Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy?

Posted by Jerry Hinnen

If there was ever a head football coach that deserved some patience, you'd think Vanderbilt 's Robbie Caldwell would be him.

He took over as head coach just weeks before the start of the Commodores' season when Bobby Johnson stunningly resigned. He inherited a team with a highly suspect offensive philosophy and a major talent disadvantage against nearly every team on its SEC schedule. He was given essentially no shot at implementing his own staff or schemes in the miniscule timeframe allotted. He is in his first season. And, just once more for emphasis, he is the coach at Vanderbilt . You could argue that the 'Dores 2-9 record is actually better than you'd expect from Caldwell, since his team has played a difficult nonconference schedule (featuring bowl-bound UConn and Northwestern ) and have been major underdogs in 10 of those contests.

And still, to hear Caldwell tell it, none of that might matter to his bosses in Nashville :

Caldwell is hopeful Saturday night's season finale with Wake Forest isn't his last game as Vanderbilt's football coach.
But if it is, Caldwell said he understands ...

"If it is my last game, well, I'll be sad because I've enjoyed my time here at Vanderbilt," Caldwell said. "Hopefully it won't be. But if it is, I understand. It's the life of a football coach, unfortunately, this day and time."

Caldwell may understand, but frankly we don't. What, exactly, was the Commodore brass expecting after the chaos of Johnson's retirement? Why, after years of conservatism when it comes to hiring and firing, are they suddenly getting an itchy trigger finger with a coach who's done almost nothing to desrve it? If they were always intent on giving Caldwell just one season at the helm before going after a bigger fish, then why remove the interim tag from his title in the first place?

Since none of those questions have obvious answers (and since Vandy's athletic department may not be in the kind, it will still be a major surprise if Caldwell is given the boot. But if he is, it'll be the clearest sign yet that the SEC's win-now-or-win-never attitude towards the employment of its head coaches has filtered down to even its lowest -- and most academically-oriented -- rung.

adfmkly Since: Dec 2, 2011	Posted on: December 27, 2011 12:19 am Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy? Your amazing the online world Packers Super Bowl Jersey web content is talked about for an bit of building previous to to visit to. Superior specifics that you have ideal here. My goal is to work day by simply repeatedly. [ Reply to Comment ]
vandy1964 Since: Nov 24, 2010	Posted on: November 24, 2010 4:57 pm Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy? Look folks I've been watching Vanderbilt football since I was a kid,which is some 45 years. The issue at Vanderbilt as it relates to football has LESS TO WITH THE COACHES AND THE PLAYERS AND HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. Vanderbilt is a business. It looks at things as a net positive sum game in that they rake in large quantities of money from the SEC for football,talk a good game at competing, compete in all other sports well,and give the conference a good name in academics. It's just that simple. Vanderbilt has not been truly committed to fielding a decent football team in over 20 years. Oh they talk a good game and about every 5 or so years when they talk about a "new direction for the program" but truth be told its nothing but lip service to keep the troops(donors) at bay. Robbie Cadwell is a good man but not a very good head coach. He is honest and for that I give him high marks. Cadwell was dealt a bad hand by Johnson's late departure;however, this season was a "torch job" from the word go. Johnson's departure just sealed the deal if you will. Johnson would have been sacked himself at the end of this year and basically left before the deed could be done in order to give his friends on the staff another year to coach. Cadwell has had issues with his offense even before he became head coach. prior to this job,he was the offensive line coach. Last year's team had a senior laden line and they by just about all accounts were one of the worst lines Vanderbilt has ever put on the field. They couldn' run or pass block. I hold him accountable for that situation. He probably should have been sent to the house then. The quarterback position at Vanderbilt for the past couple of years has been a sad situation to put it politely. The kid they are playing tries put he has no clue of what he's doing when it comes to reads,touch, placement,etc. In my humble opinion,he has cost them the chance to win at least 3 additional games this season through his lack of awareness or field management. His offensive line has not been of any other help to him either. Cadwell uses the excuse or reason(I don't know which) that the kid playing is the best of the bunch. Well if that is true its a sad bunch and Cadwell as well as the other coaches on the staff have done a very poor job of recruiting players. For that and that alone they ought to be sent packing. Vanderbilt needs to get serious about football the way they have in basketball and baseball or get out of the SEC. However, if they get out of the conference both Stallings(basketball) and Corbin(baseball) will no doubt be gone before the ink dries on the newsprint announcing this decision. Vanderbilt has been and will continue to be the door mat of the conference and it has nothing to do with Robbie Cadwell. Plain and simple it has to do with David Williams, Nick Zeppos and the Board of Trust. Go talk with them and see if you don't have a different opinion of Vanderbilt after those discussions. I think you'll come away with an entirely different view of the situation. [ Reply to Comment ]
elreypj Since: Nov 24, 2010	Posted on: November 24, 2010 12:47 pm Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy? The interim tag was removed simply to allow Vandy to be able to recruit. Whether he was "interim" or not he (and David Williams) have always acknowledged that his performance would be reviewed after the season. There is little doubt in Nashville that he is done after this year. It won't be entirely his fault but more the fault of this staff who have largely been together for 9 years since Bobby Johnson arrived. (and dont forget Caldwell was part of that staff too) The offense has steadily regressed since Jay Cutler left. This staff has not shown they can recruit a quarterback that can throw the ball out of a wet paper bag (Jay was a Widenhofer recruit). The asinine decision to go to a spread/no huddle offense a few years has gone from bad to worse and some of Caldwell's quotes after games has shown that he is in way over his head (going for it on 4th and 4 and then later saying he thought it was 4th and 1, or calling a play with a backup QB and then later saying he didnt know the backup was in). Its sad that it will come to this because Caldwell is a good guy that was put in a bad situation. The last 3 games of the year could have been his saving grace but unfortunately Vandy is without their top 2 offensive threats (Norman and Stacy) as well as several other injured Dores. finishing 2-10 was bad last year, finishing 2-10 (or 3-9) this year but losing several games by 30-40 points has been even worse. The only thing that really changed was one man. Its not the fault of one man but several. Its time for Vandy to clean house and start fresh. If Caldwell stays and cleans house there is nothing to excite the fanbase (or donor$) but a new head coach will. [ Reply to Comment ]
arkshoat Since: Nov 24, 2010	Posted on: November 24, 2010 1:03 am Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy? I'd be pretty shocked to see him canned after one season. Just don't believe that Vandy would be that rash.....unless he has somehow, behind the scenes, ticked off someone very powerful in Vandy's group of boosters. And give the guy some props here...at least he took down the Nuttster this year...gave him brownie points in my book...lol [ Reply to Comment ]

Look folks I've been watching Vanderbilt football since I was a kid,which is some 45 years. The issue at Vanderbilt as it relates to football has LESS TO WITH THE COACHES AND THE PLAYERS AND HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. Vanderbilt is a business. It looks at things as a net positive sum game in that they rake in large quantities of money from the SEC for football,talk a good game at competing, compete in all other sports well,and give the conference a good name in academics. It's just that simple.
Vanderbilt has not been truly committed to fielding a decent football team in over 20 years. Oh they talk a good game and about every 5 or so years when they talk about a "new direction for the program" but truth be told its nothing but lip service to keep the troops(donors) at bay.
Robbie Cadwell is a good man but not a very good head coach. He is honest and for that I give him high marks. Cadwell was dealt a bad hand by Johnson's late departure;however, this season was a "torch job" from the word go. Johnson's departure just sealed the deal if you will. Johnson would have been sacked himself at the end of this year and basically left before the deed could be done in order to give his friends on the staff another year to coach.
Cadwell has had issues with his offense even before he became head coach. prior to this job,he was the offensive line coach. Last year's team had a senior laden line and they by just about all accounts were one of the worst lines Vanderbilt has ever put on the field. They couldn' run or pass block. I hold him accountable for that situation. He probably should have been sent to the house then.
The quarterback position at Vanderbilt for the past couple of years has been a sad situation to put it politely. The kid they are playing tries put he has no clue of what he's doing when it comes to reads,touch, placement,etc. In my humble opinion,he has cost them the chance to win at least 3 additional games this season through his lack of awareness or field management. His offensive line has not been of any other help to him either. Cadwell uses the excuse or reason(I don't know which) that the kid playing is the best of the bunch. Well if that is true its a sad bunch and Cadwell as well as the other coaches on the staff have done a very poor job of recruiting players. For that and that alone they ought to be sent packing.
Vanderbilt needs to get serious about football the way they have in basketball and baseball or get out of the SEC. However, if they get out of the conference both Stallings(basketball) and Corbin(baseball) will no doubt be gone before the ink dries on the newsprint announcing this decision. Vanderbilt has been and will continue to be the door mat of the conference and it has nothing to do with Robbie Cadwell. Plain and simple it has to do with David Williams, Nick Zeppos and the Board of Trust.
Go talk with them and see if you don't have a different opinion of Vanderbilt after those discussions. I think you'll come away with an entirely different view of the situation.

Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy?

The interim tag was removed simply to allow Vandy to be able to recruit. Whether he was "interim" or not he (and David Williams) have always acknowledged that his performance would be reviewed after the season. There is little doubt in Nashville that he is done after this year. It won't be entirely his fault but more the fault of this staff who have largely been together for 9 years since Bobby Johnson arrived. (and dont forget Caldwell was part of that staff too) The offense has steadily regressed since Jay Cutler left. This staff has not shown they can recruit a quarterback that can throw the ball out of a wet paper bag (Jay was a Widenhofer recruit). The asinine decision to go to a spread/no huddle offense a few years has gone from bad to worse and some of Caldwell's quotes after games has shown that he is in way over his head (going for it on 4th and 4 and then later saying he thought it was 4th and 1, or calling a play with a backup QB and then later saying he didnt know the backup was in). Its sad that it will come to this because Caldwell is a good guy that was put in a bad situation. The last 3 games of the year could have been his saving grace but unfortunately Vandy is without their top 2 offensive threats (Norman and Stacy) as well as several other injured Dores. finishing 2-10 was bad last year, finishing 2-10 (or 3-9) this year but losing several games by 30-40 points has been even worse. The only thing that really changed was one man. Its not the fault of one man but several. Its time for Vandy to clean house and start fresh. If Caldwell stays and cleans house there is nothing to excite the fanbase (or donor$) but a new head coach will.

Caldwell on the hot seat at Vandy?

I'd be pretty shocked to see him canned after one season. Just don't believe that Vandy would be that rash.....unless he has somehow, behind the scenes, ticked off someone very powerful in Vandy's group of boosters. And give the guy some props here...at least he took down the Nuttster this year...gave him brownie points in my book...lol

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