Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

[Smokeytom]

Firing people is not UT's Achilles heel. For the most part, the people who were fired either weren't doing their job or weren't right for the job, and replacing them should have been good for the university and the program. Bad timing and hiring bad replacements-- that's the root cause of UT's continual decline. Making the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over again led us to where we are.

How do you not fire coaches when they are literally asking out and looking around lmao

 

[InVOLuntary]

We’re just going to have to overpay. We’ve done it on the backend already with Pruitt’s staff and the football support staff. Let’s do it on the front end next time with the head coach.

I should have used blue font. I've said all along it's going to take a bunch of money to get out of this mess.

 

[HankHill]

Firing people is not UT's Achilles heel. For the most part, the people who were fired either weren't doing their job or weren't right for the job, and replacing them should have been good for the university and the program. Bad timing and hiring bad replacements-- that's the root cause of UT's continual decline. Making the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over again led us to where we are.

Yea and the whole thing is... if at any point you made “the right hire” nothing else would matter. Tennessee is so powerful from a brand and resources standpoint that it elevates poor coaches to the point where they look good.

I just want to see us hire a proven good coach and let the Tennessee branded take them from good to great. Not mediocre to okay.

 

[LA Vol]

How do you not fire coaches when they are literally asking out and looking around lmao

When guys want out, it's not hard to work a deal behind-the-scenes and backchannel a list. Coaches have figured out pretty quickly that the UT job is too big for them-- generally before the fans.

 

[Kingston Vol]

I should have used blue font. I've said all along it's going to take a bunch of money to get out of this mess.

Ah, gotcha.

I said it in another thread but there’s a long history of good coaches who wanted this job and we simply didn’t hire them. Our administration has prioritized being clever and finding the next up-and-comer instead of hiring the boring coach best suited to win football games.

I’m tired of trying to outsmart everyone. I’m tired of looking for ceiling or upside. Let’s hire a good coach and win more games than we lose for a while.

 

[volatil]

I’m just ready for basketball. Not surprised by any of this. I used to be down and hurt after losses. Now I find myself expecting losses. It’s like I sit down to take my beating each week.

 

[Kingston Vol]

When guys want out, it's not hard to work a deal behind-the-scenes and backchannel a list. Coaches have figured out pretty quickly that the UT job is too big for them-- generally before the fans.

Hart was too afraid to make a deal with Dooley when he wanted out and that killed us.

There were some rumors Butch could’ve had the North Carolina job after 2016 but that ultimately didn’t happen. I don’t know the true validity of those rumors either. I kept hoping something in the Big 10 would open up so he could sell it as a better job to himself.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

It’s crazy though. Brian Kelly makes less than Pruitt, gave Georgia all they could handle.

Pruitt was the 26th highest paid coach last year. I guess what confuses me is the casual fan could see the sort of issues coming with this hire.

Butch is honestly the only “on paper” hire that at least seemed like a good one. And he did have 2 8 win seasons, just fell apart.

Like who sees Kiffin, Dooley, or Pruitt and really thinks “next Fulmer boys!”

We need more analytics with future hiring, this “good old boy” list cause someone likes him obviously ain’t working.

 

[TrueVolsGBOInsider]

Well, some here wouldn’t even take Urban because “he’s a douche”

It boils down to ethics, and urban has zero.

 

[HankHill]

It’s crazy though. Brian Kelly makes less than Pruitt, gave Georgia all they could handle.

Pruitt was the 26th highest paid coach last year. I guess what confuses me is the casual fan could see the sort of issues coming with this hire.

Butch is honestly the only “on paper” hire that at least seemed like a good one. And he did have 2 8 win seasons, just fell apart.

Like who sees Kiffin, Dooley, or Pruitt and really thinks “next Fulmer boys!”

We need more analytics with future hiring, this “good old boy” list cause someone likes him obviously ain’t working.

Good ol boy and familiarity hires often times leads to total failure.

Gotta get out of your comfort zone and explore all different backgrounds and philosophies in terms of coaches.

Except the option. If we ever run the triple option i will be out forever.

 

[Dudley Smith]

Firing people is not UT's Achilles heel. For the most part, the people who were fired either weren't doing their job or weren't right for the job, and replacing them should have been good for the university and the program. Bad timing and hiring bad replacements-- that's the root cause of UT's continual decline. Making the same mistakes over and over and over and over and over again led us to where we are.

That’s also the problem with cutting Pruitt loose at this point. Do you have any confidence whatsoever in the UT Administration to get it right this time? Is the 5th time going to be the charm?

 

[LA Vol]

Hart was too afraid to make a deal with Dooley when he wanted out and that killed us.

There were some rumors Butch could’ve had the North Carolina job after 2016 but that ultimately didn’t happen. I don’t know the true validity of those rumors either. I kept hoping something in the Big 10 would open up so he could sell it as a better job to himself.

Yep, not having a succession plan for Dooley was the tipping point. Hart was a terrible AD. I don't think he cared one bit about UT.

 

[InVOLuntary]

When guys want out, it's not hard to work a deal behind-the-scenes and backchannel a list. Coaches have figured out pretty quickly that the UT job is too big for them-- generally before the fans.

I think Pruitt is in shock right now to some degree. He may want out himself at the end of the season.

 

[BruinVol]

Yep, not having a succession plan for Dooley was the tipping point. Hart was a terrible AD. I don't think he cared one bit about UT.

I see a pattern

Bama Dave and Bama Pruitt

 

[nicksjuzunk]

There’s one thing that I’ve been thinking about that we haven’t really discussed here. The new board. I watched Fulmer’s presentation to the board I think a few months ago now and no way do I think he prepared them for what we’re seeing right now. I did think he was trying to set the bar sort of low but there’s no way our current performance comes anywhere close to the expectations he presented.

I know the board shuffle was orchestrated by the Haslams. What I don’t know is whether or not the Haslams will try to make a move in our current circumstances.

I was thinking about Ed Orgeron’s path to success at LSU. He had 3 seasons at Ole Miss where he won 10 games and lost 25 (3-21 in conference play). Then he took over for the fired Kiffin and went 6-2 as the interim HC at USC. He took over for Les Miles at LSU and finished that season with a 6-2 record. The next year he went 9-4 then last year 10-3 and is sitting at 4-0 so far this year. He said his first gig at Ole Miss he was a micromanager, my words not his. He said he learned a lot from that experience and apparently now hires good people and lets them do their jobs.

Derek Dooley said he learned a lot about himself and the job in looking back on his experience at Tennessee. Lane has said similar things. Butch appears to still be a bit vindictive. Pruitt is in his first job as a head coach and if history is any guide, he may not really learn the things he needs to learn until after we fire him and only then if he chooses not to be vindictive. jmo.

Tired of teaching our former coaches life lessons on our dime as we continue to languish at Rocky Bottom

 

[gunner]

Probably going 2-10 without a serviceable QB.

 

[tnmarktx]

It’s crazy though. Brian Kelly makes less than Pruitt, gave Georgia all they could handle.

Pruitt was the 26th highest paid coach last year. I guess what confuses me is the casual fan could see the sort of issues coming with this hire.

Butch is honestly the only “on paper” hire that at least seemed like a good one. And he did have 2 8 win seasons, just fell apart.

Like who sees Kiffin, Dooley, or Pruitt and really thinks “next Fulmer boys!”

We need more analytics with future hiring, this “good old boy” list cause someone likes him obviously ain’t working.

I'd add to this, modern football had left Fulmer in the past. Urban Myer was a big reason for Fulmer losing his job. Even Saban has realized that modern high powered offensive football is the way to go. Go check their offensive play calling and see how many times they go under center.

 

[BruinVol]

I’m ready for Fulmer to take over. Keep Cheney, Neids and Tee on offense. Keep Ansley to run the D and clean the rest out

 

[GoBigOrangeUT]

Are JG/Maurer this years Worley/Dobbs? The situations are strikingly similar. We can only hope the outcome is the same.

 

[BruinVol]

I'd add to this, modern football had left Fulmer in the past. Urban Myer was a big reason for Fulmer losing his job. Even Saban has realized that modern high powered offensive football is the way to go. Go check their offensive play calling and see how many times they go under center.

Not fair to say that about Fulmer. He made that change by going to clawson and it got him fired

 

[LA Vol]

That’s also the problem with cutting Pruitt loose at this point. Do you have any confidence whatsoever in the UT Administration to get it right this time? Is the 5th time going to be the charm?

It's not the same administration. Top-down, the president, chancellor, board and AD are all different. Even the assistants are different. UT completely wiped the slate, which is rare. So when people criticize the past admin, they're criticizing an entity that no longer exists.

I think we have good people running UT now. But I don't think anybody at UT is ready to fire Pruitt this year. Things can-- and do-- change, but Randy Boyd and Fulmer reiterate that everybody's going to work together to get this right.

 

[tnmarktx]

I’m ready for Fulmer to take over. Keep Cheney, Neids and Tee on offense. Keep Ansley to run the D and clean the rest out

I actually hope you get your wish, you need to be taught a lesson.

 

[BruinVol]

I actually hope you get your wish, you need to be taught a lesson.

Would teaching me a lesson include a six game stretch like we have just witnessed?

 

[gunner]

They gave up when they didnt take TOs at the end of the 1st half and GAVE away a possession. Makes zero sense. EVERY possession has a point value, you never give those up unless youre playing scared af. Dooley level pathetic

Completely agree, can’t let that mentality continue. Vols need to go find a real HC that won’t quit.

 

[tnmarktx]

I’m ready for Fulmer to take over. Keep Cheney, Neids and Tee on offense. Keep Ansley to run the D and clean the rest out

I actually hope you get your wish, you need to be taught a lesson.

Would teaching me a lesson include a six game stretch like we have just witnessed?

Following your instruction would lead to nothing but losing seasons for the foreseeable future for Tennessee. I really don't get the fascination of Phil Fulmer, Tee Martin, etc... If we want to completely kill the program, let's just keep on making the same mistakes.