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Tennessee Vols: Don’t Worry, John Currie Is A Fine Hire As Athletic Director

By Zach Ragan

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of the Tennessee Volunteers running through the T before the game against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of the Tennessee Volunteers running through the T before the game against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tennessee Vols’ seemingly never ending search for an athletic director is finally over.

Tennessee Vols fans got their wish — sort of at least — with the news that John Currie will be the school’s new athletic director.

Currie is a “Tennessee guy”, though he’s not the one most fans wanted to see hired (that would be UT-Chattanooga athletic director David Blackburn).

The Vols’ new athletic director was an assistant athletic director at Tennessee from 1997-2008, before he took the athletic director job at Kansas State.

Fans are understandably concerned that Blackburn wasn’t hired. But I really don’t think there’s anything at all to worry about here, for a number of reasons.

  • Tennessee’s athletic department has already hit rock bottom. If a program has a floor, UT already found theirs.
  • All the candidates were vetted by a search committee that included Peyton Manning, Jimmy Haslam and Charlie Anderson. I guarantee you those folks want to see Tennessee succeed more than anyone.
  • Currie has been around a winning culture at Tennessee. He knows what it takes to get the job done.
  • Currie will invest in the athletic department. He increased Kansas State’s athletic department budget by over $25 million in the time since he became athletic director there.

A single person isn’t going to revive Tennessee athletics.

Yes, it’s important the Volunteers hired the right person for the job. But it’s not like Blackburn, Currie, or Fulmer are going to walk in and wave a magic wand and all of a sudden Tennessee’s in the NCAA tournament and the football team is playing for the national championship.

Next: Butch Jones Brings Back Former Vols Assistant

Tennessee is in a much better place than they were five years ago. Currie will help the Vols continue their ascent to the top of college athletics. It’s going to continue to take time, but he wants to be as successful as the fans want him to be.

Be patient, Tennessee is just fine.

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