Tennessee was very close (reportedly) to hiring current Washington State head football coach Mike Leach during the disastrous 2017 coaching search. Former Tennessee AD John Currie flew out to California to meet with Leach about the opening after swinging and missing on Dan Mullen and Mike Gundy. Of course, all of this came after the torpedoed attempted hire of Greg Schiano.
That strange week ended with the firing of Currie, putting former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer in place at the athletics director.
“I just said, ‘I’m in L.A. Come out here and I’m happy to talk with you.