Unlike the last three coaches, the more I see of Pruitt the better I feel

[butchna]

If you wonder what happens behind the scenes, how can you be sure Pruitt despises Fulmer. Makes no sense to me. Pruitt, let's see what he can do. So far, it's been all talk just like the past 3 "coaches". I think many fans are like me. We're past the talk and looking for the walk. It's been 10 long years.

Pruitt played for Bama during the whole Albert Means recruitment scandal. The whole state sued Fulmer for supposedly turning them in to the NCAA. No doubt that the old coach was the subject of some disdain in the Pruitt household.

 

[orange parmejohn]

If you wonder what happens behind the scenes, how can you be sure Pruitt despises Fulmer. Makes no sense to me. Pruitt, let's see what he can do. So far, it's been all talk just like the past 3 "coaches". I think many fans are like me. We're past the talk and looking for the walk. It's been 10 long years.

Pruitt's father said they hated Tennessee before Pruitt got hired here. What coach doninated Bama and also turned them in for cheating?

 

[njvols]

The coach that immediately follows Saban is basically guaranteed to fail. Alabama fans have become so accustomed to either being in or winning a title every year that when the coach can't replicate that success, they will run him out of town.

Holly agrees with this post.

 

[njvols]

He will get us to the playoffs. He will beat Mullen, Muschamp, and Smart. When he does win championships here, Philip Fulmer will know what to do. Give him raises to keep him here. He has gotten the guys he wants for this year to start winning. He is already getting his guys set up for 2019. The ones that are here now, is getting bigger, stronger, and more physical. I wouldn’t be surprised to to see a physical team come Sept 1st. I also think that by weeks 2 and 3, we will be even more ready for the SEC and Florida. There is just something about this good feeling that I have coming right out of the bat this season. Yes, I read where someone called me an idiot for predicting 10 and 2 this year, and I feel it can be accomplished. I don’t know about you, but there is something good in the air this year, and it is setting up for some big surprises. Could be a special year, and we could be a Cinderella team, that no one is expecting. I’ve said it before, if I’m wrong, you can bash me for the rest of the year. I won’t run. I’ll take my lumps. 💥👍😇

I think in a few years, Pruitt/Smart will develop into the level of Fulmer/Spurrier of 1990's. UGA and Bama not going anywhere, but expect LSU to fall off, and Aub still inconsistent. Jimbo makes sense on paper @ TaM, but something about the high price tag, to me, says that won't end well if it doesn't pay off, out of the gate...kinda like the Knicks going "all in" on GM Phil Jackson, setting them back a decade. If we're in the top 3-4 every year, Fulmer will have made a great hire.

 

[General Jack]

There was an article earlier this year stating that very powerful donors to Alabama's program would never allow Pruitt to return because he became head coach of a bitter rival.

I'm surprised bammers still consider us a rival. We are to bama what Vandy was to us in the 1990s.

 

[trampas2bad]

He could solve the "being next head coach at Bama" thing by beating them three or four years in a row. Or maybe even once. They'd never forgive him for that; count on it. We'll know his heart if we ever find ourselves ahead and winning in a Bama game. If he holds back scoring to not embarrass them; he's someone else's man.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'm surprised bammers still consider us a rival. We are to bama what Vandy was to us in the 1990s.

The folks old enough to have seen the streaky way this series goes, they won't let the TSIO die. That includes folks on both sides. Yes, bammers, too.

I remember when Tennessee was up 7 or 8 in a row, or had won like 10 out of the previous 12, something like that. The thought "this is no longer a rivalry" never once crossed my mind.

I mean, it's the freakin' Third Saturday in October.

I can't imagine many football fans over the age of 25 or 30, who have been brought up in a Tennessee or Alabama household, would not think of it the same way.

Sure, it's streaky. And sure, right now the streak is running against us. But Bama fans know it'll turn again. So they're enjoying it while they can. Don't blame them.

But it will turn again. This too shall pass.

 

[1955bamavol]

Pruitt's father said they hated Tennessee before Pruitt got hired here. What coach doninated Bama and also turned them in for cheating?

And what actual evidence do you have that Pruitt's dad said they hated UT?

 

[sechamp2012]

I think in a few years, Pruitt/Smart will develop into the level of Fulmer/Spurrier of 1990's. UGA and Bama not going anywhere, but expect LSU to fall off, and Aub still inconsistent. Jimbo makes sense on paper @ TaM, but something about the high price tag, to me, says that won't end well if it doesn't pay off, out of the gate...kinda like the Knicks going "all in" on GM Phil Jackson, setting them back a decade. If we're in the top 3-4 every year, Fulmer will have made a great hire.

I hope not, Fulmer won 2 and Spurrier won 7 over their series. Don't think the base will be happy with a decade like that against Georgia.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I hope not, Fulmer won 2 and Spurrier won 7 over their series. Don't think the base will be happy with a decade like that against Georgia.

Minor correction: 3-7 was the Fulmer-Spurrier record. They played 10 times.

Fulmer was the acting head coach when we beat them in '92, while Majors was recovering from heart surgery. Because Majors went on to leave the program that year before the bowl game, and Fulmer became full-time head coach at that point, the 4 victories the team won under his leadership that season are widely credited to him as head coach. That includes the Florida game.

In short, '92 was a split season, with two head coaches both given credit for the games they led.

So...3-7. Not much better than 2-7, I know, but for accuracy's sake. :good!:

 

[Remy]

He could solve the "being next head coach at Bama" thing by beating them three or four years in a row. Or maybe even once. They'd never forgive him for that; count on it. We'll know his heart if we ever find ourselves ahead and winning in a Bama game. If he holds back scoring to not embarrass them; he's someone else's man.

<blue font> Yea that's why they never hired Saban for beating them while coaching the Bayou Bengals. Thank God we all dodged that bullet.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

He could solve the "being next head coach at Bama" thing by beating them three or four years in a row. Or maybe even once. They'd never forgive him for that; count on it. We'll know his heart if we ever find ourselves ahead and winning in a Bama game. If he holds back scoring to not embarrass them; he's someone else's man.

And I say "Why Not?". After all, my chances of making out with Heather Locklear are getting better by the day.

 

[Iam4utalways]

He could solve the "being next head coach at Bama" thing by beating them three or four years in a row. Or maybe even once. They'd never forgive him for that; count on it. We'll know his heart if we ever find ourselves ahead and winning in a Bama game. If he holds back scoring to not embarrass them; he's someone else's man.

I wanted us to score again against Fl in 2016.

 

[05_never_again]

I think the cornbread gif is probably a bigger positive to the program than the last three coaches combined.

Despite being a big Fulmer fan, I was decidedly unimpressed with the Pruitt hire. But by this time in their tenure Coach Freshwater and delivered the Pahokee Package, Dooley had washed us with Showergate and Butch was the ringleader in his circus of cliches. The flush of initial optimism (except Kiffin which was always going to end in disaster) once they reached campus, Stooley and Botch from the start were metriculating to the status of former head coaches in my eyes.

Maybe I started from from a different place with Pruitt but it's different this time. His "I will confront them" after the Orange and White Game is just light years from "Looking for Rommel" or 366, bricks, Life Champions. Recruiting looks poised in the right direction. I have more confidence the team will be SEC ready.

We got to see what happens on Fall Saturdays but for the first time in a decade a coach is not disappointing me moments after he arrives on campus.

That's some big time revisionist history. Seemingly everyone here and most of the fanbase got higher than a kite on Kiffin. The post-Fulmer coach that people were most skeptical about was Dooley.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

That's some big time revisionist history. Seemingly everyone here and most of the fanbase got higher than a kite on Kiffin. The post-Fulmer coach that people were most skeptical about was Dooley.

Yep. Mostly. I mean, not "higher than a kite," but not premonitions of disaster, either.

There was some wariness because of all the Al Davis / Oakland Raiders firing drama. But most folks thought Al Davis was nuts anyway, so that didn't cause too many warning lights.

Kiffin's arrival was largely met with raised eyebrows, shrugs, and "Ah, really? Okay, well screw it, let's see where this goes...could be good."

At least, that's what happened among my family and friends.

 

[05_never_again]

Yep. Mostly. I mean, not "higher than a kite," but not premonitions of disaster, either.

There was some wariness because of all the Al Davis / Oakland Raiders firing drama. But most folks thought Al Davis was nuts anyway, so that didn't cause too many warning lights.

Kiffin's arrival was largely met with raised eyebrows, shrugs, and "Ah, really? Okay, well screw it, let's see where this goes...could be good."

At least, that's what happened among my family and friends.

Nobody was worried about the Al Davis criticism. In fact, I thought it was a good thing, because Davis was so senile and crazy it would be bad if he thought Kiffin had done a good job or personally liked him.

People loved Kiffin at the time. He was the exact opposite of everything Fulmer was - young, brash, talked smack to our opponents, and appeared to recruit well. Everyone thought that Fulmer was stale and conservative (which he was) and Kiffin was a much-needed breath of fresh air. The irony now is 10 years later Fulmer is the breath of fresh air as AD, but I digress...

As that season went on, there were some ups (crushing Georgia, beating a ranked South Carolina team, almost beating #1 Alabama, holding our own against #1 Florida) and downs (losing to UCLA, getting destroyed by Ole Miss, getting smoked by VA Tech in the bowl), but I think people were generally optimistic about the future after that season.

One thing that I did believe, and I think most others did too, is that Kiffin probably wasn't going to be around very long (maybe 3-4 years) and he'd leave once his dad retired or a job he perceived to be better became available. But basically everybody was excited about him, myself included.

 

[1974Vol]

I'm with ya; only thing is I've heard multiple Bammer's that are thinking he will be their next HC, and one of those that stated this is related to Pruitt, and his parent's live In Rainsville AL.

Yeah following a legend worked out well for Ray Perkins and Bill Curry...:thud:

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Nobody was worried about the Al Davis criticism....

People loved Kiffin at the time. He was the exact opposite of everything Fulmer was....

...But basically everybody was excited about him, myself included.

You were clearly around a different set of folks than me.

Here are some of the ways we differed:

(1) folks around me mostly didn't want Fulmer gone. They wanted him to get his crap together, not be fired.
(2) so my friends and family, by and large, weren't looking for "the exact opposite of Fulmer."
(3) we neither loved nor hated Kiffin. The Al Davis thing was a bit cautionary for most of us, but not to over-state that.
(4) we were less happy than you with the Alabama game. Most folks in my crowd saw that as a loss that should've been a win. "Mount Cody" and all.
(5) we were eager to see where Kiffin could take us, but "eager" is the strongest word I could accurately use. "Excited" would be too strong.

So, clearly, your crowd and my crowd were different crowds.

 

[OneVolNation]

Yeah following a legend worked out well for Ray Perkins and Bill Curry...:thud:

Exactly. Following a legend is a mistake and it violates the 41st law of power.

"Law 41: Avoid stepping into a great man’s shoes."

- Robert Greene 48 Laws of Power

 

[orange parmejohn]

And what actual evidence do you have that Pruitt's dad said they hated UT?

He said it in an interview. He then said "but blood is thicker than water and we are all in." Or something to that effect.

 

[VolEngineer]

If you wonder what happens behind the scenes, how can you be sure Pruitt despises Fulmer. Makes no sense to me. Pruitt, let's see what he can do. So far, it's been all talk just like the past 3 "coaches". I think many fans are like me. We're past the talk and looking for the walk. It's been 10 long years.

Well considering Pruitt worked and was born in alabama where fulmer is generally disliked, I think it's a valid observation. He never said he despises him now. Do you like Steve Spurrier?

 

[Orangeredblooded]

Yep. Mostly. I mean, not "higher than a kite," but not premonitions of disaster, either.

There was some wariness because of all the Al Davis / Oakland Raiders firing drama. But most folks thought Al Davis was nuts anyway, so that didn't cause too many warning lights.

Kiffin's arrival was largely met with raised eyebrows, shrugs, and "Ah, really? Okay, well screw it, let's see where this goes...could be good."

At least, that's what happened among my family and friends.

JP, am I wrong (50 year old memory at work here), I thought I saw somewhere that at time, Kiffen basically promised Hamilton he would do what it took to take the Vols back to prominence if he was given the chance?

 

[Wylo]

Kiffin was the last time I had expectations for good things from a coach. We see how that turned out.

Not happy about or expecting much from this dude, but he's better than Schiano. So I guess there's that.....

 

[VFL-82-JP]

JP, am I wrong (50 year old memory at work here), I thought I saw somewhere that at time, Kiffen basically promised Hamilton he would do what it took to take the Vols back to prominence if he was given the chance?

Yes ma'am, I remember him telling the reporter that in an interview. That he'd said that to Hamilton when he was hired.

Your memory seems to be working fine, far as I can tell.

 

[Orangeredblooded]

Yes ma'am, I remember him telling the reporter that in an interview. That he'd said that to Hamilton when he was hired.

Your memory seems to be working fine, far as I can tell.

Thanks again, at my age, memory can and does fail at times.&#128513;