What is there to say about what went down with Tennessee and Greg Schiano? Lots, apparently. I do think there was a media spin that consisted of some serious exaggeration about what we do and don’t know about Schiano’s knowledge of the Jerry Sandusky situation.
For all of those who have been pointing out that the evidence against him is hearsay, and he should be innocent until proven guilty, you’re right. It is hearsay evidence, which is why he wasn’t fired from Ohio State when the information became public, and why he hasn’t been charged with a crime or involved in any civil suits. But, there is a cloud around him, and everyone who worked with Sandusky at Penn State, because we simply don’t know who knew what, who didn’t have any idea, and who might have been silenced by those above them in the PSU hierarchy.
Personally, I think it’s that cloud along with some of the stories about things that may have happened during his time at Rutgers and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that makes schools think twice about having him be “the guy” in charge of the football program, which they have every right to do.
The issue here is why didn’t any of that give pause to the administration at Tennessee? Clearly they hadn’t done their homework in terms of understanding where their fans, and their legislators, would fall on the Schiano hiring scale. Doesn’t anyone there know how to float a rumor to gauge public reaction? Did they even know there was an issue with his time at Penn State that someone was going to exploit on social media? They should have known this, or at least had an inkling of it, long before they were out signing a memorandum of understanding.
Alas, it appears no one is home in Knoxville.
Photo by jmartcmu 
