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.”