We all remember it well. Tennessee had fired Derek Dooley. Dave Hart kept fans waiting impatiently for three weeks as he faced rejection after rejection, from Jon Gruden to Mike Gundy. But Vols fans thought they had finally found their guy in Charlie Strong.
The Louisville Cardinals coach had restored the program to a level it was at before Bobby Petrino left. He was certainly the most qualified coach Tennessee could have hired: a proven winner with SEC ties.
That he would be the first African American coach in school history was only a bonus, particularly after they did not give a fair chance to Kippy Brown or Kevin Sumlin in the previous coaching search.