Thread Rating:
01-15-2010, 09:04 AM
Having graduated from Breathitt County High School at Christmas break, Channing Fugate was in Knoxville this week to begin his first semester of college and to get a jump on his college football career at Tennessee.
Here in Kentucky, his parents, Condy and Wilhelmina Fugate, were spending a quiet Tuesday evening watching TV â and then the phone rang.
A family friend was on the other end.
http://www.kentucky.com/813/story/1095920.html
You've got to turn on ESPN â Kiffin is leaving Tennessee!
"We were stunned," Condy Fugate said, over and over, Wednesday. "We're just like everyone else, it was a real stunner for us."
With their son being one of the Tennessee recruits blindsided by Kiffin's abrupt exit stage Left (Coast) for Southern California, the Fugate family obviously isn't just like everyone else.
Since Kiffin's departure, Channing Fugate "has talked to his mom four or five times," Condy Fugate said. "He's disappointed. But there ain't nothing he can do about it. We told him to go to school and take care of his business."
Breathitt County football coach Mike Holcomb said Wednesday that he, too, has had the same message for Channing Fugate.
"He's sort of shocked and surprised," Holcomb said. "Wouldn't you be?"
Big time.
Because Channing Fugate was one of the Kiffin recruits who were on campus at the start of UT's second semester, Tennessee athletics officials say he would have to sit out a year as a transfer if he tried to go back on his pledge to the Orange.
At least the high school players committed to Tennessee but who have not yet enrolled or signed national letters of intent are free to change their minds without penalty.
Even with the departure of the head coach who recruited him, Condy Fugate says his son has no desire to go anywhere else.
After a bang-up junior year at Breathitt County in 2008 that saw Channing run for 3,052 yards and 36 touchdowns, Fugate attended a Tennessee summer camp.
Kiffin and Co. were impressed enough to invite him back for a second look at a another camp. After that one, they offered him a Tennessee scholarship.
By that time, Fugate also held offers from Louisville, Stanford, Purdue and Illinois, though to the chagrin of many in Eastern Kentucky, not from the University of Kentucky.
Once Tennessee offered, Fugate basically accepted on the spot.
"That's a big-time football program," Condy Fugate said. "You get that chance, there's no reason not to take it."
A powerful 6-foot-2, 235-pound running back, Channing Fugate was recruited by Kiffin as a fullback.
At the time he committed to UT last June, Channing told the Herald-Leader that Kiffin envisioned him as a "hybrid-fullback." That meant, Fugate said Kiffin told him, that he wouldn't just be a blocking back but would catch "35-40 balls a year" and get to run the ball some as well.
Here is why those who say the universities should be more protected than the players in these coaching transitions are wrong:
What happens to Channing Fugate and his one chance, four years, to play college football if Tennessee now hires a coach who runs the spread option and doesn't even have the fullback position in his system?
That scenario is why the NCAA needs a rule change to allow first-year players a window to opt out of their letters of intent without penalty if the head coach with whom they signed leaves before their freshman year begins.
Without that, the Fugates are left blindly wishing for the best with one of the crucial decisions of their child's athletic career.
"It's Tennessee, you know they'll get a good coach," Condy Fugate says hopefully.
The elder Fugate said he met Lane Kiffin only once, at the summer camp where his son committed to UT.
"I talked to him about two or three minutes," Condy said. "He knows football. He seemed up-front. He was real enthusiastic."
Now that Mr. Fast Lane has bailed on his son and other UT recruits, Condy Fugate says the lesson his family has drawn is that you just have to roll with the punches.
"Life doesn't always go as planned, does it?" he said.
Here in Kentucky, his parents, Condy and Wilhelmina Fugate, were spending a quiet Tuesday evening watching TV â and then the phone rang.
A family friend was on the other end.
http://www.kentucky.com/813/story/1095920.html
You've got to turn on ESPN â Kiffin is leaving Tennessee!
"We were stunned," Condy Fugate said, over and over, Wednesday. "We're just like everyone else, it was a real stunner for us."
With their son being one of the Tennessee recruits blindsided by Kiffin's abrupt exit stage Left (Coast) for Southern California, the Fugate family obviously isn't just like everyone else.
Since Kiffin's departure, Channing Fugate "has talked to his mom four or five times," Condy Fugate said. "He's disappointed. But there ain't nothing he can do about it. We told him to go to school and take care of his business."
Breathitt County football coach Mike Holcomb said Wednesday that he, too, has had the same message for Channing Fugate.
"He's sort of shocked and surprised," Holcomb said. "Wouldn't you be?"
Big time.
Because Channing Fugate was one of the Kiffin recruits who were on campus at the start of UT's second semester, Tennessee athletics officials say he would have to sit out a year as a transfer if he tried to go back on his pledge to the Orange.
At least the high school players committed to Tennessee but who have not yet enrolled or signed national letters of intent are free to change their minds without penalty.
Even with the departure of the head coach who recruited him, Condy Fugate says his son has no desire to go anywhere else.
After a bang-up junior year at Breathitt County in 2008 that saw Channing run for 3,052 yards and 36 touchdowns, Fugate attended a Tennessee summer camp.
Kiffin and Co. were impressed enough to invite him back for a second look at a another camp. After that one, they offered him a Tennessee scholarship.
By that time, Fugate also held offers from Louisville, Stanford, Purdue and Illinois, though to the chagrin of many in Eastern Kentucky, not from the University of Kentucky.
Once Tennessee offered, Fugate basically accepted on the spot.
"That's a big-time football program," Condy Fugate said. "You get that chance, there's no reason not to take it."
A powerful 6-foot-2, 235-pound running back, Channing Fugate was recruited by Kiffin as a fullback.
At the time he committed to UT last June, Channing told the Herald-Leader that Kiffin envisioned him as a "hybrid-fullback." That meant, Fugate said Kiffin told him, that he wouldn't just be a blocking back but would catch "35-40 balls a year" and get to run the ball some as well.
Here is why those who say the universities should be more protected than the players in these coaching transitions are wrong:
What happens to Channing Fugate and his one chance, four years, to play college football if Tennessee now hires a coach who runs the spread option and doesn't even have the fullback position in his system?
That scenario is why the NCAA needs a rule change to allow first-year players a window to opt out of their letters of intent without penalty if the head coach with whom they signed leaves before their freshman year begins.
Without that, the Fugates are left blindly wishing for the best with one of the crucial decisions of their child's athletic career.
"It's Tennessee, you know they'll get a good coach," Condy Fugate says hopefully.
The elder Fugate said he met Lane Kiffin only once, at the summer camp where his son committed to UT.
"I talked to him about two or three minutes," Condy said. "He knows football. He seemed up-front. He was real enthusiastic."
Now that Mr. Fast Lane has bailed on his son and other UT recruits, Condy Fugate says the lesson his family has drawn is that you just have to roll with the punches.
"Life doesn't always go as planned, does it?" he said.
![[-]](https://bluegrassrivals.com/forum/images/lifestyle/collapse.png)
01-15-2010, 11:15 AM
ohh what a shame he gets a free education to a very good university so that he can have a great career as a professional. this is why you choose to play at a school not for a coach. this happens all of the time.
coaches come coaches go. look at all the coaching changes just this past month. usc, notre dame, cinci, east carolina, south florida, texas tech and kansas just to name a few, that probably have the same situations that ut has.
coaches come coaches go. look at all the coaching changes just this past month. usc, notre dame, cinci, east carolina, south florida, texas tech and kansas just to name a few, that probably have the same situations that ut has.
01-15-2010, 12:11 PM
Wow this is really unfortunate for Fugate. And really in some ways I can understand the logic behind the NCAA's stance on this. After all it is college athletics. You go to school to get an education while playing football.
That being said I think it is hypocritical of the NCAA to pick and choose where and when they want to stress this concept. We all know how concerned the NCAA is about the student athlete's education when they rake in the over 500 million dollars it receives each year from CBS as well as the 497 million dollars it made from advertising during March Madness in 2006.
These athletes should have the right to transfer without penalty if a major coaching change has taken place after they have signed to play or even after they have enrolled if they do so in the Spring semester. Its time the NCAA went all out for protecting student athletes and what they really need or get off the fence and turn the entire organization into a semi pro league.
That being said I think it is hypocritical of the NCAA to pick and choose where and when they want to stress this concept. We all know how concerned the NCAA is about the student athlete's education when they rake in the over 500 million dollars it receives each year from CBS as well as the 497 million dollars it made from advertising during March Madness in 2006.
These athletes should have the right to transfer without penalty if a major coaching change has taken place after they have signed to play or even after they have enrolled if they do so in the Spring semester. Its time the NCAA went all out for protecting student athletes and what they really need or get off the fence and turn the entire organization into a semi pro league.
01-15-2010, 05:00 PM
johnnyt Wrote:ohh what a shame he gets a free education to a very good university so that he can have a great career as a professional. this is why you choose to play at a school not for a coach. this happens all of the time.If they can not use him as a RB\FB, he can play LB or something like that.
coaches come coaches go. look at all the coaching changes just this past month. usc, notre dame, cinci, east carolina, south florida, texas tech and kansas just to name a few, that probably have the same situations that ut has.
Twitter: @tc_analytics
01-15-2010, 08:55 PM
When you play with fire, you are going to get burnt. I guess the poor kid believed in Kiffin.
I hope the new coach wants him their.
I hope the new coach wants him their.
01-15-2010, 11:08 PM
Tica Wrote:He did not have to sign when he did.:Thumbs: good post. this is why most college bound athletes wait til National Signing Day.
01-16-2010, 11:16 AM
johnnyt Wrote:ohh what a shame he gets a free education to a very good university so that he can have a great career as a professional. this is why you choose to play at a school not for a coach. this happens all of the time.When mom's and dad's send there kid off to school they are not trusting a university with there child they are trusting a coach. I feel for Fugate because a new coach means different ideas and most of the time different offense.
coaches come coaches go. look at all the coaching changes just this past month. usc, notre dame, cinci, east carolina, south florida, texas tech and kansas just to name a few, that probably have the same situations that ut has.
01-16-2010, 11:56 AM
Bigblue#4 Wrote:When mom's and dad's send there kid off to school they are not trusting a university with there child they are trusting a coach. I feel for Fugate because a new coach means different ideas and most of the time different offense.
that is the problem... they should trust the university.
do you trust "toyota" to provide you with a good product, or do you trust the salesman?
01-16-2010, 07:41 PM
Tica Wrote:He did not have to sign when he did.
Correct.
01-17-2010, 11:00 PM
Benchwarmer Wrote:Correct.
This is for both posts.He didn't sign yet.NOBODY has.NOONE in America can yet.He is only bound by participating in bowl practice and going to class.Noone said he wants out.He is just wondering where he fits in with the new coach.He is just a kid you know.A smart one too.****....he graduated early and is in college while the rest of his classmates are still at Breathitt.He could be wondering if the new coach will do like Coach Cal did at UK by saying you fit in and you would be better off somewhere else.He could still apply to the NCAA if he wanted to leave and not lose a year or leave ow and lose one.The Lexington Hearld story is "misleading" on that point.
01-18-2010, 12:03 AM
johnnyt Wrote:that is the problem... they should trust the university.
do you trust "toyota" to provide you with a good product, or do you trust the salesman?
That is one of the best quotes I have ever heard. I may have to steal it from you, thanks.
01-27-2010, 09:55 PM
U should pick the school based on location...education...prestige...etc !!! I know the head coach is the biggest reason you go where you go, but can not be the only reason or you could get burnt
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
