Why Cutcliffe embraced job with the SEC
David Cutcliffe's job title with the SEC seems plucked from an episode of “The Office.”
That's what Cutcliffe's son, Chris, told him.
The SEC in March hired Cutcliffe as a special assistant to the commissioner for football relations after his more than 40 years in coaching.
“It sounds a little bit like Dwight Schrute's title, doesn't it? That's immediately what my son sent me when he saw it,” Cutcliffe said when we spoke last week.
Schrute, in the popular television sitcom, is the assistant to the regional manager (not to be confused with assistant regional manager).
Although Cutcliffe's job is new terrain for the former Duke and Ole Miss coach and longtime Tennessee assistant, he's still trying to affect positive experiences through football and strong relationships.
Cutcliffe has conversed with each of the SEC'S coaches by phone since joining the league office, and he met with several face-to-face throughout spring practice.
His goal is to help foster unity within the conference at a time when college athletics' rapid evolution is causing fractures.
“It starts just by building a trust relationship,” Cutcliffe said. “It's an interesting time, as we all know, in college football, and I think communication is difficult right now anyway, with as many moving parts that NIL and the transfer portal have brought about.
“The head football coach is the center of a lot of communication in that regard, whether they want to be or not. Hopefully, I can support them … as well as supporting and hopefully continuing to grow the Southeastern Conference as
help them return to the state tournament for the first time since the 2017 season. Regardless of Houston's youth, there's confidence this season. They not only ended the five-year drought away from Murfreesboro, but can get the school's third state championship — first since 2005 — and return to the state championship game for the first time since 2014.
The best part is regardless of what happens, most of the team will be back next year with more confidence.
But next year doesn't matter yet. The Mustangs are still playing and they are guaranteed to play at least through Friday.
With a region championship on the line against Collierville on Wednesday, the Mustangs have their sights on putting the last Collierville game behind them.
“I like our chances in any doubleelimination tournament,” Day said. “Wednesday's going to be a fun game. Whatever happens, happens. Either way, you've still gotta win Friday night and that's what we're trying to get past.
“If we do that, I feel really good about our chances at winning it all.”
Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.