Tennessee
What Shea Ralph said about Justine Pissott’s first game against Tennessee after transfer
For Justine Pissott, Sunday marked her first return to Knoxville since she announced her transfer from Tennessee to Vanderbilt women’s basketball.
Pissott, the first player to ever transfer from the Lady Vols to the Commodores, played two games and left Tennessee after one season.
While she was a little-used bench player there, she was in the starting lineup for Sunday’s 73-64 Vanderbilt loss, even drawing boos from the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd when she was introduced.
Pissott opened each half with a 3-pointer, ultimately scoring nine points on 3-for-9 shooting and had three rebounds. She has started 17 of 20 games for the Commodores (17-3, 4-2 SEC) as they push to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade.
“I know it wasn’t easy for her,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said in the postgame news conference. “But I thought that she did some really great things today and she battled through and she fought and I also think the past is the past. . . .
“She’s here with us now. She’s playing in a gym that she used to practice in a lot and play in a lot. But this isn’t her school anymore. And I wanted her to look at it as a growing opportunity, where I’m sure she struggled at some points. But we’re really happy to have her . . . I was really really proud of her.”
At Tennessee in 2022-23, Pissott played seven minutes per game, averaging two points and one rebound and shooting 26% from beyond the arc. At Vanderbilt, she is averaging 21 minutes with seven points and two rebounds per game, shooting 36% from 3.
She had announced her transfer in May.
THE GAME Vanderbilt women’s basketball can’t counter late run in loss to Tennessee Lady Vols
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
Tennessee
Former Titans Coach Named Top Candidate for Jets
Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel remains a hot name, and he may have another head-coaching job as soon as next season.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently named a bunch of potential candidates for the New York Jets job in 2025, and Vrabel was at the top of his list.
“Mike Vrabel makes the most sense to me, mostly because he won’t stand down to an owner, and that’s exactly what the New York Jets need,” Breer wrote.
The problem with that is Jets owner Woody Johnson is known to be a meddler, so he a Vrabel-Johnson partnership may never actually come to fruition.
Still, Vrabel could end up being a perfect fit for the Jets from a stylistic perspective given that New York is built upon a strong defense.
It’s not the first time that Vrabel has been linked to Gang Green, either.
Vrabel actually did a very solid job during his time with the Titans, going 54-45 while making three playoff appearances—including a pair of AFC South titles—across five seasons.
Things went south over Vrabel’s final two years in Tennessee, with the Titans going just 13-21 during that span. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the problem was not with Vrabel.
Vrabel is currently serving as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns, but it seems like only a matter of time before he lands a better job elsewhere.
The 49-year-old also had a 14-year NFL playing career from 1997 through 2010, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and also made a Pro Bowl with the squad in 2007.
The Jets have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams this season, as they are just 3-8 in spite of having one of the most star-studded rosters in the sport.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Tennessee
Tennessee man convicted for Jan. 6 riot found guilty of plotting to kill FBI agents who investigated him
A Jan. 6 rioter who breached the U.S. Capitol was convicted of trying to have law enforcement personnel, including the FBI agents and employees who were investigating him, murdered, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Edward Kelley, 35, of Maryville, Tennessee, who was convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers and other crimes during the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing or retaliating against federal officials by threat.
The jury agreed on a verdict after an hour of deliberation following the three-day trial, WBIR-TV reported.
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Federal prosecutors at his trial in Knoxville, Tennessee, said Kelly developed a “kill list” of FBI agents and others who participated in the investigation into his conduct on Jan. 6 while awaiting trial for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
He distributed the list, as well as videos containing images of FBI employees identified on the list, to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission,” authorities said.
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Kelley’s co-defendant Austin Carter, who pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to kill FBI agents and is awaiting sentencing, testified that Kelly said he needed to “take out” the FBI. He said that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI Field Office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones.
He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
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Recording introduced by prosecutors showed Kelley directing the plan, and giving instructions to “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. He was also recorded stating: “Every hit has to hurt. Every hit has to hurt,” authorities said.
Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2025. He faces up to life in prison.
Tennessee
How Tennessee Makes The College Football Playoff
The Tennessee Volunteers are currently ranked 11th on the latest College Football Playoff rankings. However, because of automatic bids, if the College Football Playoff rankings were finalized today, Tennessee is the first team out, overlooked by the Big 12 champ and Boise State. Now, good news for the (10-2) Tennessee Volunteers, there’s still a way for them to make the CFP. Though, there are going to need some help.
Note: ESPN’s CFP Prediction Machine gives Tennessee an 88% chance to make the CFP if they simply win out.
Any regular season loss by a (2) loss SEC Team
Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia all share a two-loss record at this point in the season, and though Tennessee has a head-to-head win over Alabama, their pair of losses (Arkansas and Georgia) is deemed worse by the committee at this point in the rankings. Any loss by any of those three team would likely free Tennessee up for a entrance to the playoff.
Indiana Is Destroyed by Ohio State
Indiana is a threat to Tennessee at this point, and would be even at an (11-1) record with a presumed loss this weekend to Ohio State. However, if Indiana is blown out in the contest, they will more than likely drop behind Tennessee who has just UTEP and Vanderbilt left on the schedule. Indiana has one top-25 opponent all season, this weekend at Ohio State, if they are walked off the field, it will open Tennessee’s door.
Notre Dame Loses to Army or USC
It’s a long shot, Notre Dame is a heavy favorite in both football games… as they were against Northern Illinois — the 8th ranked team in the MAC. If Notre Dame were to drop another football game over the next two weeks, there’s a likelihood that Tennessee gets in the playoff.
Texas A&M Loses to Texas
If Texas A&M wins out, and has a top-3 win over the Texas Longhorns to end the regular season and goes onto the SEC Championship game, the committee has shown they have tremendous amounts of recency bias. A win-out situation for Texas A&M is something that the Vols should hope to avoid.
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