Quiet, please

Marvin Westwestwords

“If you can’t say something good, keep quiet” was an early coaching point from my first teacher, my dear grandmother.
I searched and searched for something good to say about the …

The end is near

Marvin Westwestwords

The sign said “The end is near.”
The bearded man was carrying it along the sidewalk. I assumed he was a religious zealot, warning us of things to come.
My second thought …

As the General said, don’t ever give up

Marvin Westwestwords

Do not despair. There is an immediate future to replace the recent past. UMass is coming to Neyland Stadium. I am almost certain Tennessee can defend a last-gasp 63-yard pass …

Nothing to it, folks

Marvin WestUncategorized, westwords

Nothing to it, folks. All it took was a fairly ordinary miracle.
Tennessee defeated Georgia Tech in two overtimes, 42-41, by finally stopping a runaway quarterback on a two-point try for …

Being Butch isn’t easy

Marvin Westwestwords

It isn’t easy being Butch Jones.
Paying customers demand perfection. Media types are constantly nipping at his heels.
Famous rivals seek to run him over. His own people sometimes cause consternation. And, …

Winning with freshmen

Marvin Westwestwords

The General was no fluke.
As a Tennessee football coach, Robert R. Neyland combined what he knew about military strategy and engineering principles to produce a remarkable (or phenomenal) record of …

Shoop miscalculation

Marvin Westwestwords

Let’s take a walk in Bob Shoop’s shoes.
Peak time in his 28 years of college coaching came at Vanderbilt, of all places. As defensive coordinator, he somehow made the Commodores …

Difference of opinion

Marvin Westwestwords

What we have here, right before our eyes, is the maturation of Butch Jones as a football coach. Some might call it learning on the job.
He survived the off-season — …