On Sunday afternoon, Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano had agreed to become the new football coach at the University of Tennessee.
By Sunday evening, the agreement had fallen apart due to the frenzied reaction from a vocal population of Volunteer fans who were unhappy with Tennessee athletic director John Currie’s decision.
Volunteer fans and alums cited Schiano’s experience at Penn State and alleged knowledge — which Schiano has denied — of wrongdoings by former Nittany Lion coach Jerry Sandusky, who is currently in prison for the sexual abuse of children.
On Monday, Currie released a statement regarding Schiano, which reads as a completely complimentary summary of Schiano as a coaching candidate.
As we began our search for our next head football coach earlier this month, I promised that I would pour all my energy and effort into this process.
I have followed Coach Schiano’s accomplishments throughout his career and have been fortunate to get to know him and his family over the last several years. As reported by the media, he was a leading candidate for our position. Among the most respected professional and college football coaches, he is widely regarded as an outstanding leader who develops tough, competitive teams and cares deeply about his student-athletes.
We carefully interviewed and vetted him, as we do candidates for all positions. He received the highest recommendations for character, family values and commitment to academic achievement and student-athlete welfare from his current and former athletics directors, players, coaching colleagues and experienced media figures.
Coach Schiano worked at Penn State from 1990-1995. Consequently, we, of course, carefully reviewed the 2012 investigation report by Louis Freeh. Coach Schiano is not mentioned in the Freeh report and was not one of the more than 400 people interviewed in the investigation. We also confirmed that Coach Schiano was never deposed and never asked to testify in any criminal or civil matter. And, we conferred with our colleagues at The Ohio State University, who had conducted a similar inquiry after the 2016 release of testimony. I know that Coach Schiano will continue to have great success in his coaching career and wish him and his family well.
I am grateful for your patience as our search for the next leader for the Tennessee football program continues, and I look forward to making that introduction soon.
As he has done in the past, Urban Meyer said that he continues to stand by his defensive coordinator.
“I’ve said it many, many times — he’s an elite person, elite father, elite husband, elite friend and elite football coach. And I stand by my coach,” he said.
So for now, Schiano will remain at Ohio State, at least until the next school comes along. And hopefully for Schiano, that next program will be the proper fit.
“The one thing about coaching, there’s got to be a perfect fit. And maybe it wasn’t,” Meyer said. “But move on and keep swinging as hard as you can. You’re at a great place.”
Shame on Tennessee for this public witch hunt. Whatever Schiano’s virtues and faults, this is a mob lynching by a meth addled crowd. But enough about the administration, their idiot fans are even worse.
There is a nice article one click up on the faith the team has in Haskins. No comments so far on that article. That seems like a much better article to comment on than this one where none of you have any idea who did what. I have no loyalty to Schiano just because he is our coach. I hope he just does his job for the defense until he is no longer here. Comments on here vouching for his character has no merit!
Once Greg had him a job on Rocky Top, down in the Tennessee hills.
I personally don’t give a crap about the politics of coaching carousel’s. Tennessee doesn’t want Schiano? Oh well…….life goes on.
I just hope and pray that if CEO Meyer decides to retain Schian and Davis he brings someone in to teach this team how to tackle again. It’s gone to hell in a hand basket since Luke Fickell left.
Leave the damned politics out of it. CEO Meyer and Ohio State vetted Schiano very thoroughly. He’s never been accused of anything other than hearsay, which was proven to be false. Case closed……..move on.
It’s about football and ONLY football for Schiano. Teach people to tackle if we have to be stuck with you for another year. All the talk about what you built and all we saw this year is what you’ve broke. One of the best tackling football teams in the Country reduced to a clown show in a single season. FIX IT or retire.
Sorry to be the intelligent one in this conversation, but Fickell didn’t teach anyone how to tackle. Try remembering the years after Urban took over, worst tackling defenses in College. Then Chris Ash came in and changed our tackling style to a “Rugby” style and moved our DBs from Cover 2 to Quarters. After Ash left, the players he coached have slowly graduated or left for the NFL… This is more likely than not the reason why our tackling is struggling. I will credit Fickell on working with the LBs though, seems like our LBs are MIA this year.
Sometimes you knee jerk reaction guys bug the crap out of me with your jumps to conclusions that best fit your argument at the moment.
I suppose every school has their scumbag fans and hangers on, but Tennessee appears to have a l whole lot of them. He dodged a bullet.
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Coach Schiano will thank his lucky stars he did not go there. Look at the Vols coaches over the past 20 years or so. There would be massive criticism from day one. Not sure if their fan base or Auburn’s is the most idiotic!
Gotta squeeze Ped State into that list, their fans are delusional to the point of real mental illness.
HOW FAR CAN THE P.C. WORLD TAKE GUILT BY APPROXIMATION TO MAKE LIFE RENDERING DECISIONS? THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE MOST BIZARRE VETTING BY A COLLEGE IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS.
Shiano should have an easy day in court collecting big bucks from UT and the state of Tennessee. Feel bad that his name was drug through the mud with no real evidence. On the bright side he should be paid handsomely for it.
Greg Schiano is a quality coach and more importantly, a quality person. It is Tennessee’s lost and Ohio State’s continued gain to have him on staff. Obviously, Tennessee didn’t do their due- process investigation properly. This will cost Tennessee a great football coach. They will not be good for a long time. When it comes out that Coach Schiano did nothing wrong, it will be Tennessee that looks bad…..if they don’t look bad already. Go Bucks!
Good for him and shame on the mob mentality in Tenn. In the USA Americans are innocent until proven guilty, sadly, the U of Tenn forgot that giving into hysteria. The real issue now focuses on OSU as he is our coach NOW, and OSU finds based on evidence and facts that this man is innocent and decent. Go Buckeyes!