How Dooley handled Friday

Friday was miserable for Tennessee football and all UT fans.

The arrest of two players for their alleged involvement in a brawl outside a Cumberland Avenue bar put Tennessee football back in the spotlight. Consider this, in less than two years, the Vols have made more national news for troublesome behavior (coaches fired, players arrested, coaches quit, players arrested) than for winning games.

Derek Dooley wants to change all that.

Coaches are usually hired to fix on-field issues. Dooley has the tough task of doing that, and addressing the Vols off-the-field image too.

The new coach is a smart guy. He's an attorney, a former athletics director and a football coach. Listing them in that order isn't a mistake. I did it on purpose.

Dooley was forced to cut short his out-of-town vacation. He arrived in Knoxville at 2:30 p.m., and met with the players allegedly involved. He called a team meeting at 5:30 p.m. and thirty minutes later his verdict went public.

Dooley didn't back down. He dismissed projected starting defensive back Darren Myles. He suspended two other projected starters in defensive tackle Marlon Walls and linebacker Greg King. The strength of Tennessee's team in 2010 is supposed to be defense. Dooley doesn't care, and brace youself Vols fans, there could be more coming.

Granted, no one is expecting the Vols to win the SEC this season, but moves like this could drop Tennessee from a middle-of-the division team, to winless in the SEC. Yes, I said winless.

Dooley never said fixing this was going to be easy.

The press release/statement issued Friday detailing Dooley's feelings about the arrests and the discipline he administered weren't written by someone on the UT public relations staff. I know for that for a fact.  

Dooley wrote the entire thing himself-- and then repeated it during an on-camera press briefing later that night. He never looked down.

Credit Dooley for this too. Although the media was initally told he would not take questions-- the coach opened the floor to reporters. Dooley didn't read and run-- like another coach did on the night of January 12, 2010.

More answers are needed.

But given the seriousness and complexity of what happened, Dooley has taken a solid first step.