Can we acknowledge a bad coaching hire may have been made?

[VaBornVol]

Excuses abound! Hell, even the broadcasters Saturday night couldn’t figure out if the personnel around JG was not good, or if Tennessee had talent. There will always be those who say anyone who points out short comings of a coach, no matter how obvious, are detriments to the program. However, my two favorite excuses for Pruitt are he’s only had two recruiting classes, and Covid.
To believe he sucks because he’s only had two recruiting classes means those are the only players that can comprehend and are capable of doing what Pruitt wants. And to believe Covid has is the reason Pruitt sucks means the team forgot they missed all of those practices until halftime of the Georgia game

 

[Longshank]

With a decent quarterback we are probably 7-3 this year maybe 8-2. The Georgia game was not out of question at all. We become one dimensional with JG and then way too many 3 and outs. No defense can withstand that.

The big problem is any negative play or penalty kills drives because they cant overcome it very often.
Look at the last time Tennessee was really good. Manning was the QB and tee was on a loaded team of recruits from the manning years. Look at the good teams in the sec this year. Bama, tam, and Florida all have the best QB play. Look at the teams consistently at the top. They have the ability to replace QBs with another really good QB.
That is why I hate a defensive head coach. Meanwhile Florida hired a coach that has 1 in the NFL from Mississippi State. Trask will be drafted. Jones looks like he will be a good replacement. That not only attracts the next QB, it attracts all the really good skill players that believe the coach and QB will make them look good for the NFL.
Scoring below 20 points a game will scare skill players away.

 

[Longshank]

I keep trying to find reasons Pruitt keeps dying on the same hill with JG. He is a tough kid and he tries hard but clearly doesn't have the skills or he hasn't been coached for this level. The only thing I can possibly think of that would make even a little sense is that JG is a great worker at practice and film rooms while the other QB's are just lazy and Pruitt absolutely won't reward laziness. I have no idea here just a WAG while trying to make sense of insanity.

I'm just going to say we have only seen a small sample of Bailey. Why would a coach coaching for his job and desperate for a win start JG if bailey was so much better? Either he is dumb as hell, or Bailey isnt ready.
Why Bailey isnt ready is a whole different story but I do think that is the reason not pruitt being stupid..
Maybe he wants Bailey to have a chance to win instead of throwing multiple picks for a few games and hurting his confidence.
Why they didnt mix Bailey in for a drive here or a couple plays there all season to prepare him better is beyond me.
That leads to some great questions too about staff and Bailey himself. Plenty of highly regarded QBs dont pan out. See Franks for Arkansas.
See what happens but I would be recruiting a QB this year for sure and I would make it clear if JG stays ot will be on the bench but if he wants to leave that is fine.

 

[Chippo]

This post is exactly right! You look at most ANY team having success or quick success (like Arkansas ) it starts with a good QB.

With so many great offensive players today, it is getting harder and harder for a defense to stop a great QB with good receivers.

Tenn has some good receivers, might need a little more at Tight End, but in general has fairly good players.

A great QB makes all the difference in the world. JG has never been and never will be a good or great QB.

Even without turnovers, I can see some of the receivers get frustrated with many of JG's passes.

You then add in all the fumbles and pick six plays, it just demoralizes the players. I think it is hard for

ANY player to give their most under these conditions. Now, add in a super stubborn head coach and guess what,

you have the state of current Tennessee football team! I understand we as fans don't see as much as the coaches see in practice,

but certainly we do see the games. I don't give a f... how well JG does in practice, because i can see him on Saturdays.

Now, we all love the heart of JG and I really feel bad for him. But it is time to move on! Pruitt of course is set on being the BOSS!

No one especially no fans are going to force his hand at starting a new QB. This latest firing the line coach makes me realize Pruitt is an ass.

I just hope we see Bailey going forward. Time to start working on next year's team because the season is already a huge failure.

GBO

Great post. Right on the money

 

[orangemadam]

WE have recruited a big time qb in Salter. Hopefully HB and Salter will be the ingredient needed to start UT back next season, hopefully with replaced asst. coaches on offense.

If JG starts next year, I will turn in my orange ID badge after 40+ years supporting them.

 

[Chippo]

HB looked like he was ready to go IMO at least serviceable. I was blaming Weinke but right now I'm not sure it's Weinke fault and just Pruitt interjecting himself and making all the decisions at QB over riding Weinke. JG is JG and nobody is fixing that young man to be a top SEC QB. He can go to another conference and probably do well though.

JG is not SEC material and never will be.

 

[PG1]

No way Arkansas, Auburn or Kentucky has a better team or talent than us!

Yet the final results says different.

 

[Chippo]

I think with it being a weird year, the admin won’t make a move, even if we lose out. JMO.

If so, Pruitt needs to be brought in on the
carpet and told In no uncertain terms to straighten the quarterback situation out which means no more JG.To make sure that happens Fulmer does not need to renew JG's
scholarship. If he does he needs to go also.

 

[volman128]

Why would anyone feel bad about a millionaire losing a job when he's guaranteed 12.8 million if he loses that job?

Because Americans love idolizing rich people.

 

[macrovol]

Pruitt was a great hire. Tennessee dominated a good Auburn team, we just have a QB who has a prevalence for making catastrophic mistakes. Once Bailey is ready, and he's getting there, the Vols will instantly be competitive again. All the Chicken Littles on this page will eventually eat crow.

 

[VOL_Lyfe]

Yet the final results says different.

hey, we got more yards than Aubarn! Didnt you watch the game?

 

[GrizzlyVol]

We just suck at all facets of the game, QB, online, dline,secondary, fgs...damn the list just goes on....sad days on the hill

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

If Tennessee finishes 2-8 this season and starts out 3-0 next year, fan support would be mixed at best especially with 4 SEC road games in a row coming up (who the hell made this schedule)! Pruitt could legitimately go 0-4 in that stretch with GA and Ole Miss waiting to invade Neyland. I see a 4-8 or 5-7 record next season based on this years performance. The program will continue to lose money and Fulmer would have to fire Pruitt and hire the HC From Little Sisters of the Poor Rec league because they dug a bigger hole by not making the HC change this season and have lost even more money....

Of course I could be wrong and Pruitt wins a Natty next year in which I would say I predicted it all along...........

 

[hog88]

WE have recruited a big time qb in Salter. Hopefully HB and Salter will be the ingredient needed to start UT back next season, hopefully with replaced asst. coaches on offense.

If JG starts next year, I will turn in my orange ID badge after 40+ years supporting them.

Who's coming to work for a coach that's #1 on the hot seat?

 

[MMA81]

If so, Pruitt needs to be brought in on the
carpet and told In no uncertain terms to straighten the quarterback situation out which means no more JG.To make sure that happens Fulmer does not need to renew JG's
scholarship. If he does he needs to go also.

Agree !!!

 

[Creekcat]

No way Arkansas, Auburn or Kentucky has a better team or talent than us!

That's the difference in coaching.
That's the difference in picking your QB.

 

[The Ron Mexico]

Whenever Jeremy eventually leaves Tennessee, the folks that do the hiring should try to get someone that is good. We’ve tried the other techniques.

 

[GAVol]

Whenever Jeremy eventually leaves Tennessee, the folks that do the hiring should try to get someone that is good. We’ve tried the other techniques.

You haven't enjoyed our Homeless Guy with a Sign Next to an Off Ramp method of finding coaches?

 

[PNW Huskie]

No way Arkansas, Auburn or Kentucky has a better team or talent than us!

Aubby is the only team that could be considered somewhat even but they suck. Their QB is average at best and they are saddled with Malzhan. We outplayed them but still lost by double digits. That should be very telling.

 

[The Ron Mexico]

You haven't enjoyed our Homeless Guy with a Sign Next to an Off Ramp method of finding coaches?

Look, man, I’m not a super smart guy with years of experience hiring guys to coach the sports ball...but...I feel like hiring the following didn’t seem to work out:

A guy who got fired for going 5-15 and general lying/dishonesty

A guy that had a losing record in the WAC

A guy that got smoked on the field by the previously mentioned guy and swore a player fell on a helmet to account for his face injuries

A guy that has never been a head coach, at any level, and had a reputation for being a locker room cancer according to players that witnessed it. And by his second season couldn’t get the players to line up correctly resulting in multiple procedure penalties on single drives. I know high schools that know how to line up

That’s all I’m saying.

 

[tnutater]

Yet the final results says different.

You are what your record says you are.
Some fanatics looking through their orange goggles and star gazing will not admit that we do not have the talent level to be competitive in the SEC.
Tennessee is a bottom feeder and there shall remain until we buy elite talent.

 

[jarnol32]

With a decent quarterback we are probably 7-3 this year maybe 8-2. The Georgia game was not out of question at all. We become one dimensional with JG and then way too many 3 and outs. No defense can withstand that.

I’ve been saying it all year, we are a quarterback away from being a pretty good team. Guarantano proves on a weekly basis that he is terrible, but for whatever reason he’s always named the starter. I just hope he doesn’t come back next season.

 

[Russdaddy2027]

UT let Alvin Kamara get splinters in arse, it seems they are head strong to do the same with HB. Unless Pruitt makes this right I am leaning more towards UT made another bad hire......

 

[Russdaddy2027]

I’ve been saying it all year, we are a quarterback away from being a pretty good team. Guarantano proves on a weekly basis that he is terrible, but for whatever reason he’s always named the starter. I just hope he doesn’t come back next season.

He WILL be back next season and JP will start him again

 

[jarnol32]

He WILL be back next season and JP will start him again

If he does, then we will watch Pruitt sign his own exit papers. I don’t think Guarantano will start next season, but if he does he will be the 1st quarterback to get two coaches fired during his career.