Big Orange Sunday

Cumulus Sports
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Former University of Tennessee coordinator Doug Mathews brings you the latest news and analysis every weekend on 104-5 The Zone. Find the show LIVE every Sunday morning at 8 AM and check out the full podcast right here every weekend.

  1. HACE 3 DÍAS

    BIG ORANGE SUNDAY 05-10-26

    Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! Happy Mother's Day, Vol Nation. In this special holiday edition, host and former Tennessee defensive coordinator Doug Mathews takes a deep dive into the wild, ever-changing world of Vols football recruiting. A huge focus of the show is how head coach Josh Heupel is juggling an estimated $40 million personnel budget, especially when it comes to landing elite quarterbacks. Doug breaks down the tough financial decisions the staff has to make: do you invest heavily in unproven high school prospects, or do you shell out top dollar—potentially up to $5 million—for proven veterans in the transfer portal? He also maps out the three critical recruiting battlegrounds Tennessee absolutely has to dominate to stay competitive in the SEC: locking down their home state, hitting Georgia hard, and grabbing top talent out of North Carolina. Moving beyond the recruiting trail, the guys take some time to celebrate the massive improvements on the defensive side of the ball, giving major props to the disciplined, fundamentally sound culture the coaching staff has built. Later in the show, veteran sports reporter Jimmy Hyams dials in—even while recovering from rotator cuff surgery!—to shift the conversation from the gridiron to the diamond. Doug and Jimmy give a full rundown of Tennessee's baseball season, break down the recent series against Texas, and look ahead at where the team sits for the NCAA tournament. To round out this jam-packed weekend review of Vols athletics, they also touch on the softball team's early, unexpected exit from the SEC tournament. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 h

  2. HACE 3 DÍAS

    BOS - Jimmy Hyams 5-10-26

    Coach and Jimmy Hyams focuses on the current momentum and future outlook of Tennessee Volunteers athletics, specifically highlighting the baseball team's recent success against third-ranked Texas and their path toward the NCAA tournament. The discussion transitions to the softball program's postseason standing, noting that despite an early exit from the SEC Tournament, their high RPI and projected eighth seed may still allow them to host a Super Regional. Additionally, the segment previews the historic 2026 football schedule, which features an unprecedented five home conference games against high-profile opponents like Alabama and LSU, while reflecting on the program's significant statistical turnaround under head coach Josh Heupel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min

  3. HACE 3 DÍAS

    BOS-Coach Mathews Talks The Art Of Recruiting

    Coach Mathews analyzes the modern landscape of college football recruitment, comparing the process to a family budget where Coach Josh Heupel must prioritize high-value positions like the "trigger man" at quarterback. With an estimated personnel budget of $40 million—funded by revenue sharing, third-party deals, and NIL—the program faces high costs, such as $5 million to $6 million for elite transfer quarterbacks versus approximately $1 million for top high school recruits. Following an NFL-style spending model, Mathews identifies offensive tackles and wide receivers as primary offensive priorities, while defensive spending should focus on edge rushers, cornerbacks to counter spread offenses, and versatile linebackers. He emphasizes that Tennessee’s championship success relies on a "three pillars" regional strategy, requiring the coaching staff to saturate and dominate talent in Tennessee, Georgia (specifically Atlanta), and Western North Carolina, noting that 30 key players on the 2026 roster hail from these areas. Ultimately, Mathews expresses strong confidence in Heupel’s leadership, citing his 45-20 record and elite quarterback development as evidence of a program that has significantly improved in athleticism and defensive coaching compared to the combined 73-75 record of his four predecessors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min

  4. 3 MAY

    BIG ORANGE SUNDAY 5-3-26

    Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! This week, Coach Doug Matthews takes a deep dive into the evolving landscape of Tennessee football, looking at how the program is navigating the modern challenges of NIL and the transfer portal. The conversation highlights the importance of keeping top-tier talent close to home by recruiting heavily in Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas, while also emphasizing the personal role coaches play in supporting their players off the field. Later in the show, Jimmy Hyams joins the booth to break down the latest news across the Vols' baseball, softball, and basketball programs, giving you a full look at everything happening in the world of Big Orange athletics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 h

  5. 3 MAY

    BOS - Jimmy Hyams 5-3-26

    Coach and Jimmy Hyams takes a look back on the 2025-2026 athletic year for the University of Tennessee. reflecting on how the year was successful in many ways but faced its challenges in some areas, specifically football and baseball.  mentioning how both football and baseball went through transitions in coaches and faced difficulty in finding their rhythm on the field. They also touch on the changing landscape of college sports, specifically name, image, and likeness (NIL) and revenue sharing, as well as the impact these changes have on university athletic programs and facilities. The conversation also highlights the success of some programs, such as women’s golf winning the SEC tournament for the first time in school history, and the softball team ranking number eight in the country. Overall, the segment provides a detailed overview of the athletic year for the University of Tennessee and how it navigated the challenges and successes across various sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min

  6. 3 MAY

    Coach Mathews Talks The Art Of Recruiting

    Doug Mathews discussing the multifaceted "art of recruiting" in the modern college football landscape. Mathews highlights that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, but notes how significantly the process has evolved due to the transfer portal, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collectives, and advanced scouting technologies like Hudl. He explains the strategic "roster management" phase currently underway at the University of Tennessee, where coaches evaluate their depth charts, subtract graduating seniors, and identify critical positional needs—such as safety—for the 2027 class. Mathews also emphasizes the human element of the profession, arguing that a coach's job is to support players through "problem times," such as homesickness or personal struggles, to fulfill the promises made to families during the recruitment process. He concludes by detailing the strategic importance of "proximity recruiting," noting that while Tennessee's traditional foundations in Georgia and Western North Carolina remain vital, the explosive growth of high school talent in Middle Tennessee (specifically Williamson and Rutherford counties) has become a primary advantage for Coach Josh Heupel’s staff. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min

  7. 26 ABR

    BIG ORANGE SUNDAY 4-26-26

    In this episode of Big Orange Sunday, host Coach Doug Mathews takes listeners into "Realville" to analyze the shifting landscape of University of Tennessee football following the conclusion of spring practice. Mathews details the impact of the new 105-scholarship limit and predicts that the transfer portal will likely lead to an annual roster turnover of approximately 40%. He notes that the 2026 squad currently features only 18 players in their final year of eligibility, while the program is simultaneously breaking records by offering 18 in-state high school prospects for the 2027 recruiting class. The discussion also looks ahead to a favorable 2026 home schedule that includes high-stakes matchups against Alabama, Florida, and LSU at Neyland Stadium. The episode continues with veteran journalist Jimmy Hyams, who provides a comprehensive update on the success of Tennessee’s spring sports. They celebrate a historic milestone for the Lady Vols golf team, which captured its first-ever SEC Championship after entering the tournament as an underdog. Hyams also recaps the 2026 NFL Draft, highlighting the five Volunteers selected—including Jermod McCoy to the Raiders and Colton Hood—as part of a record-breaking year that saw 87 SEC players drafted. Finally, the segment touches on the diamond sports’ performance against Alabama and the basketball program's roster adjustments following Nate Ament's NBA Draft declaration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 h

  8. 26 ABR

    Church Segment - Coach Mathews Talks Realville

    This segment of Big Orange Sunday dives into the concept of "Realville," exploring the current state and future of the University of Tennessee’s football program as the spring evaluation period concludes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
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Former University of Tennessee coordinator Doug Mathews brings you the latest news and analysis every weekend on 104-5 The Zone. Find the show LIVE every Sunday morning at 8 AM and check out the full podcast right here every weekend.

Información

  • Canal
    Cumulus Sports
  • Creador
    104.5 The Zone | Cumulus Media Nashville
  • Años de actividad
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodios
    100
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © 2026 104.5 The Zone
  • Mostrar sitio web
    Big Orange Sunday

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