Paul Payne: Long-Suffering Vols Fans Finally Rewarded For Their Patience

There was a distinctly different vibe Monday evening as the “Big Orange Caravan” event rolled into Chattanooga.

The University of Tennessee fan appreciation gathering normally brings out a legion of loyal orange-clad fans hungry to hear how close their beloved Vols are to returning to relevance in football. Each year they long for the glory days of the 1990s, and beg to know how much longer they have to wander through the wilderness of the past two decades of mediocrity amid a revolving door of failed coaches.

With an overflow crowd crammed into the Chattanooga Convention Center, there was a tone of optimism this year that left Vols fans giddy with anticipation. The fourth stop on the five-city tour featured athletic director Danny White, head football coach Josh Heupel, men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper along with Bob Kesling, the “Voice of the Vols”, emceeing the event.

A long line wrapped around the lobby as Vol faithful waited patiently to have their picture made with Heupel. Fans young and old gushed with emotion as they shared their sincere appreciation of Heupel’s resurrection of their beleaguered program, several shedding tears as they recounted how the win over Alabama brought healing to their souls.

Chad Cate of Soddy-Daisy attended his first Tennessee game at the age of three, and he never missed a home game for 24 seasons along with his father. He’s attended every “Big Orange Caravan” that’s come to town and admitted that this one was more special.

“Instead of just hoping, we now have hope,” Cate said. “Being here tonight is just a breath of fresh air because of last football season. I start my countdown for the season at 150 days, and my days begin with me waking up to the sounds of ‘Rocky Top’.”

It’s hard to believe it’s only been just over two years since White was hired from the University of Central Florida to stabilize the athletic department on the heels of the Jeremy Pruitt debacle and Philip Fulmer unceremoniously stepped down as AD. Hoping for a big-name splash hire to lead the football program, bringing Heupel from UCF left Tennessee fans doubting if White was the proper choice.

But the stability of the department was evidence in Tennessee winning the SEC Overall All-Sports Championship last for the first time. The success continued in the classroom as well, with Tennessee student athletes setting new standards each semester in academics.

The wave of success has noted Vols fan and successful local developer John “Thunder” Thornton excited about the future at Tennessee.

“I’m thrilled to see what’s going on at Tennessee, and we’ve got incredible leadership from the top down,” said Thornton, a former UT Trustee. “From (UT President) Randy Boyd, to (Chancellor) Donde Plowman, to Danny White, to Coach Heupel, Coach Barnes and Coach Harper, this is as good as I’ve felt being a Vols fan since ’98.”

After witnessing Heupel’s success in leading Tennessee to a 11-2 record including wins over Florida, Alabama, LSU and a thrashing of Clemson in the Orange Bowl in only his second season, the Vols return to prominence has come faster than Thornton expected.

“I figured it would take a couple of years to get back here, but Josh has a special quality,” Thornton said. “Those players loved him right off the bat, and they would run through brick walls for him.”

Erica Easterly of Dunlap has been a regular at the Big Orange outing, and she sensed the pride returning in being a Tennessee fan.

“We’ve been through some hard times, but there’s much more positive feelings here tonight,” Easterly said. “The enthusiasm is across all the athletic programs, not just football. When you see what’s happening in baseball and softball, it makes you proud to be a Vols fan.”

The bantering among the coaches during Kesling’s panel discussion – particularly the good-natured jabs between the broadcaster and Barnes – brought laughter from the audience. But when Barnes turned to Heupel and asked, “Josh, how many games are you going to win this year?” and Heupel responded, “We’re not planning on losing any of them”, the crowd roared with approval.

Barnes further needled Heupel when commenting on his ability on the hardwood during the football coaches’ pick-up basketball games.

“Josh is one of the finest people I’ve ever been around and obviously a great football coach, but if you’d see him and his staff play basketball, they set the game back 200 years,” Barnes said. “He is far and away the best player out there, but he shoots it every time he gets it and never crosses half court on defense. They’ve already cracked two backboards from their shooting.”

Heupel quickly defended himself.

“He’s right when it comes to my basketball skill, because I’m not stepping inside the three-point line. But I do expect us to play elite defense on the football field,” Heupel said.

Despite back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, Harper shared the challenges of returning the Lady Vols to the elite status of her days of playing for coach Pat Summit. She believes that the win over eventual national champion LSU in the SEC tournament semifinals was a critical turning point, and the return of Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key gives her squad a solid foundation to build upon.

The announcement of Santiago Vescovi coming back for a fifth year provided a boost to Barnes’ roster for next season, and some strategic additions via the transfer portal of highly-sought talent helped replenish those lost to graduation as the Vols lost in the Sweet 16. The uncertainty of not knowing who will fill the roster in the fall with players still testing the NBA waters is something that Barnes is still learning to navigate.

The evening provided a cathartic convergence of Tennessee loyalists who were able to finally celebrate a year of success not experienced in a generation, especially when it comes to football. All seemed right again in the world, despite the fact Georgia enters the season as two-time defending champion and the Vols must travel to Florida and Alabama this fall.

The streak against the Crimson Tide was broken. Tennessee again returned to a New Year’s Day bowl and briefly enjoyed the view atop the College Football Playoff rankings. Both basketball teams made it to the second weekend of March Madness. Now the question is can they continue their ascent. Only time will tell, but none of that mattered Monday night. Finally, hopes had been realized.

Email Paul Payne at paulpayne6249@gmail.com