Thanks for this article. I was unsold on (but not totally against) Gray, but after reading more about him, I'm excited to think he will be the next Tiger coach. If the people who are around him now speak so highly of him, there must be something there to like. GO TIGERS!!!

Brooks, you did an excellent job. Thanks! I appreciate the research you put into it.

I wish that the CA would do some quality reporting such as this. Mr. Gray seems like an great candidate. I listened to interviews he did with media in Washington and they were impressive. He is articulate and seems very organized and knowledgeable. He really seems like he has the management and people skills as well as the football knowledge to make a good head coach.

It would be great to find some similar interviews with Mr. Porter. It concerns me that he has never been a coordinator and I can't find anywhere that he has done any public speaking. How are his communication and management skills? How is his football knowledge? Does anyone have any idea?

I hope that RC doesn't screw this up. He could make this into a power play to show that he is more than a figurehead and then we are screwed.

(11-27-2009 08:55 AM)ChattTiger Wrote:  good piece

Quote:This search is not simple. You are looking for a salesman. You are looking for a coach. You are looking for somone who will please both the big-money boosters and the $10-ticket walk-up fans. You are looking for a tireless worker. You are looking for a recruiter. You are looking for someone who won’t take “no” for an answer.

that's the key right there. The next coach has to be able and willing to put it all out there selling the program--to fans, boosters, players, parents. He can't be afraid to to speak clearly about what his needs are, and be vocally critical if they aren't being met.

Your article is full of opinions by a few people but no facts to offset Larry Porter's resume that was brief but forceful.

Years of college coaching experience, two awards for being the best college recruiter in the country and the fact he is an alum and has the support of the Memhis high school coaches. Just my opinion.

FACTS IN THE ARTICLE:

20 years at the highest level of football.

Connections in the state of Texas.

Good communicator (which Larry Porter is not).

10+ years of producing top 10 and even top 5 defenses in the NFL.

________________________

How many more "facts" do you need?

Is "best college recruiter" not an opinion as well?

Support from local high school coaches? Based on their opinion without knowing a d@mn thing about Gray.

But, either way, like I said in the article...this is NOT an endorsement of one candidate over the other. It's a look into one of the unknown candidates and the general complexities that are involved in the decision.

If you could dig up some audio or video on Porter, that would be excellent. I got a sneaking suspicion that Gray and Porter are complete opposites in the communication dept.

(11-27-2009 10:17 AM)Watauga9 Wrote:  If you could dig up some audio or video on Porter, that would be excellent. I got a sneaking suspicion that Gray and Porter are complete opposites in the communication dept.

They are. I have been speaking with the guys at EyeOnTheTigers, the ESPN Affiliate for LSU, and they say that Porter's communication skills are one of the main reasons why he does not get more looks as a high-level assistant or even as a head coach. They say that they think it is something that can improve, but is lacking at this point in his career.

Great read TBH...thanks for the excellent, insightful and detailed article. Well done as always.

Another point: Gray has actually been considered for a HC job in college. Porter, no.

(11-27-2009 10:20 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:17 AM)Watauga9 Wrote:  If you could dig up some audio or video on Porter, that would be excellent. I got a sneaking suspicion that Gray and Porter are complete opposites in the communication dept.

They are. I have been speaking with the guys at EyeOnTheTigers, the ESPN Affiliate for LSU, and they say that Porter's communication skills are one of the main reasons why he does not get more looks as a high-level assistant or even as a head coach. They say that they think it is something that can improve, but is lacking at this point in his career.

Thanks for the information. You are the first to actually cite unbiased evidence of Mr. Porter's lack of communication skills. From my perspective that is a deal breaker. It is essential that a head coach be able to communicate to players, their family, media and fans.

(11-27-2009 10:15 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  FACTS IN THE ARTICLE:

20 years at the highest level of football.

Connections in the state of Texas.

Good communicator (which Larry Porter is not).

10+ years of producing top 10 and even top 5 defenses in the NFL.

Tommy West is a good communicator and I don' how "good connections in Texas" Offsets His being awarded best recruiter in college football twice, plus his additional attribues. Not arguing about it, just offering my opinion.________________________

How many more "facts" do you need?

Is "best college recruiter" not an opinion as well?

Support from local high school coaches? Based on their opinion without knowing a d@mn thing about Gray.

But, either way, like I said in the article...this is NOT an endorsement of one candidate over the other. It's a look into one of the unknown candidates and the general complexities that are involved in the decision.

(11-27-2009 10:24 AM)SouthernBlue Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:20 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:17 AM)Watauga9 Wrote:  If you could dig up some audio or video on Porter, that would be excellent. I got a sneaking suspicion that Gray and Porter are complete opposites in the communication dept.

They are. I have been speaking with the guys at EyeOnTheTigers, the ESPN Affiliate for LSU, and they say that Porter's communication skills are one of the main reasons why he does not get more looks as a high-level assistant or even as a head coach. They say that they think it is something that can improve, but is lacking at this point in his career.

Thanks for the information. You are the first to actually cite unbiased evidence of Mr. Porter's lack of communication skills. From my perspective that is a deal breaker. It is essential that a head coach be able to communicate to players, their family, media and fans.

Please know that I did not post that to discredit Porter. They guys at EyeOnTheTigers made it clear that they believe he could improve but that he has never been forced into the "lime-light", so to speak, with media, boosters, etc.

(11-27-2009 10:02 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 08:55 AM)ChattTiger Wrote:  good piece

Quote:This search is not simple. You are looking for a salesman. You are looking for a coach. You are looking for somone who will please both the big-money boosters and the $10-ticket walk-up fans. You are looking for a tireless worker. You are looking for a recruiter. You are looking for someone who won’t take “no” for an answer.

that's the key right there. The next coach has to be able and willing to put it all out there selling the program--to fans, boosters, players, parents. He can't be afraid to to speak clearly about what his needs are, and be vocally critical if they aren't being met.

Your article is full of opinions by a few people but no facts to offset Larry Porter's resume that was brief but forceful.

Years of college coaching experience, two awards for being the best college recruiter in the country and the fact he is an alum and has the support of the Memhis high school coaches. Just my opinion.

I agree that the fact that he is an alum and has won awards as a recruiter is attractive. However, his college coaching experience is all at a lower level. Why has he stayed a running back coach all this time and never been a coordinator? Also, I am less than impressed by the support of Memphis high school coaches. Historically, they are very self serving and unreliable. Also I don't think that a program can be built only on Memphis players.

(11-27-2009 10:27 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  Tommy West is a good communicator and I don't how "good connections in Texas" Offsets His being awarded best recruiter in college football twice, plus his additional attribues. Not arguing about it, just offering my opinion

Have you listened to a Tommy West post-game show lately?

I never said a positive for one candidate "offsets" positives for the other candidate. This is not a tit for tat type of comparison. It's a look into ONE candidate specifically while showing how complicated the search/selection as a whole is far from simple.

(11-27-2009 10:27 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:24 AM)SouthernBlue Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:20 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:17 AM)Watauga9 Wrote:  If you could dig up some audio or video on Porter, that would be excellent. I got a sneaking suspicion that Gray and Porter are complete opposites in the communication dept.

They are. I have been speaking with the guys at EyeOnTheTigers, the ESPN Affiliate for LSU, and they say that Porter's communication skills are one of the main reasons why he does not get more looks as a high-level assistant or even as a head coach. They say that they think it is something that can improve, but is lacking at this point in his career.

Thanks for the information. You are the first to actually cite unbiased evidence of Mr. Porter's lack of communication skills. From my perspective that is a deal breaker. It is essential that a head coach be able to communicate to players, their family, media and fans.

Please know that I did not post that to discredit Porter. They guys at EyeOnTheTigers made it clear that they believe he could improve but that he has never been forced into the "lime-light", so to speak, with media, boosters, etc.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm still concerned though, particularly since I am not sure why in the years he has not advanced to an OC position.

Of course, I am far removed from the situation and may not have all of the facts.

Great job, Brooks. You put a lot of work into that. If people have already made up their minds, I don't think they will change, b/c they're doing it on emotion.

But that article does a lot to convince those who are undecided that Gray is a good choice. To my consternation, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are not coming here. I think both Gray and Porter are good choices for different reasons, and I will support either.

Nice work. Thanks.

(11-27-2009 10:27 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:15 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  FACTS IN THE ARTICLE:

20 years at the highest level of football.

Connections in the state of Texas.

Good communicator (which Larry Porter is not).

10+ years of producing top 10 and even top 5 defenses in the NFL.

Tommy West is a good communicator and I don' how "good connections in Texas" Offsets His being awarded best recruiter in college football twice, plus his additional attribues. Not arguing about it, just offering my opinion.________________________

How many more "facts" do you need?

Is "best college recruiter" not an opinion as well?

Support from local high school coaches? Based on their opinion without knowing a d@mn thing about Gray.

But, either way, like I said in the article...this is NOT an endorsement of one candidate over the other. It's a look into one of the unknown candidates and the general complexities that are involved in the decision.

Best college recruiter for two years is a fact.

(11-27-2009 10:37 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:27 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:15 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  FACTS IN THE ARTICLE:

20 years at the highest level of football.

Connections in the state of Texas.

Good communicator (which Larry Porter is not).

10+ years of producing top 10 and even top 5 defenses in the NFL.

Tommy West is a good communicator and I don' how "good connections in Texas" Offsets His being awarded best recruiter in college football twice, plus his additional attribues. Not arguing about it, just offering my opinion.________________________

How many more "facts" do you need?

Is "best college recruiter" not an opinion as well?

Support from local high school coaches? Based on their opinion without knowing a d@mn thing about Gray.

But, either way, like I said in the article...this is NOT an endorsement of one candidate over the other. It's a look into one of the unknown candidates and the general complexities that are involved in the decision.

Best college recruiter for two years is a fact.

So is nine years as a position coach.

Stellar and professional. I'm very grateful. I'm stoked either way.

Declaring that an award is a fact when it's based purely off of opinion is the easy way out, especially when the ability being judged is skewed based upon other factors.

For basketball, a chimp could recruit to UNC. You aren't bringing in players because of how hard the coach recruits, you are bringing them in because UNC is a marketing brand. They will year-in, year-out have top 5 to 10 recruiting classes based upon their name alone, not the coach.

For football, there are a few schools that can do the same. LSU is one of them. I am not saying Porter is not a great recruiter, but simply that there are so many other factors that cloud the true level of his recruiting mainly because of who and what he is recruiting for. SEC. Top-notch facilities. Borders Texas. BCS. All of those factors are null and void at Memphis.

Tofu cooked in Crisco is still unhealthy. Logically, fact based off of opinion is still an opinion. Either way, I think Porter is a GREAT candidate. Likewise, I think Gray is a GREAT candidate.

Like I said in the article, why not try to focus on the positives? The positives for Porter, fact and opinion, have been discussed ad nauseum. Everyone was so quick to dismiss Gray that I felt that the positives in his favor were being overlooked completely. THAT is what this is about. Not discrediting one over the other.

Thanks enjoyed ,keeping open mind here!

Very informative.

(11-27-2009 10:02 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 08:55 AM)ChattTiger Wrote:  good piece

Quote:This search is not simple. You are looking for a salesman. You are looking for a coach. You are looking for somone who will please both the big-money boosters and the $10-ticket walk-up fans. You are looking for a tireless worker. You are looking for a recruiter. You are looking for someone who won’t take “no” for an answer.

that's the key right there. The next coach has to be able and willing to put it all out there selling the program--to fans, boosters, players, parents. He can't be afraid to to speak clearly about what his needs are, and be vocally critical if they aren't being met.

Your article is full of opinions by a few people but no facts to offset Larry Porter's resume that was brief but forceful.

Years of college coaching experience, two awards for being the best college recruiter in the country and the fact he is an alum and has the support of the Memhis high school coaches. Just my opinion.

I think you missed the point of this article. That's just it. We know everything about Porter, but nothing about Gray. Great article.

(11-27-2009 10:48 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  Declaring that an award is a fact when it's based purely off of opinion is the easy way out, especially when the ability being judged is skewed based upon other factors.

For basketball, a chimp could recruit to UNC. You aren't bringing in players because of how hard the coach recruits, you are bringing them in because UNC is a marketing brand. They will year-in, year-out have top 5 to 10 recruiting classes based upon their name alone, not the coach.

For football, there are a few schools that can do the same. LSU is one of them. I am not saying Porter is not a great recruiter, but simply that there are so many other factors that cloud the true level of his recruiting mainly because of who and what he is recruiting for. SEC. Top-notch facilities. Borders Texas. BCS. All of those factors are null and void at Memphis.

Tofu cooked in Crisco is still unhealthy. Logically, fact based off of opinion is still an opinion. Either way, I think Porter is a GREAT candidate. Likewise, I think Gray is a GREAT candidate.

Like I said in the article, why not try to focus on the positives? The positives for Porter, fact and opinion, have been discussed ad nauseum. Everyone was so quick to dismiss Gray that I felt that the positives in his favor were being overlooked completely. THAT is what this is about. Not discrediting one over the other.

I ubderstand that you do have a lot of opinions and I respect those and appreciate the discussion. Just one last clarification I'm pretty sure that Larry did receive the awards for recruiter of the year even though you feel it's not significant. I do appreciate all the information you post here. I do read the board a lot more than I post and really enjoy keeping up to date on our Tigers. On the issue of who might be the best option of head coach for our team I think it's time to say that we agree to disagree and end the discussion. Again I do respect your opinion and comments on the message board.

(11-27-2009 08:55 AM)ChattTiger Wrote:  good piece

Quote:This search is not simple. You are looking for a salesman. You are looking for a coach. You are looking for somone who will please both the big-money boosters and the $10-ticket walk-up fans. You are looking for a tireless worker. You are looking for a recruiter. You are looking for someone who won’t take “no” for an answer.

that's the key right there. The next coach has to be able and willing to put it all out there selling the program--to fans, boosters, players, parents. He can't be afraid to to speak clearly about what his needs are, and be vocally critical if they aren't being met.

It is a tough job, but the reward is high also. Turning Memphis around will make our next coach a hot commodity for a high level BCS job or at least make him a beloved and respected figure in Memphis.

I am not saying that I don't feel like it's significant. I am stating that it is an award based off of opinion, not fact.

And I am not making an endorsement one way or the other about who "the best option of head coach for our team" is, so there is no need to "agree to disagree".

And to make sure you know, I respect your opinion as well. I am not against difference of opinion, I just think that you are misunderstanding the point of some of the things I have said, both in the article and in this thread.

I wonder why Prince Geoff wasn't this professional in his column extolling Porter as the OBVIOUS choice? He had to know these facts but slanted everything against Gray. Why?

For the record, I will support WHOMEVER is ultimately hired. The objective is to support the University of MEMPHIS football program. Smith and the rest of the search committee are charged with hiring the best candidate to move MEMPHIS football forward. Period. Not to hire the guy the M Club wants or the local HS coaches want or mt.org wants or boss man wants or a black guy or a white guy or an asian guy. THE BEST GUY.

It's really simple:
1) Make the best selection possible.
2) Give this man the tools and resources to succeed that have been denied (or outright LIED about) to the previous TIGER football coaches.
3) TIGER fans should support the program - ticket purchases, donations, attendance - to the degree they are able.

(11-27-2009 10:33 AM)TripleA Wrote:  Great job, Brooks. You put a lot of work into that. If people have already made up their minds, I don't think they will change, b/c they're doing it on emotion.

But that article does a lot to convince those who are undecided that Gray is a good choice. To my consternation, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are not coming here. I think both Gray and Porter are good choices for different reasons, and I will support either.

Nice work. Thanks.

Can't say it any better than that.

Thanks for making that effort for us.

(11-27-2009 11:24 AM)boss man Wrote:  I wonder why Prince Geoff wasn't this professional in his column extolling Porter as the OBVIOUS choice? He had to know these facts but slanted everything against Gray. Why?

For the record, I will support WHOMEVER is ultimately hired. The objective is to support the University of MEMPHIS football program. Smith and the rest of the search committee are charged with hiring the best candidate to move MEMPHIS football forward. Period. Not to hire the guy the M Club wants or the local HS coaches want or mt.org wants or boss man wants or a black guy or a white guy or an asian guy. THE BEST GUY.

It's really simple:
1) Make the best selection possible.
2) Give this man the tools and resources to succeed that have been denied (or outright LIED about) to the previous TIGER football coaches.
3) TIGER fans should support the program - ticket purchases, donations, attendance - to the degree they are able.

Should I be concerned that I seem to be agreeing a lot with you lately?

While discussing coaching, let me cryptically give everyone a heads up. Watch Fox13 today at 5. Please, do your self a favor. I can't say more but it will be worth your time.

(11-27-2009 11:31 AM)Strat57 Wrote:  While discussing coaching, let me cryptically give everyone a heads up. Watch Fox13 today at 5. Please, do your self a favor. I can't say more but it will be worth your time.

Great, now I will be thinking of little else for the rest of the day.

I am just kidding. Thank you for the notice.

(11-27-2009 11:24 AM)boss man Wrote:  I wonder why Prince Geoff wasn't this professional in his column extolling Porter as the OBVIOUS choice? He had to know these facts but slanted everything against Gray. Why?

For the record, I will support WHOMEVER is ultimately hired. The objective is to support the University of MEMPHIS football program. Smith and the rest of the search committee are charged with hiring the best candidate to move MEMPHIS football forward. Period. Not to hire the guy the M Club wants or the local HS coaches want or mt.org wants or boss man wants or a black guy or a white guy or an asian guy. THE BEST GUY.

It's really simple:
1) Make the best selection possible.
2) Give this man the tools and resources to succeed that have been denied (or outright LIED about) to the previous TIGER football coaches.
3) TIGER fans should support the program - ticket purchases, donations, attendance - to the degree they are able.

AMEN BOSS MAN are we will be doing this again only for number 39 in 5-6 years

(11-27-2009 08:30 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  I'm just warning you, it's long. I interviewed and have quotes from John Keim from the Washington Examiner and a few current Redskins. Keim also sent me audio/transcripts from a few interviews he did from Wednesday's Redskins practice.

http://memphisroar.com/2009/11/coaching-...-decision/

Thoughts?

As always, excellent job Brooks. You see; if our local media would put forth this kind of effort it could really help with our fan base. Initially, people reacted to the potential hire extremely negatively. Can you really blame them? I don't think you can. Hardly anyone knew who this person was or what he was about.

If the media would have put forth a little bit of effort to provide some quality information and reporting, it could have made a lot of fans feel much better about the hire. Instead, we had to let Brooks take the bull by the horns to help calm down our fan base and open their eyes.

Pathetic job by the local media but excellent job by Brooks. Much appreciated.

The difference between the local media and Brooks is that Brooks is a fan, and has the Tigers' best interests at heart. Even though he runs a media outlet, he is still a fan.

That is not a requirement to be a member of the local media. They will print whatever stirs up controversy and gets eyeballs. Nothing wrong with that, they're in business, and it is a fact. I actually think they usually do a good job. They're just not fans first.

But Brooks' fandom overrides his need to make money, especially since this is not his full time job. He does this b/c he loves it and he loves the Tigers, just as I was doing with TBT. He is objective, but doesn't hide his fandom.

This was a much needed article, but not controversial enough for the local media to do. Thanks, Brooks.

(11-27-2009 11:42 AM)TripleA Wrote:  The difference between the local media and Brooks is that Brooks is a fan, and has the Tigers' best interests at heart. Even though he runs a media outlet, he is still a fan.

That is not a requirement to be a member of the local media. They will print whatever stirs up controversy and gets eyeballs. Nothing wrong with that, they're in business, and it is a fact. I actually think they usually do a good job. They're just not fans first.

But Brooks' fandom overrides his need to make money, especially since this is not his full time job. He does this b/c he loves it and he loves the Tigers, just as I was doing with TBT. He is objective, but doesn't hide his fandom.

This was a much needed article, but not controversial enough for the local media to do. Thanks, Brooks.

I understand it is not a prerequisite for the media to be fans of or support the local sports teams they cover. However, it is their job to report the facts, correct? So why would they fail to paint an entire picture of a guy that might be our new head coach. Instead, the CA is already cracking jokes that our program coughed up another costly fumble before the HC has even been officially announced! I just get tired of reading and hearing "negative" or "controversial" stories through our local media outlets. But, I understand that's the nature of the business and will never change. So again Brooks, thanks for the breath of fresh air.

(11-27-2009 11:26 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 11:24 AM)boss man Wrote:  I wonder why Prince Geoff wasn't this professional in his column extolling Porter as the OBVIOUS choice? He had to know these facts but slanted everything against Gray. Why?

For the record, I will support WHOMEVER is ultimately hired. The objective is to support the University of MEMPHIS football program. Smith and the rest of the search committee are charged with hiring the best candidate to move MEMPHIS football forward. Period. Not to hire the guy the M Club wants or the local HS coaches want or mt.org wants or boss man wants or a black guy or a white guy or an asian guy. THE BEST GUY.

It's really simple:
1) Make the best selection possible.
2) Give this man the tools and resources to succeed that have been denied (or outright LIED about) to the previous TIGER football coaches.
3) TIGER fans should support the program - ticket purchases, donations, attendance - to the degree they are able.

Should I be concerned that I seem to be agreeing a lot with you lately?

Did you mean BOSSMAN? You may have the wrong one picked out?

(11-27-2009 11:16 AM)Tiger56 Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 10:48 AM)Tiger B'Ham Wrote:  Declaring that an award is a fact when it's based purely off of opinion is the easy way out, especially when the ability being judged is skewed based upon other factors.

For basketball, a chimp could recruit to UNC. You aren't bringing in players because of how hard the coach recruits, you are bringing them in because UNC is a marketing brand. They will year-in, year-out have top 5 to 10 recruiting classes based upon their name alone, not the coach.

For football, there are a few schools that can do the same. LSU is one of them. I am not saying Porter is not a great recruiter, but simply that there are so many other factors that cloud the true level of his recruiting mainly because of who and what he is recruiting for. SEC. Top-notch facilities. Borders Texas. BCS. All of those factors are null and void at Memphis.

Tofu cooked in Crisco is still unhealthy. Logically, fact based off of opinion is still an opinion. Either way, I think Porter is a GREAT candidate. Likewise, I think Gray is a GREAT candidate.

Like I said in the article, why not try to focus on the positives? The positives for Porter, fact and opinion, have been discussed ad nauseum. Everyone was so quick to dismiss Gray that I felt that the positives in his favor were being overlooked completely. THAT is what this is about. Not discrediting one over the other.

I ubderstand that you do have a lot of opinions and I respect those and appreciate the discussion. Just one last clarification I'm pretty sure that Larry did receive the awards for recruiter of the year even though you feel it's not significant. I do appreciate all the information you post here. I do read the board a lot more than I post and really enjoy keeping up to date on our Tigers. On the issue of who might be the best option of head coach for our team I think it's time to say that we agree to disagree and end the discussion. Again I do respect your opinion and comments on the message board.

I don't mean to butt into your discussion, but the recruiting awards were from Rivals.com and were based on their opinions. It is a fact that he received the awards, so you are correct there. But to say that there was no opinion involved is uninformed and incomplete.

I think the article was great and I appreciate Brooks going through all the trouble to do the RESEARCH and produce this on a holiday weekend.

Whoever the next coach will be, he deserves our respect, support, and acceptance. I can and will get behind either coach.

In the end, we're all Tiger fans and this constant in-fighting is useless and counterproductive to where we all want this program to go.

Great Article, thank you for the hard work. Very well done and an example of professional journalism. You obviously based your article and opinions on research that you took the time to do. I wish our resident professional writers and other media types would do the same. Thank you also for the challenge issued to all Tiger fans. I am doing a bit but I can and will do more. I trust others will do the same and then we can all say that we played a small part in the rebirth of Memphis football.

(11-27-2009 11:52 AM)Tigerdawg Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 11:26 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 11:24 AM)boss man Wrote:  I wonder why Prince Geoff wasn't this professional in his column extolling Porter as the OBVIOUS choice? He had to know these facts but slanted everything against Gray. Why?

For the record, I will support WHOMEVER is ultimately hired. The objective is to support the University of MEMPHIS football program. Smith and the rest of the search committee are charged with hiring the best candidate to move MEMPHIS football forward. Period. Not to hire the guy the M Club wants or the local HS coaches want or mt.org wants or boss man wants or a black guy or a white guy or an asian guy. THE BEST GUY.

It's really simple:
1) Make the best selection possible.
2) Give this man the tools and resources to succeed that have been denied (or outright LIED about) to the previous TIGER football coaches.
3) TIGER fans should support the program - ticket purchases, donations, attendance - to the degree they are able.

Should I be concerned that I seem to be agreeing a lot with you lately?

Did you mean BOSSMAN? You may have the wrong one picked out?

Absolutely. Thanks.

(11-27-2009 11:51 AM)arrecruiter Wrote:  

(11-27-2009 11:42 AM)TripleA Wrote:  The difference between the local media and Brooks is that Brooks is a fan, and has the Tigers' best interests at heart. Even though he runs a media outlet, he is still a fan.

That is not a requirement to be a member of the local media. They will print whatever stirs up controversy and gets eyeballs. Nothing wrong with that, they're in business, and it is a fact. I actually think they usually do a good job. They're just not fans first.

But Brooks' fandom overrides his need to make money, especially since this is not his full time job. He does this b/c he loves it and he loves the Tigers, just as I was doing with TBT. He is objective, but doesn't hide his fandom.

This was a much needed article, but not controversial enough for the local media to do. Thanks, Brooks.

I understand it is not a prerequisite for the media to be fans of or support the local sports teams they cover. However, it is their job to report the facts, correct? So why would they fail to paint an entire picture of a guy that might be our new head coach. Instead, the CA is already cracking jokes that our program coughed up another costly fumble before the HC has even been officially announced! I just get tired of reading and hearing "negative" or "controversial" stories through our local media outlets. But, I understand that's the nature of the business and will never change. So again Brooks, thanks for the breath of fresh air.

My guess is they would not do a piece like Brooks did b/c, until he is hired, it's not controversial enough and might not get enough eyeballs. After he is hired, then they would likely do an in-depth bio on him. But not before.

Brooks did it b/c he felt it was necessary and helpful to the fan base, not to get eyeballs.That's the difference, imo.

(11-27-2009 10:33 AM)TripleA Wrote:  Great job, Brooks. You put a lot of work into that. If people have already made up their minds, I don't think they will change, b/c they're doing it on emotion.

But that article does a lot to convince those who are undecided that Gray is a good choice. To my consternation, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are not coming here. I think both Gray and Porter are good choices for different reasons, and I will support either.

Nice work. Thanks.

I have been undecided due to not know Gray and only hearing Porter's ties to Memphis and recruiting at a top SEC school. Heard little about their coaching styles and ability. I have been pretty open to the idea of having both on the staff. I am still open to either becoming the coach. My one suggestion would be for whoever it is to immediately get with Coach Pastner and take a page out of his book and learn how to rally a base support and work on winning over the rest......

Whoever is named the next head coach, I will welcome them to the program and support them as though they were the perfect and most desired choice from the beginning.....

Great article Brooks. Hopefully, we as fans of the "PROGRAM" can begin to support the "PROGRAM" entirely, not just basketball. It will ulitmately be in our best interest as "FANS" and definitely in our universities.