Yeah, like you really believed we’d make it through the rest of the day without yet another potential twist to the Tennessee coaching dramedy.
While all the signs point to Will Muschamp Troy Calhoun David Cutcliffe Robert Neyland Derek Dooley being the next head coach of the Volunteers, that may not be the case. (Shocking development, I know.)
According to ESPN.com, the Louisiana Tech head coach has emerged as the top candidate for the Volunteers vacancy, although there is another possibility in the form of a coach who’s been on the fringe of the discussion since Tuesday.
Kevin Sumlin, the outstanding young coach of the Houston Cougars, remains in the mix to replace Traitor Lane in Knoxville, ESPN.com reports.
While the website does not state to what degree Sumlin remains a possibility, they do report that, as of a little before 3 ET this afternoon, a deal with Dooley has not been finalized.
Interestingly, the Houston Chronicle reported early this morning that Sumlin had reached an agreement on a contract extension with his current school. That extension still needs the approval of UH’s board of regents.
Sumlin had four years remaining on his old deal that paid him an average of $700,000 annually; various reports have stated Tennessee is offering anywhere between $3 and $4 million a year to at least two of the candidates who turned them down.