There was an exchange between Rob Lewis and Coach Pruitt after the Bama game that is interesting...

[Orange_Crush]

Pruitt's answer does not make a lot of sense. Pruitt's answer tells me that the way in which he frames his approach to coaching is built upon an outdated mindset where we value seniority over ability and talent. when you look at the programs that are winning consistently, they have accelerated or abandoned this old fashioned notion, which I would maintain relies upon the old rules that A - students commit to a school, cannot transfer, and persist to graduation, and B - transfer students is a rarity and not dignified. You have to earn your playing time.

This framework for understanding coaching in the SEC will result in Pruitt circling back to DC job in a few years.

That's not what he said.

At all.

 

[4chrissy]

Yeah, he brought back JG... after Maurer got hurt. This fan conspiracy stuff is goofy.

Maybe so, but what else could explain why he has continued to start JG and didn’t take the time to develop anybody else? COVID is not an excuse, he has had no urgency to replace JG and seems very intent on continuing the train wreck.

 

[4chrissy]

Players practicing great but playing poorly in games are definitely more common that players poorly practicing but they perform well In games

After a couple of games, good coaches recognize that and try something new. We however are stuck in the mud on this one and continue to hear how he killed it in practice.

 

[m1al]

Players practicing great but playing poorly in games are definitely more common that players poorly practicing but they perform well In games

How would you know? Apparently they don't play if they practice poorly....

 

[GAVol]

Maybe so, but what else could explain why he has continued to start JG and didn’t take the time to develop anybody else? COVID is not an excuse, he has had no urgency to replace JG and seems very intent on continuing the train wreck.

Seriously? No Spring practice. 20 of 45 Summer practices canceled. Contact tracing constantly had WRs and Harrison Bailey sidelined. Brian Maurer slowed by a hamstring.

I get the frustration. JG hasn’t been stellar. But it’s nuts to act like there arent other issues at play here. Plus, there’s the difficult to accept possibility... the other guys just might not have been that impressive so far.

 

[GAVol]

How would you know? Apparently they don't play if they practice poorly....

Is that a surprise?

 

[4chrissy]

Isn’t preventing other SEC coaches from getting their teams ready. Any of the other QBs wouldn’t have to be very impressive to win the job.

 

[ShoalCreekVol]

Like any good head coach or leader knows, the results speak for themselves over time. His results are embarrassing and completely counter to the goal. Therefore, it only makes sense for him to try something different instead of doubling down on his "philosophy."

His philosophy has clearly failed. Throw it out and learn from the successful.

 

[m1al]

Is that a surprise?

I actually didn't mean to point that directly at him.. I should've used 'we" instead of 'you'... Sort of a question for the whole class...

 

[GAVol]

Isn’t preventing other SEC coaches from getting their teams ready. Any of the other QBs wouldn’t have to be very impressive to win the job.

We were hit as hard as anybody by Covid cancellations. We literally couldn’t have played if the season started 2 weeks earlier...and your second sentence provides a possible conclusion.

This isn’t a defense of JG’s play or backing Pruitt no matter what. I just think the notion that the next guy must be better is typical fan stuff

 

[roberthunter]

Some guys are gamers and some guys aren't. We've had multiple coaches in a row now who refuse to admit this and it is a problem.

The flip just doesn't switch for some people until it's "real." That doesn't necessarily mean they're lazy at practice, just that they're able to use the intensity of real competition to elevate their performance. And of course the flip side of that is true as well. Some guys do worse under the pressure of gamedays.

Of course practice should matter, but coaches should also trust their eyes on Saturdays.

 

[chuck0303]

Wasn't that one of the criticisms of Fulmer too? That he would play a senior over a soph regardless?

Yes.

 

[4chrissy]

We were hit as hard as anybody by Covid cancellations. We literally couldn’t have played if the season started 2 weeks earlier...and your second sentence provides a possible conclusion.

This isn’t a defense of JG’s play or backing Pruitt no matter what. I just think the notion that the next guy must be better is typical fan stuff

Pruitt had had enough time to do at least 1 of the 4 things in his time at Tennessee:
1) get JG game ready
2) develop a reliable backup QB
3) recruit a developed Juco or transfer QB
4) recognize JG is not the answer

This isn’t about COVID and practice time being cut short this year. My frustration goes back to what he wasn’t doing all offseason after he saw JG and his ups and downs last season. We should’ve been ready and prepared for this situation.

 

[chuck0303]

He said it wasn't about who's bigger or stronger, its about who practices the best, understands the game plan and can execute the best. Regardless of class. Wants started as a true freshman last year. Was there no upperclassmen on the OL. It's not making sense for some because you don't like the fact that JG still starts. What part of he gives us the best chance to win don't you understand? We all want to win and be a successful tip tier program and I know JG isn't the best. It's hard to believe no one has stepped up in practice enough to unseat him. It speaks to preparation, covid, and the overall understanding of the offense and where to go with the ball. I know JG isn't a gamer, but it doesn't look like the others practice very well to take the spot.

Pruitt always says JG gives us the best chance of success; maybe he's right, but , but, but he also says he asks a lot of JG. Well, maybe he should ask less of him "managing the game" asking him to make too many decisions before snapping the ball? Just saying, maybe he needs to simplify it for JG. That might be the reason that JG holds the ball too long. Don't know just my opinion. And, Harrison is the future, or should be, of this team so seems tome he needs to be getting lots of reps and playing time. If any of you remember, Peyton was thrown out there as a freshman because the starting QB (forget who he was) got hurt on the first play or in the first quarter of the first game way back when.

 

[chuck0303]

As a Pruitt supporter, this is the one thing that concerns me.

Dobbs was notoriously bad in practice, but when the lights came on he was the baller you wanted taking snaps. JG is obviously a beast in practice, but there’s a whole study on this I watched a few years back that takes a brain’s panic (fight or flight) sensors into play in high pressure situations. Pruitt is ignoring what goes on between the ears on game day and basing his lineup solely off efforts in practice.

For example: I am not a good golfer for the most part, it really depends on where I am mentally that day whether I have a good day on the course. But I can absolutely crush the ball on the range when it doesn’t matter. I can shape shots, hit high, hit low, etc. But put me on the course and I can make it look like I have no idea what I’m doing some days.

Pruitt is not accounting for this.

Have to laugh about your golf comments. I learned long ago that there are 3 types of days you can have on a golf course, good days, bad days, & days you should have stayed home; by the same token, you hit that one really good shot and it's enough to motivate you to come back. LOL.

 

[chuck0303]

No I’m pretty sure it’s true. I remember reading practice reports of him missing throws like crazy. How else do you explain the fact that it took Worley going down and Peterman getting benched before we put Dobbs on the field in 2014, only to discover he was by far our best option?

Excellent point. Never liked Worley although he did take a lot of punishment because the O-line was so bad; hard to throw off your back.

 

[chuck0303]

So does this mean we won't see HB start until he's a senior?

Lt's hope not; if so,this team will be bad again.

 

[jbr82]

Pruitt’s profession is about wins and losses. You play the best players no matter their class. Just play to win or you won’t last long.....will be paid well though

 

[TGVol]

Pruitt's answer does not make a lot of sense. Pruitt's answer tells me that the way in which he frames his approach to coaching is built upon an outdated mindset where we value seniority over ability and talent. when you look at the programs that are winning consistently, they have accelerated or abandoned this old fashioned notion, which I would maintain relies upon the old rules that A - students commit to a school, cannot transfer, and persist to graduation, and B - transfer students is a rarity and not dignified. You have to earn your playing time.

This framework for understanding coaching in the SEC will result in Pruitt circling back to DC job in a few years.

I think Pruitt's answer makes a lot of sense once we have the type of talent they have at Bama (what Pruitt is used too working with before he took our job). So in the Bama case if you have 5 star players backing up starters you don't lose that much if your second or third strings are playing because they competed harder during the week to earn that right. If Pruitt continues to recruit at high level and manages to build that type of program at UT that same approach will work perfectly. But he will have to somehow win enough games in the meantime to keep the job so that we can enjoy those benefits down the road.

 

[GAVol]

This isn’t about COVID and practice time being cut short this year. My frustration goes back to what he wasn’t doing all offseason after he saw JG and his ups and downs last season. We should’ve been ready and prepared for this situation.

Lol... How exactly do you do that when people aren’t even leaving their houses?

Yes, the QB situation should be better but it’s not shocking to me that it looks the same as last year given the circumstances.

 

[Volzonya]

There are still 5 opportunities to either be lions or sheep. At some point, you have to realize how long we have been a sheep that used to be a lion. There are no quick fixes.

 

[4chrissy]

Lol... How exactly do you do that when people aren’t even leaving their houses?

Yes, the QB situation should be better but it’s not shocking to me that it looks the same as last year given the circumstances.

Did you even read the first part of the post, this thing with JG isn’t about COVID. I am so tired of everyone in America using COVID as an excuse to suck. Were out of groceries...it’s COVID, can’t buy a new appliance....it’s COVID, our QB stinks....it’s COVID.

 

[VolArmy74]

Whats really eerie is Derek...err Butch...err Jeremy is probably the only one here who’s ever coached major college football. Now I’m really confused and don’t know who to trust! ...no just kidding I know who I trust!

FYP. I may not know how to do heart surgery, but if the doctor fails to close the chest cavity and the patient dies, it's pretty easy to know from the end result he didn't do a good job.

 

[Firebirdparts]

Well, when I played football, the coach said the same thing as Pruitt, but didn't actually do it, because he wanted to win a lot. So there's that. The problem is not so much saying that, the problem is if you actually do it. Pruitt is actually doing it, apparently. I am not in practice, so I don't really know who is doing what.

 

[vegasvolfan]

Pruitt's answer does not make a lot of sense. Pruitt's answer tells me that the way in which he frames his approach to coaching is built upon an outdated mindset where we value seniority over ability and talent. when you look at the programs that are winning consistently, they have accelerated or abandoned this old fashioned notion, which I would maintain relies upon the old rules that A - students commit to a school, cannot transfer, and persist to graduation, and B - transfer students is a rarity and not dignified. You have to earn your playing time.

This framework for understanding coaching in the SEC will result in Pruitt circling back to DC job in a few years.

Curious, can you provide specific examples pf other programs that play younger or older players who do not practice as well or do the right things on tape over players that do?