Cutcliffe Turns Down Tennessee Again

People around Duke used to worry that David Cutcliffe could go back to Tennessee someday. The Vols came after him once before and Cutcliffe declined.

The Vols came again and Cutcliffe has again said no, reportedly telling UT that he intends to finish his career in Durham.

This time he might have different reasons: first the Vols have had significant financial problems and second, the way they handled the Greg Schiano business impressed no one and perhaps Cutcliffe least of all.

Cutcliffe has made loyalty and integrity the cornerstones of his career, so it’s hard to imagine that he liked how Tennessee handled the Schiano fiasco.

We’d guess there’s more to it though. He’s been in Durham for a while now and he’s told the public and recruits and their parents that he sees Duke as the best job in the country. That’s partly because of Duke’s standards and partly because unlike a lot of schools, Duke doesn’t run a guy off after a bad season (and Cutcliffe know what that is like).

He’s found a home, he’s found people who understand and reciprocate his loyalty, and he seems pretty happy.

We know Duke has reciprocated his loyalty. We hope Duke fans understand how lucky we are to have someone who’s not just a good coach but also a very good man. You don’t have to look far to understand how rare that is in his profession.