Cutcliffe Article

Opps posted this in preps by accident.

Read down to the bottom. UNC wants Cutcliffe?


Cutcliffe magical with QBs

Published: Thursday, 10/12/06 We stand at the halfway mark in the 12-game college football season.
There are a number of qualified candidates for SEC coach of the year honors.
Florida's Urban Meyer, Arkansas' Houston Nutt and Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer would head the list.
None of these, however, stack up to my midseason coach of the year.
David Cutcliffe is a slam-dunk choice.
Technically, he is Tennessee's offensive coordinator.
Realistically, he is Freud with a whistle.
It's difficult to judge an offensive coordinator when he has Peyton and Eli Manning as his quarterbacks.
But when Cutcliffe transforms Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge from a mental basket case into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country, he is The Man.
Ainge has thrown for 1,657 yards and 14 touchdowns against five interceptions. His quarterback rating of 171.6 is sixth best in the country.
The Vols were 10th in the SEC in scoring last season with 10.8 points a game. Their current 35.2 points a game leads the SEC.
Cutcliffe has worked miracles with Ainge. He not only concentrated on Ainge's mechanics, but he also delved deep in his psyche.
You don't see the earrings Dolly Parton would kill for. You don't see the street cred clothes, or the "I'm Mr. West Coast cool'' attitude.
"I gave him some history lessons, as to what it meant to be a Tennessee quarterback, and how you have to earn leadership,'' Cutcliffe said.
"Football-wise, we started from the ground up. At first we studied nothing but defensive football, all the zone blitzes and schemes. At first, I think they were shocked.''
While the players were eager to let it fly in spring practice, Cutcliffe focused on nothing but fundamentals.
With Ainge it was a heavy dose of footwork, tempo, getting the ball out of his hands, where to put his eyes.
"He also had to learn how to take tough coaching, and he responded,'' Cutcliffe said.
Cutcliffe warns that Ainge and Tennessee's offense remains a work in progress.
"Are we done yet? No,'' he said. "Anybody can do it for six games. Can you do it through 12 games and a bowl game?
Cutcliffe was 44-29 at Ole Miss, taking the Rebels to five bowl games before his only losing season and a personality conflict with AD Pete Boone cost him his job.
Don't think Cutcliffe's success with the Vols' offense has gone unnoticed.
He is said to be high on North Carolina's wish list to be its next head coach, and there will be others seeking his services as the word spreads.
Fulmer was smart enough to get Cutcliffe back. Can he keep him? n

Published: Thursday, 10/12/06

 

Cutcliffe at Carolina would be nice, very nice..

 

He'd be a great hire for you guys. Plus he'd be OUT of the SEC. I wouldn't mind that one bit.

 

Still rather have Chizik.