Senator Tuberville… Coach Senator Tuberville… What should we call you?
I personally don’t get a vote in the state of Alabama, but I completely support this move. I have never met a person more suited for politics than “Tommy Tupperware,” as my girfriend’s dad likes to call him.
First off… What an interesting life? He’s an accomplished man. Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville has done so many different things.
He was a football player, coach, tv announcer, and then he decided to take his talents to the political field.
But before we get to the congressional stuff, let’s talk about the football highlights:
- After getting his first collegiate head coaching job at the University of Mississippi in 1994, Tuberville quickly improved the program and was named the SEC Coach of the Year by the AP writers in 1997.
- Tuberville was nicknamed the “Riverboat Gambler” during his time at Ole Miss due to his aggressive play-calling on 4th downs.
- As the Auburn Tigers head football coach, he led the 2004 team to a 13–0 record, while winning the SEC title and the Sugar Bowl; however, the team was left out of the BCS National Championship Game.
- That season Tuberville received Coach of the Year awards from the AP, the AF Coaches Association, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, and the Walter Camp Foundation.
- After moving to the Texas Tech program, Tuberville became the second head coach in school history to win a bowl game in his first season (beating Northwestern in the inaugural TicketCity Bowl).
Sprinkle in a few gigs with ESPN and sports radio stations, and he eventually stumbled his way into my fan-life as the new head coach of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team.
Notice how I started with the positives because things might take a turn from here. Please keep in mind, I’m a UC fan. I am biased.
Try to understand the fan mindset at this time.
Brian Kelly was coaching here but he had to leave because God called him through Notre Dame.
And I thought we’d never recover.
I was pleasantly wrong as the Bearcats poached Central Michigan’s coaching staff (again) with Butch Jones.
He filled the empty Kelly coaching shoes nicely (just like he did at Central Michigan before lol).
We were back baby!
And as soon as I got comfortable, Jones got called to the SEC through Tennesse.
Not nearly as important as Kelly’s call in my opinion.
Regardless, as a dedicated fan, I started looking through the Central Michigan coaching staff again when I heard the Bearcats hired the “Riverboat Gambler” himself.
Now we’re talking… The Bearcats were done getting up-and-coming MAC coaches. They were graduating to washed-out coaches from the SEC.
Leadership is great and all, but college football is about recruiting, and I was stoked to have SEC recruiting-credentials in the house.
So give me the SEC rejects any day.
Plus, he sounded and looked the part.
With the southern drawl, the winning smile, the classic quotes, I was smitten…
I felt as optimistic as I felt when Kelly was coaching.
But my heart was broken.
Again.
The team wasn’t awful under Tuberville (29–22 overall and 18–14 in conference), but the team lost two tough bowl games. And my dreams of signing SEC-quality recruits never really came to reality. It was disappointing.
But now I understand… Now, this all makes sense.
Everything happens for a reason in life.
Bearcats fans couldn’t be happier with Coach Luke Fickell, and Senator Tuberville just makes sense.
Tommy Tuberville was a solid announcer.
He has the voice for it, but that can transition into politics just as well. The Riverboat Gambler will be good in politics.
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Here’s the original CNN article about Senator Tuberville:
Democrat Doug Jones loses Alabama Senate seat to Republican Tommy Tuberville
Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville speaks to supporters after he defeated Sen. Jeff Sessions in the runoff election in July, in Montgomery, Alabama. (CNN)Democratic Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama has been defeated in his reelection bid by Republican opponent Tommy Tuberville, flipping the Senate seat in the deeply conservative […]
