Tennessee finished 6-6 in 2014 after three straight seasons of 5-7 and will
play Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2 in Jacksonville. The Vols last
reached a bowl game after the 2010 campaign.
When you are rebuilding a program, you face many challenges in order to
change the culture, said Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart on Monday. A
tireless effort is required from the entire organization. The most critical
piece of the puzzle is leadership, and we have the right man leading our
football program. Butch Jones has re-energized our fan base and is an
outstanding ambassador for our university.
The Vols are 11-13 in two seasons under Jones, who took over in December 2012
after three years in Cincinnati and three years at Central Michigan. He owns a
career coaching mark of 61-40.
I am very honored and grateful to be the head football coach at the
University of Tennessee, and I understand what this program represents, said
Jones. This has been a complete team effort as we continue to rebuild and
restore the Tennessee football program to the standards and expectations that
we all have.
In eight seasons as a head coach, Jones has led his teams to six bowl
appearances. He was 23-14 at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to consecutive
Big East titles in 2011 and 12, and also guided Central Michigan to a pair of
Mid-American championships with a mark of 27-13 during his three years with
the Chippewas.
Jordan Reed Redskins Jersey .
The top-seeded Anaheim Ducks can clearly see they are in quite a fight
now.
Eakin scored on Dallas first shot of the third period, Alex Goligoski
scored on the next one 1:22 later and the Stars beat the Ducks 4-2 in
Game 4 on Wednesday night to even the best-of-seven series. Kendall Fuller Jersey .Rooney was set up well by his teammates for both goals as Radamel
Falcao met a long cross into the area in the 23rd minute, sliding to
reach the ball at the far post and square a perfect pass for Rooney to
tap into an empty net.
BOSTON -- Jacoby Ellsbury went to the New York Yankees.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is gone, too.
The Boston Red Sox began rebuilding for their World Series title defence
Wednesday when they signed free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a
one-year contract.
"Its not every day you get a chance to play for the defending World
Series champions. Looking at what they have coming back, theres
definitely a chance to do it again," Pierzynski said in a conference
call with reporters.
"It was a place that you always want to go to because they win and they
try to win every year. When they called, it was hard to say no."
A two-time All-Star, Pierzynski will take over for the switch-hitting
Saltalamacchia, who agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the
Miami Marlins on Tuesday at about the same time the Yankees pried
Ellsbury away from their rivals with a seven-year, $153 million
contract.
"We wish Jacoby well," general manager Ben Cherington said. "He was
obviously a real good player here. He was a big part of two World Series
teams and we would have loved to keep him. But we felt that there was
an area or range that we were willing to go to, and the market just went
past that."
The best candidate to replace Ellsbury in the Red Sox system is Jackie
Bradley Jr., who batted .189 in 37 games in the majors last year and
.275 with 10 homers in 80 games at Triple-A Pawtucket.
Cherington said it was too early to say whether there would be other
candidates brought in through free agency or trade.
"We feel good about some of the in-house alternatives, and one of those
is certainly Jackie Bradley," Cherington said. "We feel fortunate that
Jackie is in our organization, and we will feel good that he is playing
centre field, if thats the way it works out."
Pierzynski, who has played for four teams over parts of 16 seasons, said
he talked to several former teammates who were on the Red Sox this
year, including David Ortiz, Matt Thornton and Jake Peavy. He also
bumped into Mark Kotsay while on vacation in Hawaii.
"They all said, If you get an opportunity to come, youve got to take
it," Pierzynski said. "Every person I talked to has had a positive
experience there. I was grateful that Ben reached out and gave me an
opportunity."
Saltalamacchia had been a solid catcher in Boston. But his last play in a
Red Sox uniform was the ill-advised throw to third base that led to the
obstruction call against Will Middlebrooks, which gave the St. LLouis
Cardinals a victory in Game 3 of the World Series. Joe Theismann Jersey. David Ross took over, and the Red Sox went on to win the Series in six
games -- their third title in 10 years.
Both catchers were also a big part of the clubhouse chemistry that was
helped erase the stigma of the fried chicken and beer collapse of 2011.
Pierzynski has a mixed reputation in baseball -- including a conflict
with Peavy that the two say is long behind them -- but his own teammates
usually defend him.
"(He has) the reputation across the field of not being the best guy,"
Boston manager John Farrell said on WEEI-AM. "But there are guys you get
that feel from across the field and then when they get in your dugout,
you love him. He was on board with everything. The bottom line is he
wants to do nothing more than one thing: win."
Pierzynski, a left-handed hitter, and Ross, a righty, will both be 37
next season. The Red Sox have two catching prospects in the minor
leagues, Christian Vazquez in Triple-A and Blake Swihart in Single-A.
"What were looking at is a short-term situation that really points
toward Vazquez and Swihart, that are coming," Farrell said. "That doesnt
mean that in 2015 Vazquez is a starter, but it gives us the flexibility
that if he makes another good step in the minors the next year, its the
potential that a guy could step in."
Cherington also said his goal was to make the 2014 team stronger without
hindering flexibility in the future, an outlook that made a one-year
deal for a veteran catcher more attractive than the three years
Saltalamacchia got.
"We really appreciate everything he did," Cherington said. "If reports
are accurate, were happy for him that he gets a good deal. We wish him
well, but we feel like A.J. is the right fit for us right now."
Pierzynski batted .272 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs last season with Texas
-- the 13th season in a row in which hes caught at least 110 games. In
his career with the Twins, Giants, White Sox and Rangers, Pierzynski is a
.283 hitter with 172 homers and 800 RBIs, with a .322 average in 33
games at Fenway Park.
"The combination of A.J. and Ross will allow that to be a position of
strength for us, as it was this year," Cherington said.
Pierzynski has caught two no-hitters, including Philip Humbers perfect
game April 21, 2012. He made the All-Star Game in 2002 and 06 and won
the World Series with the White Sox in 2005. He has a .300 career
average with five homers and 17 RBIs in the post-season.
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys'
'
'
