Florida slug on Heupel UT turnaround

#54
#54
"I wasn’t sold on Josh Heupel when he was hired by UCF, when he was at UCF or when he was hired at Tennessee. Add in the dysfunction in the athletic department, and I’m not expecting much on Rocky Top."

Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times does not believe that CJH will succeed at UT. See the two articles below.
I have no problem with him having a opinion but he does not really offer much in why and how he came up with that opinion. I am going to contact him and ask him to give me some specific reasons why he came up with that conclusion.
Can former UCF coach Josh Heupel turn Vols around? Don’t bet on it.

Why I’m picking Georgia to beat Alabama to win the SEC
 
  • Like
Reactions: Enki_Amenra
#56
#56
UF 0-12
UT 12-0

I’d be happy with …

6-6
7-5
as long as one of those losses was to us , I don’t see any reason why we should avoid a long drawn out melt down with gator fans pulling their hair out wondering what’s happened . 😊
 
#57
#57
This guy bases it all off one quote, which he interprets incorrectly. Heupel wasn't saying the constraint to need winning is one you put on yourself. He was saying the time constraint (how long it takes to get to winning) is one you put on yourself. He's saying we can win whenever we decide to win - and play as a team, etc.
 
#58
#58
This guy bases it all off one quote, which he interprets incorrectly. Heupel wasn't saying the constraint to need winning is one you put on yourself. He was saying the time constraint (how long it takes to get to winning) is one you put on yourself. He's saying we can win whenever we decide to win - and play as a team, etc.
I sent him an email and asked that he give specific reasons for such a strong opinion.
 
#59
#59
Well. . . the AD is no longer dysfunctional. Heupel was 28-8, better than wonder boy Frost. If he can continue producing top5 offenses, he'll win here and this guy is gonna lose credibility with this write-up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onevol74
#61
#61
Good coaching trumps everything. That's how Mullen brought MSU out of the pits of the SEC West and a No. 1 overall ranking at one point. That's how Stoops turned a pathetic KY program into a 10 win season. Meanwhile, we've consistently finished in the top 15 in recruiting for the last 10 years and have yet to finish even once ranked inside the top 20. Of course, these teams will never have the chance to be perennial powerhouses like we do, but it just goes to show that you don't need elite HS recruits to win big.

You do, however, need elite recruits to sustain your success, which is why MSU would only have a big couple years, then fall back to being medicore for a couple years.
I will almost go one step farther and say the ability to recruit and develop quarterbacks is the key to Mullens success. Butch looked pretty good with dobbs, then the wheels simply fell off. Pruitt for whatever reason was wed to Guarantano, and the results were atrocious. Heupel seems to get the most out of his quarterbacks, so hopefully he will be successful.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Carp
#62
#62
Well. . . the AD is no longer dysfunctional. Heupel was 28-8, better than wonder boy Frost. If he can continue producing top5 offenses, he'll win here and this guy is gonna lose credibility with this write-up.

I'm going to argue Frost left him a much better situation than Frost inherited.
 
#63
#63
I have been pretty clear that I'm not optimistic about Heupel based on his time at Mizzou and their inability to score big on the better defenses, combined with some of their losses at UCF.

That said, this writer makes a couple of points that look down on Tennessee but actually should be the opposite. First his reference to Oklahoma, OU has been competitive for most of the last 20 years starting with Heupel. As the author mentions OU went 6 years without a bowl game before then, they were not very good. The state of Oklahoma doesn't produce a ton of talent so OU has to dip into Texas for many of their players and compete with TX and ATM. Nobody talks about how impressive OU's recruiting success it; they can do it, no reason UT can't do it because there is FAR more talent within 4 hours of Knoxville than within 4 hours of Norman.

Second point he repeated the same thing "this isn't the 90's when bama, clemson and georgia we're down." Well part of the reason they were down is Tennessee and Florida were really good. Georgia and Bama had great talent in the 90's, they always have great talent but they didn't have the coaching. The Clemson thing is always my biggest takeaway, they were mediocre from the mid 80's until Dabo took over. They were "Tennessee" before we were, always hiring and firing coaches. Then they got lucky and got the right coach.

It's all about the coach building a program. If you can find the right coach, you can win at the highest level in the SEC. Do I think Heupel is it? No I really don't but I hope he proves me wrong. I have no doubt the Vols will be great again but it's not going to be right now.
 
#64
#64
I’d be happy with …

6-6
7-5
as long as one of those losses was to us , I don’t see any reason why we should avoid a long drawn out melt down with gator fans pulling their hair out wondering what’s happened . 😊

Meh…it’s just a football game man.

I’m just happy with being able to watch and attend when I can.
 
  • Like
Reactions: andydukey
#65
#65
You know it is hilarious to watch Gator fans try to be smart @$$es to opposing fans.


I wonder if the next 10 years for the Gators and Vols will be any different from the last 10 years?
SEC Football Championships past 10 years
Gators 0
Vols 0

SEC Football Championships next 10 years
Gators __
Vols __

Pi$$ing Contest Championships
Gators __
Vols __
 
  • Like
Reactions: CatsQueue
#70
#70
I guess for those who agree with the article we probably could save some time and resources and shut down the program and put the resources to better use.
I will readily admit not giving them money except through taxation. I don't donate a nickel. It's not that I hate them all, but I don't give them any money. I think Heupel should get 20 years, I really do, but I'm not the one that's going to be paying him. I'm fine thinking of it as a game.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onevol74
#71
#71
If Heupel can coach good enough to beat the teams except Bama, Georgia , and Florida the 1st couple of years and score alot of points the recruits will come and then they compete or beat those three. If he cant beat the 2nd tier teams consistently then UT starts again. Its all in the coaching to begin with then the players will come Oh and the NIL money at UT needs to be on spot lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big Al Orange
#72
#72
The article had a lot of truth in it, but also some unnecessary snark and douch-ness
All the writers are wrong on prognostications at least half the time on new coaches. They could be right. But, to me, JH has a sluggers chance because he seems genuine/likeable/humble, intelligent (not in an arrogant Dooley way or snarky Pruitt football knowledge way), and seems to be building a good culture which players like. As long as his offense and QB prowess comes to bear, generally speaking if you put all these things together, over a period of time, you give yourself a pretty good chance at success. This year, however, is critical...not purely in wins, but in what we see on the field...if the offense is exciting, that's something recruits want to be a part of...really need this excitement as something to build on for recruiting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vol Main
#73
#73
He’s a Northwestern grad. I would say about 99% of the people in the sports media associated with degrees from Northwestern are terrible and bad for sports in general. They are all incredibly smug. Wilbon is about the one I can handle.
 
#74
#74
The two points that jump out to me are interesting when juxtaposed:

1) No coach can recruit like UT used to because of the resurgence of teams you naturally compete with for players, i.e. Alabama, Georgia, Clemson. Reality is you have no control over that except to try to make inroads where you can and within the rules.

2_ UT fans are unrealistic about the status of the program, generally, and in particular the recruiting disadvantage. This translates into fairly quick dissatisfaction with whoever is coach at the moment. It is something you CAN control.

Translation: Maybe you need to give this or any future hire a bit of time to try to catch up.
 

VN Store



Back
Top