Cutcliffe 'not closing any doors' on possible Tennessee job

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) David Cutcliffe has been suffering through Tennessee&#39;s season like most Volunteer fans. He could be the one who coach Phillip Fulmer asks to help him fix the problems.<br> <br> Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator at Tennessee under Fulmer from 1993-98 before he left to be head coach at Mississippi. He moved back to Knoxville this year, and many speculate he is the top candidate to return to his old job and replace Randy Sanders, who resigned on Monday.<br> <br> No official job offer has been made, Cutcliffe and Fulmer said Tuesday.<br> <br> ``Hypothetically if something happens, sure, I&#39;m not closing any doors on that because I love the University of Tennessee and everything about it and love that football program. That is something that certainly would interest anybody because it&#39;s a great, great football program,&#39;&#39; Cutcliffe told The Associated Press in a phone interview.<br> <br> Cutcliffe said his main goal is to be a head coach again. He sympathizes with the Vols&#39; season. They fell to 3-4 with a loss last week to South Carolina, their third in a row.<br> <br> ``I&#39;ve lived that pain and rather recently things finding a way to blow up in your face,&#39;&#39; he said. ``It&#39;s difficult to watch that when it&#39;s people you care about. You wish you could call them up and give them the answer. It&#39;s not that simple.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Cutcliffe was fired after the Rebels finished 4-7 last season and was hired to be on Charlie Weis&#39; staff at Notre Dame. But Cutcliffe resigned this summer a few months after having triple bypass heart surgery because he didn&#39;t feel like he had fully recovered.<br> <br> Cutcliffe, 51, his wife, Karen, and children Chris, Katie and Emily then moved to Knoxville.<br> <br> Karen Cutcliffe is from Knoxville and was named teacher of the year by the Downtown Rotary Club for Knox County in 1991. Their son is a student manager on the Tennessee football team.<br> <br> Cutcliffe has remained involved in Tennessee football by appearing weekly on radio sports talk shows and visiting practice. He was on the field last Saturday for the ceremony to retire Peyton Manning&#39;s No. 16. Cutcliffe coached Manning and his younger brother, Eli, at Ole Miss.<br> <br> Cutcliffe, an Alabama graduate, joined the Tennessee staff in 1982 after being head coach at Banks High School in Birmingham, Ala.<br> <br> Sanders, who was a Tennessee quarterback while Fulmer and Cutcliffe were coaches, was promoted to offensive coordinator when Cutcliffe left.<br> <br> ``My role and my concern right now is as a friend to Randy and Phillip. That&#39;s what my role has been to be a sounding board and be there. My first concern is Randy Sanders as a person. I don&#39;t think people realize how close we are,&#39;&#39; Cutcliffe said.<br> <br> ``I think about Randy and his family. I know all his family. That&#39;s the No. 1 issue I&#39;m focused on at this time. All those other bridges need to be crossed later on.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Fulmer said Tuesday he had not talked to Cutcliffe yet about the job but expected he would ``at an appropriate time when we get things going better and I have time to think through it.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Cutcliffe said his plan is to see what head coach jobs might be open and who would be interested in him.<br> <br> ``I don&#39;t have a job offer here or anywhere else at this time,&#39;&#39; he said. ``I&#39;ve said all along and this is not to be arrogant but my preference is to try to become a head coach again. ... I&#39;m trying to gather information and try to see what my opportunities might be and then beyond that is pure speculation and everybody speculates this situation at Tennessee.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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