Rumor about new OC

[MemphisPoke]

I am going to preface this with the fact that I can not see this happening at all BUT..................

The rumor over here in Tennessee is that Trooper Taylor the Wide Receivers coach at UT Knoxville is in line for the OC at OSU.

He is supposedly a great coach and a fantastic recruiter.

My thing is why would anyone from a PRO SET running team be considered as a OC at OSU?????

You read his bio and he is from Texas and he was probably at Baylor when Gundy was (I haven't checked the dates that closely), but other than that there is no logic behind this rumor.

Just sticking it out there guys. I have had several U of Tenn folks jump me and say "leave our guy alone", as if I had anything to do with it.

http://utsports.com/football/page.aspx?id=288

[CaliforniaCowboy]

I think you answered your own question... we wouldn't be interesed in a Pro Set OC.

Gundy already said he's not going to do anything until after the bowl.

[PokesFanatic]

It would make more sense for him to be hired to coach WRs when our WR coach gets promoted to OC (not that I'm saying it's a definite, but it's possible).

[Lewis the Pike]

A new OC?? I never watch Fox anyway (Pop culture reference joke for you old foggies)

[topdaug]

Memphis, with Cutcliffe leaving, could he be open for the OC job at UT? That would seem like a good hire from within, and from everything I've read, UT's going to hire from within....also, might he go with Cutcliffe to OC at Duke, and hasn't he also been offered the OC job at Baylor as well? It seems like he's been a hot commodity this offseason....

[topdaug]

By the way, here's a story about the possibilities that I just saw:

Taylor offered offensive coordinator job by Oklahoma State

Receivers coach has second suitor

By Drew Edwards
December 19, 2007

Trooper Taylor’s decision just got a lot tougher.

While considering an offer from Baylor to be its offensive coordinator, the Tennessee receivers coach has been offered the same position at Oklahoma State, a source close to the situation told the News Sentinel on Tuesday night.

Taylor traveled to Baylor, his alma mater, on Sunday and was offered the position. He returned to practice at UT on Monday.

Taylor was his normal, excitable self during Tuesday’s 90-minute practice on Haslam Field.

Taylor again declined interview requests following practice, and UT coach Phillip Fulmer said nothing changed since Monday.

“No new updates,” Fulmer said.

Wide receiver Austin Rogers said Monday that Taylor and Fulmer were expected to meet that night, however Fulmer said the two did not talk about Taylor’s future at Tennessee on Monday.

When asked if he still plans to talk with Taylor, Fulmer replied, “Certainly.”

Rogers said Monday that Taylor told players “if he gets the coordinator job here (UT), he probably will stay. If not, he might go.”

How long Taylor remains at Tennessee remains to be seen. Taylor has yet to make a decision about Baylor’s offer, however that decision could come as early as today.

Taylor has plenty of ties to Oklahoma State, having coached with Cowboys coach Mike Gundy and offensive line coach Joe Wickline at Baylor.

He also coached with former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, who left Baylor to take the head coaching job at Southern Miss.

Since reports emerged late last week about offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe leaving for Duke, coaching changes have been a hot topic as the Vols continue to prepare for the Outback Bowl against Wisconsin on Jan. 1.

The Vols have contacted Detroit Lions receivers coach Kippy Brown and are considering New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone and UT offensive line coach Greg Adkins for Cutcliffe’s job.

Running backs coach Kurt Roper and tight ends coach Matt Luke may have an opportunity to join Cutcliffe’s staff at Duke.

The News Sentinel was told that Roper is thought to be pegged as Duke’s offensive coordinator while Luke will take over the offensive line.

All the talk of coaching changes is distracting, Fulmer said.

“They are distractions,” he said. “It is. Anything like that is a distraction. Our team, they have been really good about putting things behind them and managing themselves during the course of the year. I expect them to do it again.

“David’s worked extremely hard. Trooper’s worked extremely hard getting ready for this game on the practice field. And the players have worked extremely hard. You guys seem to be most interested in it. I’m sure they (the players) are to some degree. That’s a progression in life; that’s the way things happen. If they’re aggressive people, they’re upwardly mobile. That’s how it goes.”

Once those decisions are made, Fulmer said he’s looking forward to finding a new coach — or coaches — depending on how those decisions unfold.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I get to work like heck to get some other guys in here eventually, whenever we make the transition, and create a whole new environment here.”

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2007/dec/19/taylor-offered-oklahoma-state/

[cactusjack]

It would have to be co-coordinator in my opinion. To many good candidates on our staff. He's a recruiting guru though. Would be an excellent hire!

[wickerbill]

Nice fact checking by whomever wrote that article.

He also coached with former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora, who left Baylor to take the head coaching job at Southern Miss.

[topdaug]

Nice fact checking by whomever wrote that article.

I noticed that...I guess they got carried away with all the discussion of Gundy and Wickline working at Baylor with Taylor....

[MemphisPoke]

Well well well.

Seems these guys over here may have been on to something.

Man I would love to see him go to OSU, just so that I could rub it into the face of all these Vols over here. I am not a fan of Fat Phil and the boys and that washed out shade of orange they are so proud of.

[Verb]

Taylor accepts job at Oklahoma State

By Dave Hooker (Contact)
Originally published 04:39 p.m., December 19, 2007
Updated 04:39 p.m., December 19, 2007
Trooper Taylor

Amy Smotherman-Burgess

Trooper Taylor



* Taylor offered offensive coordinator job by Oklahoma State
* UT releases DVD highlighting 2007 season
* Fulmer: Coaching changes a distraction

Trooper Taylor is leaving Tennessee to take a co-offensive coordinator position at Oklahoma State, a source within UT’s program told the News Sentinel on Wednesday.

Taylor had been considering a similar position at Baylor and was waiting to see if he would be named UT’s offensive coordinator to replace David Cutcliffe, who took the head coaching job at Duke last week.

More details online and in Thursday's News Sentinel.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

[MarkOSU]

welcome aboard!

[Verb]

Has anybody seen any confirmation of this from an Oklahoma news source?

[andyokstate]

From the DOK:

http://newsok.com/article/3182841/1198103878

Wed December 19, 2007
OSU names co-offensive coordinator
By Mike Baldwin
Staff Writer
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Wednesday afternoon he has hired Tennessee wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor as co-offensive coordinator.


Taylor, 37, coached with Gundy one year at Baylor (1996). A Baylor graduate, Taylor has coached at Tennessee the past four years, the first two as running backs coach.

Gundy said earlier on Wednesday at the bowl media luncheon he would not name an offensive coordinator until after the bowl but reaffirmed that now applies to the other co-offensive coordinator.

Taylor coached six years at Baylor, spent one season at New Mexico and five years at Tulane before joining Phillip Fulmer’s staff in 2004.

[Verb]

Hmmm...a mystery co-coordinator? Curiouser and curiouser.

[MarkOSU]

I think we will like this guy,

http://www.rockytoptalk.com/story/2007/12/18/125545/72

[topdaug]

He's a good coach, and a hell of a recruiter...I wish OU would thought of him when trying to find someone to fill in for Kevin Sumlin as WR's coach and co-OC...great hire for OSU...

[bremmel]

Sounds like a great hire

[SeaOfOrange]

I think you answered your own question... we wouldn't be interesed in a Pro Set OC.

Gundy already said he's not going to do anything until after the bowl.


You were saying..........????????????

[Inky29]

I don't believe he's going to be calling the plays, my guess these days is it will be Meachum who gets the other CO-OC job. CC was right about what Gundy's plan was, this just fell into his lap. It wasn't part of his master plan.

Very good hire. They guy can recruit like no one's business.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

OC didn't make any sense, but CO-OC (don't try to pronounce that), makes perfect sense.

[MemphisPoke]

Boy-O-Boy I just can't wait to call a few of my "Vol" friends and rub it in. Especially the same ones that were jumping me about "leave our guy alone".

The upside to all of this is that as a recruiter it expands our area of influence by the area he was accustomed to recruiting in. Yes, he got some folks out of Texas to come to Tennessee but there are other areas that he recruited I am sure. I have said it before and been shouted down but there is some very good football played over in the SE US. Because we get so many of our players out of Texas we tend to think that it is the only place to recruit. In answer to that all I have to say is 90% of the players in the SEC Do NOT come from Texas.

I'm liking this more and more.