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Thank You Tommy West - ncrdbl1 - 06-18-2020 07:56 PM
Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
RE: Thank You Tommy West - AlonsoWDC - 06-18-2020 08:04 PM
Nah.
It was a decent speech, and it would be a seminal moment for our football program if we actually paid heed.
Instead we took the basement floor we were lying on and fell into a bunker we didn't know was beneath it.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Tigerx3 - 06-19-2020 08:11 AM
(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
Tommy said some things that needed saying but giving him that platform was a leadership fail.
Tommy was a likable guy who had a couple of good years. Recruiting fell off and personal issue complicated his ability to focus on the program. We failed to take advantage of some great talent due to lack of commitment to the program by leadership and the lack of leadership by our head coach.
Personally I liked Tommy but likability is not the only qualification to run a major program.
Our leadership almost killed the program by hiring Larry Porter to follow Tommy. A great player for us but unprepared for the job.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - gusrob - 06-19-2020 08:52 AM
(06-19-2020 08:11 AM)Tigerx3 Wrote:(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
Tommy said some things that needed saying but giving him that platform was a leadership fail.
Tommy was a likable guy who had a couple of good years. Recruiting fell off and personal issue complicated his ability to focus on the program. We failed to take advantage of some great talent due to lack of commitment to the program by leadership and the lack of leadership by our head coach.
Personally I liked Tommy but likability is not the only qualification to run a major program.
Our leadership almost killed the program by hiring Larry Porter to follow Tommy. A great player for us but unprepared for the job.
LOTS of good points here. You nailed it!
RE: Thank You Tommy West - bluebacker - 06-19-2020 10:33 AM
(06-19-2020 08:11 AM)Tigerx3 Wrote:(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
Tommy said some things that needed saying but giving him that platform was a leadership fail.
Tommy was a likable guy who had a couple of good years. Recruiting fell off and personal issue complicated his ability to focus on the program. We failed to take advantage of some great talent due to lack of commitment to the program by leadership and the lack of leadership by our head coach.
Personally I liked Tommy but likability is not the only qualification to run a major program.
Our leadership almost killed the program by hiring Larry Porter to follow Tommy. A great player for us but unprepared for the job.
If a coach can win here without cheating I don't care if I personally like him (or her or ?). Just win.
(03-20-2019 09:20 PM)Tigermaniac Wrote:(03-20-2019 08:58 PM)MemphisTigerPawr Wrote:(03-20-2019 08:52 PM)Joe1 Wrote:(03-20-2019 08:40 PM)MemphisTigerPawr Wrote:(03-20-2019 08:07 PM)Tigerspartan Wrote: Watford might be stuck with the tide if this precious smoke is real
I doubt that. I wish he would make his choice though.
What part do you doubt? That Watford will be stuck with Bama or there’s some smoke to the Precious talk? Because I doubt Watford would be stuck with any school. But I’m pretty confident that there is smoke with the Precious talk.
I doubt that Watfords choice will be limited to Alabama. The dude is a stud. I wish he would go ahead and commit to Memphis
I wish he would have committed months ago. There is a reason he is holding out. If he does end up here great, but I'm not seeing it at this point. There is a reason certain teams backed off early to include in state Auburn who basically stopped recruiting him after 1 conversation with the handler. They had just been hit for Wiley, Purifoy and were probably on the verge of getting hit for EJ Montgomery. There is a reason EJ decommitted from Auburn and ended up at Kentucky. Auburn was under the microscope. There is also a reason LSU become the front runner literally out of nowhere. It's the same reason Will Wade is watching the 1st round LSU game at home.
With LSU essentially out, (still a small chance I guess), Watford is more than likely holding out for a Duke offer. If he doesn't get it, he will probably end up at Alabama.
https://www.secrant.com/rant/auburn-sports/trendon-watford/82564654/
Got that off the Auburn board.
Didn't really see any Alabama threads talking about him.
LSU fans are worried he ends up somewhere else after the Will Wade incident.
Didn't check the Duke forums as I can't stand looking at Duke forums.
Hope I am wrong on all counts and LSU was recruiting him honestly with the most amazing National Title/NBA pitch ever. I also hope those on the Auburn board are wrong as well.
If he ends up here great, but I'm personally over his recruitment.
I'm all in on Quinones/Precious and hope that plays out.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Tigerbrother - 06-19-2020 10:33 AM
Invest in the helmet.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - ImaTiger - 06-19-2020 12:00 PM
I don't think Tommy's PC accomplished anything.
The current growth is a reaction to the Porter + Smith + RC Johnson debacle (remember, Smith thought he was the search committee and found someone, RC went with his 'gut' and chose Porter). The resulting seasons accomplished nothing on the field but it did...
1. Get rid of RC
2. To avoid pissing off boosters we used a firm and it found Fuente
3. Fuente started winning and the fans/money rolled in
RE: Thank You Tommy West - UofMemphis - 06-19-2020 12:06 PM
(06-19-2020 08:11 AM)Tigerx3 Wrote:(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
Tommy said some things that needed saying but giving him that platform was a leadership fail.
Tommy was a likable guy who had a couple of good years. Recruiting fell off and personal issue complicated his ability to focus on the program. We failed to take advantage of some great talent due to lack of commitment to the program by leadership and the lack of leadership by our head coach.
Personally I liked Tommy but likability is not the only qualification to run a major program.
Our leadership almost killed the program by hiring Larry Porter to follow Tommy. A great player for us but unprepared for the job.
the heart surgery and divorce did in Tommy at Memphis...but 5 bowls in 6 seasons sure was fun.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - SalRivs - 06-19-2020 01:04 PM
I've never read or heard where RC Johnson honestly regretted letting Tommy West speak in a press conference after he was fired.
Maybe, just maybe, RC knew that Tommy West would say things that boosters didn't want to hear, but needed to hear. Because most of the money was going to the basketball program.
The football program was being ignored.
What some see as a leadership fail, may have been a way to get fans and boosters to see that something needs to be put into the football program, i.e., fans in the stands and money support.
The Larry Porter hire although it failed, was one borne of getting a good recruiter in the hopes he would hire a good staff to go with it. But again, he was hired on the cheap with a low budget money pool to get a good staff.
It wasn't until they saw the rock bottom that they started putting money into the program. Plus, the tremors of Coach Cal and how he ran the athletic department still had its affect. (Yes, Cal ran the athletic department while he was here.)
It took a come to Jesus moment for eyes to be opened to get that FOOTBALL SHOULD BE THE MONEY MAKER. So you need to put money into building the football program.
Blame RC, blame Porter, but this falls directly on those fans that wouldn't show up to games and mainly on boosters who had a blind eye to what the football team had been needing for decades. SUPPORT!
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Marc Mensa - 06-19-2020 01:39 PM
Everyone that mattered already knew the state of the program when Tommy made his infamous rant. Do you really believe it motivated them to run out and spend millions? Hell no. What ultimately motivated boosters was the rumored conference expansion, and the piss poor performance of Larry Porter. A decade earlier and Larry would have been given at least 3-4 years, but thankfully we didn’t have that kind of time; so they fired him, hired a search committee, committed to facility upgrades... the biggest of which is the soon to be opened IPF... and the rest is history.
Tommy’s rant was a self serving exit to explain away the last 3-4 years of underachievement. Tommy was never the same after Randy Fichtner left for Pittsburgh. Fichtner recruited D’Angelo and most of the offensive weapons, minus Wimprine, who was a Scherer holdover. Tommy was lazy.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - tigerlands - 06-19-2020 03:12 PM
I really liked Tommy West, but I also do do not think his rant is what spurred the program to bigger things. It was just finding the right guy to get the job done. That was Justin Fuente. We just happened to get the right guy, then we did even better with Norvell. Just two good hires changed it all.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Tiger87 - 06-19-2020 03:37 PM
(06-19-2020 01:04 PM)SalRivs Wrote: I've never read or heard where RC Johnson honestly regretted letting Tommy West speak in a press conference after he was fired.
Maybe, just maybe, RC knew that Tommy West would say things that boosters didn't want to hear, but needed to hear. Because most of the money was going to the basketball program.
The football program was being ignored.
What some see as a leadership fail, may have been a way to get fans and boosters to see that something needs to be put into the football program, i.e., fans in the stands and money support.
The Larry Porter hire although it failed, was one borne of getting a good recruiter in the hopes he would hire a good staff to go with it. But again, he was hired on the cheap with a low budget money pool to get a good staff.
It wasn't until they saw the rock bottom that they started putting money into the program. Plus, the tremors of Coach Cal and how he ran the athletic department still had its affect. (Yes, Cal ran the athletic department while he was here.)
It took a come to Jesus moment for eyes to be opened to get that FOOTBALL SHOULD BE THE MONEY MAKER. So you need to put money into building the football program.
Blame RC, blame Porter, but this falls directly on those fans that wouldn't show up to games and mainly on boosters who had a blind eye to what the football team had been needing for decades. SUPPORT!
You give RC way too much credit. He had already sold out to Cal. He wasn't looking for someone he had just fired to do his job. He was hiding from his job.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - ddramone - 06-19-2020 04:39 PM
Tommy was a great hire for the first 5 years. Alas, the last of those 3 years were the DeAngelo years. He was likable, polished and actually had big time football HC experience. He hired Fichtner and the year we went 7-5 with a Motor City Bowl win with Maurice Avery(!?!?!?) as the starting QB was one of the best college coaching jobs I have ever seen. The win against Southern Miss @ Southern Miss was incredible and then we thrashed Marshall in DeAngelo's last home game was fantastic. The win at the Motor City Bowl was awesome as well.
Alas, I knew TW had really thrown in the towel when seeing close to half of ur recruiting classes coming from JUCO. After the TW divorce proceedings, it became obvious that the open heart surgery and the 'other woman' were hurting TW's ability to be a solid coach.
TW came away MUCH richer and at least he showed it was possible.
Porter was just in way over his head. No DC/OC experience and if your mentor is Les Miles, probably not the best, you're probably not going to be in the best of shape coming in. I still remember LP trying to shut out the local media ala Les Miles....who could afford to since LSU is the premier program is a ridiculously talent-laden state. Colossal mistake.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - AlonsoWDC - 06-19-2020 04:45 PM
Lots of truth in the last three posts ^
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Crazier - 06-19-2020 05:20 PM
(06-19-2020 03:12 PM)tigerlands Wrote: I really liked Tommy West, but I also do do not think his rant is what spurred the program to bigger things. It was just finding the right guy to get the job done. That was Justin Fuente. We just happened to get the right guy, then we did even better with Norvell. Just two good hires changed it all.
Coach Fuente and Mike Norvell were a huge part of our success no doubt but we likely hire neither one of them without the commitment to football from new leadership. Tommy West basically was playing with a hand tied behind his back. Some high schools had better facilities then us when he was coaching here and he did good considering the circumstances. Tommy West rant just shined a light on how bad leadership was at the time and our aim was to get in the Big East. He most definitely put pressure on the boosters to put plans in action to invest in football for conference expansion. Big East officials most definitely saw his rant.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - gulfcoastgal - 06-19-2020 05:50 PM
Couldn’t remember the old Big East commish’s name (meatball as a message board nickname came to mind) and that the Tigers hired him as a consultant in hopes of achieving BCS status. My internet search with key words including the some of the above yielded an article out of WV entitled “Get Over Yourself Memphis.” I’ll link it for your reading pleasure. While I couldn’t remember Tranghese’s name, I recall thinking they could’ve paid me to tell them to fix football.
It was a long process that started b/f TW’s famous speech, but I get why he is credited and he wasn’t wrong in saying so.https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall_sports/landon-get-over-yourself-memphis/article_ffaa4594-1b72-5d39-aa98-59a6a40ad0d4.html
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Tigerx3 - 06-19-2020 09:13 PM
(06-19-2020 05:50 PM)gulfcoastgal Wrote: Couldn’t remember the old Big East commish’s name (meatball as a message board nickname came to mind) and that the Tigers hired him as a consultant in hopes of achieving BCS status. My internet search with key words including the some of the above yielded an article out of WV entitled “Get Over Yourself Memphis.” I’ll link it for your reading pleasure. While I couldn’t remember Tranghese’s name, I recall thinking they could’ve paid me to tell them to fix football.
https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/marshall_sports/landon-get-over-yourself-memphis/article_ffaa4594-1b72-5d39-aa98-59a6a40ad0d4.html
Chuck is still there and maybe has given up. He never got the concept of dreaming big and believing dreams come true.
Here is his idea of a great conference idea. No slight intended to any school on the list.
Marshall (Huntington, West Virginia)
Western Kentucky, (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Old Dominion (Norfolk, Virginia)
Middle Tennessee (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
UAB (Birmingham, Alabama)
Southern Miss (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton, Florida)
Florida International (Miami)
Appalachian State (Boone, North Carolina)
Coastal Carolina (Conway, South Carolina)
Troy (Troy, Alabama)
South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama)
Georgia Southern (Statesboro, Georgia)
Georgia State (Atlanta)
RE: Thank You Tommy West - uskjtc02 - 06-19-2020 09:56 PM
(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
I guess that’s why they hired Larry Porter?
RE: Thank You Tommy West - ncrdbl1 - 06-20-2020 03:26 PM
(06-19-2020 09:56 PM)uskjtc02 Wrote:(06-18-2020 07:56 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote: Sometimes a program needs a cold slap in the face such as the one he gave in his farewell press conference.
https://www.facebook.com/phinehas.johnson/videos/10213963385117067/
I guess that’s why they hired Larry Porter?
NO boards such as this one and a very vocal minority was the season for hiring Porter.
The push to hire a former Tiger player was the main reason behind the hiring of Porter.
The decision was made before the job came open to go after Porter.
RE: Thank You Tommy West - Keeper - 06-20-2020 04:19 PM
Tommy was once a Tiger, and once a Tiger always a Tiger! Tommy had success, but the fans didn't appreciate it. How long had the program gone with little to no success before Tommy? He came in hired good assistants and had success then when he hit a rough patch people started boycotting games. To this day I believe the dissatisfaction and those boycotts were initiated by trolls. Tommy is remembered fondly as a man. He should have gotten and should get better respect from Tiger fans as a coach.