It all depends on your definition for "building a program".
Majors took 9 seasons to win SEC.
Fulmer took 5 seasons to win SEC, 6 to win BCS.
Saban won SEC West in 2nd yr at Bama, SEC & BCS in 3rd year - only Urban @ UF and tOSU is in the same category.
What is the expectation @ Tennessee for a program that has arrived?
IMO it means top 25 every year, top 10 every other year, win sec east every 3rd or 4th yr, win sec 1-2 times per decade, compete for national championship (i.e. Playoffs) 1-2 times per decade.
Not kidding
They helped recruit just as much as the staff
Do you not remember all the twitter noise from guys like Wharton, McKenzie, the Berry's?
People are embarrassing themselves when they make comparisons to Saban/Dantonio at Michigan State. Even after all these years they still can't recruit with us. Literally the only advantage they have over Tennessee is in the coaching department.
The selling point that Butch had was to put Tennessee back on the map. And to be part of that process and foundation.
Now that we are back on the map, he has got to sell himself, championships, and TN to the recruits.
Every SEC team can say:
Play for the best conference.
We are a gateway to the NFL.
TV exposure.
Tradition
Only the Vols can say:
Win a championship for the Vols and you become a Tennessee State Hero.
Come play in the largest stadium in the SEC.
There is no lack of passion for any fan base in the SEC except for Vandy and Kentucky and maybe now Mizzou.
Go Vols!
You're missing the point, nobody ever compare Tennessee to MSU. They had to rebuild completely rebuild. It took Saban 5 years just to get 8 wins, the reason why? He was early in his career. Look how quick Dantonio did it. Won 9 games in year 2.
Here's a challenge for you. Name as many coaches that you can that won a Natty in their first 9 years of being a HC(there's not a lot) Then, after you find all them, figure out how many of them have been a bust. Like Coker or Chizik. Since you think HC's just win natty's so quickly in their career now.
Early in his career? That's your theory?
Most coaches don't win national titles in like year 3 of being a coach because most coaches start out at minor programs where that's not possible and then work their way up. Harbaugh went 11-1 in year 2 (and year 3) of being a HC, but he was at San Diego. Urban Meyer went 12-0 in year 4, but he was at Utah so no title. It's not like it took those guys a decade to learn how to win.
It also helps that many of these coaches step into situations where the pieces of the puzzle are there. They're great coaches, but great coaches with bad players still lose. More, I'm not sure they start with a roster as bad as ours and end up any better off than we currently are.
I need to mix a "prediction" into this thread....
We go 10-2 regular season losing @ TAMU and home vs Bama. We lose SECCG and win bowl game finishing 11-3.
People will still say that opportunity is nowhere.
It also helps that many of these coaches step into situations where the pieces of the puzzle are there. They're great coaches, but great coaches with bad players still lose. More, I'm not sure they start with a roster as bad as ours and end up any better off than we currently are.
The ol' "Harbaugh/Saban wouldn't do any better than Butch has." I thought we retired this
not as long as you bring up irrelevant crap about Harbaugh at San Diego. You don't take in to account that he was coaching in a league where most of the players are equal in talent. When he went to Stanford, he improved every year, but it was not as sudden as it was as it was at San Diego. I would venture to say that his trajectory was similar to the trajectory that we are on now.
If you think that was irrelevant, you clearly don't understand the conversation we were having. But you're comparing Tennessee to the 1-11 Stanford team Harbaugh inherited, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised.
You're missing the point, nobody ever compare Tennessee to MSU. They had to rebuild completely rebuild. It took Saban 5 years just to get 8 wins, the reason why? He was early in his career. Look how quick Dantonio did it. Won 9 games in year 2.
Here's a challenge for you. Name as many coaches that you can that won a Natty in their first 9 years of being a HC(there's not a lot) Then, after you find all them, figure out how many of them have been a bust. Like Coker or Chizik. Since you think HC's just win natty's so quickly in their career now.