During ESPN’s College GameDay visit to Knoxville over the weekend, they ran a feature story on the start of Derek Dooley’s traditional “orange pants” fashion statement. Tennessee fan or not, Dooley has done a great job of reviving a program that was left for dead when Lane Kiffin bolted for the head coaching job at Southern Cal.
Dooley explains his thought process behind his choice of pants. He explains that it’s a tribute to the tradition of Tennessee football and honoring the pioneers of Tennessee football by donning the custom orange threads.
Dooley’s bid to defeat his first ranked opponent as Tennessee head coach fell short as the Volunteers were defeated at home by the rebuilding Florida Gators. If Dooley wants to continue to wear the orange pants on the sidelines, this season will be critical. Dooley is now 0-11 versus nationally ranked opponents. Tennessee has shown flashes of a program being on the up-and-up. However, in order to be considered a great program, you’ve got to beat the great programs. His next chance will come against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs, the team that his father Vince helped make Dooley a household name. Tennessee begins a rough stretch in their schedule as they are set to take on Georgia, Mississippi State, Alabama and South Carolina over the next four games.
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