Vols historian envisions lucky season in 2017

Feeling lucky? Tennessee fan W. Lynn Hatcher is.

His sense of good fortune is founded in history. And he's all about history, especially as it relates to Tennessee football.

In fact, his recall of the best and worst times of Tennessee football is so comprehensive he's often introduced on local sports talk shows as "Tennessee historian W. Lynn."

That's not hyperbole. From just a microphone away, I've witnessed his historical prowess on the air. A former worker in the Tennessee sports information office, Hatcher isn't flippant with his facts. As much as he remembers, he's often armed with notebooks and reference books just in case his memory fails him.

One of his reference books is so large I developed a hernia just by looking it.

Hatcher doesn't need a reference book to tell you why he feels lucky. As anyone capable of reading a calendar knows, this is an odd-numbered year.

And odd-numbered years are good for Tennessee football. They're even better for Tennessee coaches.

"No Tennessee coach has ever been fired in an odd-numbered season," Hatcher proclaims.

Too bad Hatcher hasn't shared that good news on social media. Tennessee coach Butch Jones and the staff would be more than happy to retweet the message.

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Cyberspace might as well be outer space to Hatcher. He's antisocial when it comes to social media. His idea of "Googling" is flipping through reference books that could break a toe if they fell on it.

But I trust him when it comes to UT football. He's so astute on the subject he finds errors in the media guide.

I'm not that astute, and – without his reference material in reach – am forced to rely on the latest media guide. Not surprisingly, it backed up his odd-year assessment. Tennessee coaches have left during even years, but they weren't fired.

Derek Dooley (2012), Phillip Fulmer (2008), Johnny Majors (1992) and Bill Battle (1976) were all fired. So were Bowden Wyatt (1962) and Harvey Robinson (1954).

On the flip side, good things often have happened in odd-numbered years for the Vols. Years ending in "7" have been especially good recently.

UT's last SEC East title came in 2007. In 1997, the Vols won the SEC championship. In 1987, they went 10-2-1. The 1977 season, Majors' first, was a rebuilding year. In 1967, Tennessee won the SEC championship.

As Hatcher points out, the 1990s were an exception to the rule. The Vols often were just as good in even-numbered years. And, of course, they went unbeaten and won the national championship in 1998.

No. 1 doesn't come to mind as Tennessee approaches the upcoming season. But for a Tennessee historian – and a coach on the hot seat – 2017 has to be a reassuring number. 

Reach John Adams at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @johnadamskns.

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