Before David Cutcliffe arrived in Durham in 2008, previous head coach Ted Roof had accumulated a 4-42 record, including a winless season in 2006.
Winning at Duke in 2007 seemed about as likely as man landing on the moon in the 1869.
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But Cutcliffe has done the impossible at a school known for its basketball program. He not only turned the Blue Devils into a respectable foe on the field, but also led them to an unprecedented four straight bowl games from 2012 to 2015.
To put that into better perspective: Duke had only been to eight total bowl games since first fielding a team in 1922.
With success and program turnarounds comes attention and offers from higher-profile football schools.
One such school that supposedly showed interest in Cutcliffe was Tennessee back in 2010. It made sense considering he'd spent two separate stints with the Vols from 1982-1998 and 2006-2007. The speculation got hot and heavy after Lane Kiffin bailed on the Volunteers for USC after the 2009 season.
When asked on Wednesday's ACC media conference call if he was offered the Tennessee gig seven years ago, the Duke head coach said, "I never let it get to that point. I had other opportunities at other places I've kept quiet. I think I've got the best job in America, and I mean that. I'm not just saying that. We really haven't entertained anything else."
Cutcliffe also provided one of the conference call's funniest moments when asked what his thoughts would have been 10 years ago if someone had told him he'd still be coaching the Blue Devils today.
"Well, I would have said, 'I hope so.' But I don't think you would bet on it. But it's been a great place to be and it's going to be a great place to be."
The Blue Devils will look to return to the post-season after last year's 4-8 campaign. They open the season with three straight Saturday home games with matchups against North Carolina Central, Northwestern, and Baylor.
