(EDITED POST)
It looks like Coach Cutcliffe’s hiring as the head coach of Tennessee is all but official.
If this does turn out to be the case…
Dukies may feel stabbed in the back, but it’s hard to blame Cut for moving back to his roots. We had trouble shaking the feeeling that Cutcliffe wished Duke was more like Tennessee in stadium capacity and student/fan/administration support anyway. Regardless, if he thinks he’ll be happier and more comfortable at Tennessee, we can but wish him good luck and move on, hard as that is after two short years of enthusiasm and optimism.
But will this mean the end of a brief era for Duke football? Not likely. The current athletic administration is committed to building a popular, successful football program, and we can expect them to look for a coach who is at least as high-profile (and expensive). How might this change the culture and attitude toward football at Duke? (What is the culture and attitude toward football at Duke?) It’s hard to say.
(old links:)
http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11824283
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=110646&catid=2
The Weedicle 