Here's one from the curious file: Rumors were that Duke coach David Cutcliffe turned Tennessee down after being told he couldn't bring his own staff.

Reports also were that in agreeing to take the job, Derek Dooley would only bring a few staff members from his former school, Louisiana Tech.

The reasoning for all this was that Tennessee was on the hook to six assistants on their payroll to the tune of three million dollars. 

Now that Dooley has been sworn in, several of those highly paid assistants are jumping ship.  Interim coach Kippy Brown is heading to Seattle to work for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks.  Offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach David Reaves have reportedly left the Vols as well.

So, the question is, could Tennessee have had Cutcliffe if they would have polled the assistants ahead of time?  With Lane Kiffin gone and Dooley hired, many of them are starting to scatter to join either coaches they know or who are more in line with them philosophically.  Let's face it, if you are a coach and you specialize in the Tampa Two and the guy coming in runs a 3-4, chances are you won't be long for the program any way.

Nothing against Dooley, but once again it appears on the surface that  UT athletic director Mike Hamilton didn't play all the angles again. If you look at it a bit deeper, you might think Hamilton play all the angles correctly in order to bring someone in that would be loyal to him as opposed to many of the boosters and someone without ties or loyalty to former coach Phillip Fulmer.

No doubt, if Cutcliffe had come back to Rocky Top, Fulmer would have access and his ear, regardless of what Fulmer may say publicly.  Perhaps then Hamilton raised the assistants issue as a way to bluff Cutcliffe into staying at Duke, opening the door for Dooley.

Just a theory.