Recruiting Forum Football Talk IV

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I don’t hate him, but he was supposedly involved in Pruitt’s shenanigans. The hiring of Pruitt was desperation. Maybe should have hired someone else, but that is minor compared to other things.
I can’t remember the finalists, but weren’t we down to 3 people who Fulmer met with at a SEC meeting or something like that and Pruitt was the only one with zero head coaching experience? If so, that’s not really desperation. Desperation means he literally had no one else. But if the other two had more experience, I’m going with experience over on the job training when it comes to a brand like UT.
 
I can’t remember the finalists, but weren’t we down to 3 people who Fulmer met with at a SEC meeting or something like that and Pruitt was the only one with zero head coaching experience? If so, that’s not really desperation. Desperation means he literally had no one else. But if the other two had more experience, I’m going with experience over on the job training when it comes to a brand like UT.
Fulmer didn’t exactly take over a great situation. It was down to Pruitt, Tucker and Steele. Fulmer liked Pruitt, but word has it he was actually leaning towards Steele. Charlie Anderson pushed hard for Pruitt and the rest was history.
 
I can’t remember the finalists, but weren’t we down to 3 people who Fulmer met with at a SEC meeting or something like that and Pruitt was the only one with zero head coaching experience? If so, that’s not really desperation. Desperation means he literally had no one else. But if the other two had more experience, I’m going with experience over on the job training when it comes to a brand like UT.
Not sure the other choices had more experience. One was a coordinator at UGA - Mel Tucker?
 
I understand the disdain, too; but, everyone always needs to remember, Phillip Fulmer was the man that led us onto the field on one of the greatest nights of my life...for a true Vol, one of the greatest nights of your lives, as well. That trumps everything else, to me, the way I felt that night.

Majors laid the groundwork for what came after. Someone said earlier, Majors didn't recruit those players in 97 and 98; true, but he did recruit Heath Shuler, the dude that took great recruiting to elite recruiting into the rest of the decade. Yes, Andy Kelly was good, but I'm not sure he was one of the top QBs in the country coming out of high school. Shuler, as you know, McGill...numero uno, he was big time. That led to Peyton and Brandon Stewart, one of the top 8 QBs in the country, to Tee (top 10), to Clausen (top 5)...Shuler was the first of elite QBs, which led to great success. That stretch, I put against anybody, whenever it comes to landing elite QBs, and great to elite QB play. Shuler and Manning were elite...Tee and Casey were great.

Fulmer took us to another level, to one of the top 3 to 4 programs in the country.
It’s a lot like studying history. You have to take the present day glasses off and look at it from the time period we’re studying. For Fulmer, there’s really three stages: coach, AD, and VFL.
As a coach, if anyone hates the man, they aren’t true volunteers for several reasons, many of which you and countless others have mentioned in here.

As an AD, there’s really no defending him. He was absolutely terrible with the Pruitt hire, almost letting Barnes walk, and keeping Holly longer than he should have (99% sure he was AD for her, but might be wrong here). Some men can coach, some can manage a company, some can do both—Fulmer is the first and definitely not the last two.

Finally, as a VFL, he will always have a spot in my heart and the hearts of every person who claims to bleed Orange. The man loves TN and I will never doubt that he had good intentions with the choices he made. He’s the epitome of everything the program stands for and, for that reason alone, I cannot hate Fulmer the coach or Fulmer the man. But I can absolutely say he sucked as an AD, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
 
I don’t understand this trend of young NFL coaches refusing to kick FGs. Browns and Chargers coaches never kick FGs. Chargers should have 9 more pts in this game and game would have been over for awhile. I get going for it and being aggressive in situations but you have to take points in these games. He will probably get lucky and win but for no reason made my +4 bet more stressful than it had to be lol
 
I love seeing pictures of Neyland being remolded and built over time. Crazy to think where it started to now (thank goodness). Yes, I could see a time lapse if I used the google machine. Lazy, I’ll admit it.
Brings back old memories? You probably remember when it was little more than a pasture...
 
And Mel Tucker has produced the best resume since. Karma

Mel Tucker as the Tennessee coach felt like a serious possiblity at some point. Hard not to wonder what could have been.

Maybe we needed Pruitt to bottom us out so we could finally clean house and start fresh though.
 
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Mel Tucker as the Tennessee coach felt like a serious possiblity at some point. Hard not to wonder what could have been.

Maybe we needed Pruitt to finally bottom us out so we could finally clean house and start fresh though.
Agree, feels like we’re finally on the right path now so no need in the “what if’s”.
 
Brings back old memories? You probably remember when it was little more than a pasture...
Not in the mood considering I’m sipping on warm milk to help me sleep, @InVOLuntary and @BaldBiker gave that advice. After three glasses of that crap, I’m beginning to believe neither one know their arse from a hole in the ground. Geez, geezers. I hope their POV’s have picked up brochures for the nearest ‘new placement’.
 
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Not in the mood considering I’m sipping on warm milk to help me sleep, @InVOLuntary and @BaldBiker gave that advice. After three glasses of that crap, I’m beginning to believe neither one know their arse from a hole in the ground. Geez, geezers. I hope their POV’s have picked up brochures for the nearest ‘new placement’.
Warm milk? Alcohol would be better for sleep. Another thing I can no longer have...
 
It’s a lot like studying history. You have to take the present day glasses off and look at it from the time period we’re studying. For Fulmer, there’s really three stages: coach, AD, and VFL.
As a coach, if anyone hates the man, they aren’t true volunteers for several reasons, many of which you and countless others have mentioned in here.

As an AD, there’s really no defending him. He was absolutely terrible with the Pruitt hire, almost letting Barnes walk, and keeping Holly longer than he should have (99% sure he was AD for her, but might be wrong here). Some men can coach, some can manage a company, some can do both—Fulmer is the first and definitely not the last two.

Finally, as a VFL, he will always have a spot in my heart and the hearts of every person who claims to bleed Orange. The man loves TN and I will never doubt that he had good intentions with the choices he made. He’s the epitome of everything the program stands for and, for that reason alone, I cannot hate Fulmer the coach or Fulmer the man. But I can absolutely say he sucked as an AD, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I'd add his playing years to this synopsis and heavily discount the AD portion as that was one year.
 
Yeah I remember at the time I wanted Pruitt, and so did most people. I actually believe Steele would have been better than most people think.

Yeah i had similar thoughts at the time. I kinda liked the idea of Steele for the same reasons Arkansas liked the idea of Sam Pittman. A veteran CEO coach who has been around the conference forever and recruited at a really high level.

The Steele jokes and ultimate dread is what turned me away. Everybody would have been so bummed out about it. Lol.

He probably wasn't what we needed in the long run but he would have been better than Jeremy.
 
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