CLEVELAND, Tenn. – The Big Orange Caravan stopped for lunch – but no golf – at Cleveland Country Club this afternoon.
Football coach Derek Dooley highlighted the event which also featured men’s basketball assistant Tony Jones and women’s basketball associate head coach Holly Warlick.
The caravan will stop at the Chattanoogan this evening for a program beginning at 6 p.m.
“I thought it was very important that I get out and connect with the fans,” Dooley said. “I think it’s an important part of the job. Some coaches treat it as a necessary evil. I think we have a responsibility. It’s like a company and a customer-base. They’re our customer base.
“They need to know who their coach is, and they need to feel good about their coach.”
Dooley’s appearance pleased hundreds of UT fans, many of whom waited in a long line for his signature or a quick picture with the boss. His message to the fans was simple.
“The biggest thing is that the future is in good hands and its being built on a solid foundation,” Dooley said. “Because it’s being built that way, it will be able to handle any bumps along the way.
“There’s also a reality of some concerns that can’t get fixed right away and that’s inexperience and a lack of depth.”
See Friday’s Times Free Press for more coverage. You can follow David Uchiyama on Twitter at twitter.com/UchSports