You have to hand it to ‘Bammer Sleeper Agent Dave Hart. The Alabama alum and former Assoc. Athletic Director at the Capstone was brought in by Tennessee to turn some programs around, and boy did he. From the ill-conceived and highly-public botched football search, to hiring the show-cause magnet Donnie Tyndall, to settling upon and then granting absolute license to Butch Jones, Hart took care of his alma mater’s rival. Arguably, he did Alabama no greater solid than retaining Butch after last season.
After a rebuilding plan where the Vols’ record had not improved nearly-commensurate with the talent, 2016 was the year: Preseason Top-10, legitimate SEC title hopes, veteran defense, senior star QB, deep running back corps, manageable schedule with the heavy lifting at home.