Pruitt’s Contract and Buyout details

#51
#51
I give CJP and Chaney 2021 with 8-4 record and 2022 9-2 or out. I support hiring a $6m+ proven SEC or equal P5 HC that can recruit and stay out of trouble. No more Hail Marys or cheap projects. A loss to Vandy and I might call the bus this year. I like what I see in HB. Done with JG.

8-4 in Pruitt's 4th year, and being 0/12 against Florida/Alabama/Georgia is worth retaining him for a shot at year 5?
 
#52
#52
Doug Matthews confirmed he is going to get another year yesterday.
Well, he did inherit a mess. And it's a covid year. And he did fire the one responsible for all this. And it's a covid year. Plus, he inherited a mess.

And for those of you not familiar with me, I do not believe a word that I just typed.
 
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#53
#53
Chris Loew said if we lose to Vandy he thinks it may spur enough booster anger to make the move.

How much do we suck when beating a winless Vandy team who has already fired their coach, has become a job saver at UT?

Loew said they'd be reluctant to move for financial reasons, and that Pruitt was getting a covid pass because so many players missed a lot of practice. He also said UT probably didn't want the instability to continue. Credit to Hyams who pointed out last week that keeping a coach you think isn't getting the job done just for stability is really stupid.

UT averaged 74,000 people actually in the stands per game last season. That's 28,000 empty seats. Add up ticket cost, concessions etc for those seats and you're looking roughly 10-12 million in lost revenue each season. Add that up for two or three seasons and it dwarfs the buyouts.

So the "can we afford to keep him" argument is legit. It was a major factor in South Carolina firing Muschamp early too. They feared he would cost them more than his buyout.
 
#54
#54
Wow. Hyams said something like that? I absolutely believe you but, it does sound unbelievable.
 
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#55
#55
Just a guess... I suspect that UT will fire or not renew several assistants after this season. I wouldn't be surprised by a clean sweep like UGA did for Richt. I don't think that eliminates the problem unless Pruitt takes the opportunity to change his philosophy and methods... but it will buy the AD and Pruitt some time.
 
#57
#57
UT averaged 74,000 people actually in the stands per game last season. That's 28,000 empty seats. Add up ticket cost, concessions etc for those seats and you're looking roughly 10-12 million in lost revenue each season. Add that up for two or three seasons and it dwarfs the buyouts.

So the "can we afford to keep him" argument is legit. It was a major factor in South Carolina firing Muschamp early too. They feared he would cost them more than his buyout.
They don't care as much about people in the stands - they care about tickets sold. But that wasn't great either - the average reported attendance for Tennessee home games last year was 87,764 (86%). Stuff like concessions and merchandise sales are pretty ancillary; the vast, vast majority of their revenue comes from the TV deals and ticket sales.

Attendance has been trending in the wrong direction for several years now, and it is also affecting good programs. The last game Tennessee sold out was the 2017 Georgia game, the 41-0 beat down. We've only sold out 3 games total since 2015.
 
#58
#58
So here is an estimate...
Fire before next season - 12.6 million Not Happening
Fire in/ after 2021 season - 10 million Probably Not Happening
Fire in/ after 2022 season - 7.5 million Maaaaaaybe?
Fire in/ after 2023 season - 5 million Won't get here or won't matter
Fire in/ after 2024 season - 2.5 million see 2023
Fire in/ after 2025 - minimal cost see 2023

Here's the timeline.... :p
 
#59
#59
Chris Loew said if we lose to Vandy he thinks it may spur enough booster anger to make the move.

How much do we suck when beating a winless Vandy team who has already fired their coach, has become a job saver at UT?

Loew said they'd be reluctant to move for financial reasons, and that Pruitt was getting a covid pass because so many players missed a lot of practice. He also said UT probably didn't want the instability to continue. Credit to Hyams who pointed out last week that keeping a coach you think isn't getting the job done just for stability is really stupid.

UT averaged 74,000 people actually in the stands per game last season. That's 28,000 empty seats. Add up ticket cost, concessions etc for those seats and you're looking roughly 10-12 million in lost revenue each season. Add that up for two or three seasons and it dwarfs the buyouts.

So the "can we afford to keep him" argument is legit. It was a major factor in South Carolina firing Muschamp early too. They feared he would cost them more than his buyout.

We suck almost bad enough to get preempted for a Vandy-Missouri game. ........oh wait.
 
#61
#61
Just a guess... I suspect that UT will fire or not renew several assistants after this season. I wouldn't be surprised by a clean sweep like UGA did for Richt. I don't think that eliminates the problem unless Pruitt takes the opportunity to change his philosophy and methods... but it will buy the AD and Pruitt some time.

The problem then becomes who worth a dang will hitch their wagon to Pruitt, who they will assume is about to be fired.
 
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#62
#62
The problem then becomes who worth a dang will hitch their wagon to Pruitt, who they will assume is about to be fired.
You aren't wrong. I just believe the "powers that be" will try blame shifting before admitting they were wrong to hire and then extend Pruitt.

The extension was manifestly STUPID. You don't extend a coach that loses to BYU and GSU regardless of how they "finish" the weak end of the late schedule. He needs to prove MORE than that. But... That's done now. UT is trapped.
 
#63
#63
Vols will remain in Purgatory for the next 2 or 3 years and it will be accepted, because Vol fans are now used to losing much more than winning.
Vol fans are now conditioned
 
#65
#65
Just a guess... I suspect that UT will fire or not renew several assistants after this season. I wouldn't be surprised by a clean sweep like UGA did for Richt. I don't think that eliminates the problem unless Pruitt takes the opportunity to change his philosophy and methods... but it will buy the AD and Pruitt some time.

Which in turn, will just cost UT more money in the long run, as any coach who gets fired and doesn't have a contract expiring in February, will get their buyout at least partially, and UT will be on the hook for the new coach's contracts when they get let go with Pruitt before their contracts expire.

Fulmer extending Pruitt will most likely end up costing UT and extra 10-15 million, in just contract buyouts alone.
 
#66
#66
When the hot seat talk gets hot they're damaged goods at that point. Swapping coordinators won't help. Anyone worth their salt won't come for a one year deal. Coached his way right out of this job, whether it be this year or next. Everyone knows how this movie will end.
 
#67
#67
Butch is paid off as of this coming February. I'd say the earliest Pruitt is fired is at the end of 2021, but even that is unlikely in my opinion as long as Fulmer is the AD.

I honestly don't think Fulmer will fire Pruitt. The next AD will have to do it, whoever and whenever that is.
 
#68
#68
Covid gets Pruitt year 4 and maybe year 5 depending on the AD finances post Covid.

In what world do we ask boosters to commit to financing a 25 million dollar package to fire Pruitt and hire another coaching staff that may or may not work out, but not have them commit to making up the 40-50 million dollar budget shortfall in the AD.

Asking for 25 million to cut the shortfall in half is definite fix.

Asking for 25 million to fire Pruitt and hire another staff without guarantee we will be okay and not down the road doing another search.

This is the most logical post I’ve seen since the end of September.

Thank you!
 
#70
#70
I wish more people would understand this. I think the best we can hope for is for Pruitt to improve and get the team in better shape for a new HC in 2022.

Hell, if Pruitt were to win 7 next year Fulmer likely gives him another ridiculous extension.
Why?
How does it affect you or anything about you regardless if they "understand it or not"?

We get it - youre the smartest one on here and if people would just listen then we would all poop rainbows.

Are you that insecure that you have to post this same mess in every thread?
Do you need validation?
 
#72
#72
Wow. Hyams said something like that? I absolutely believe you but, it does sound unbelievable.
I heard him say it. IMO, Keeping JP could put the UT football program in a much deeper hole thanks to an incompetent and unnecessary extension for JP. Really stupid move...My take not HYAMS.
 
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#74
#74
Jeremy Pruitt’s firing is inevitable. Phil Fulmer (himself unqualified to fill the role as athletic director) hired an ill-prepared, unqualified elementary school teacher turned defensive coordinator to run our football program thinking he was getting one over on Alabama... Fulmer then granted Pruitt a contract extension after a mediocre 2019 season.

I appreciate Coach Fulmer for his accomplishments as our football coach and for his love and dedication to the University of Tennessee but Phil Fulmer is the first problem that has to be dealt with and should be dealt with immediately.
 
#75
#75
Which in turn, will just cost UT more money in the long run, as any coach who gets fired and doesn't have a contract expiring in February, will get their buyout at least partially, and UT will be on the hook for the new coach's contracts when they get let go with Pruitt before their contracts expire.

Fulmer extending Pruitt will most likely end up costing UT and extra 10-15 million, in just contract buyouts alone.
There are only 2 options at this point:

1. Fire CJP and friends, take the big financial hit on the front end and actually make a good hire. Doesn't have to be Bob Stoops just get a guy with actual HC experience.

2. Retain CJP and staff and hope they can turn things around next year while praying that the loss in revenue if they continue to suck does not exceed the one-time cost of Option 1.

Anything in between such as overhauling the staff is throwing good money after bad. Canning a bunch of assistants will cost a bundle in buy-outs and the last thing I want is Fulmer negotiating the next round of even more ridiculous buy-outs for the new staff since everyone knows Pruitt is essentially a dead man walking. In the end, as you said, we'll end up paying even more to fire the clown show next year not counting the loss in revenue from a fan base that has finally lost the will to get up after being punched in the mouth over and over and over.......
 
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