Can we just take a second and appreciate what Heupel has done in 2 years?

#1

BigOrangeTrain

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#1
I mean my goodness. I will be the first to admit that I didn’t expect anything close to this when he was hired. I didn’t think something like this was possible given what we have went through for so long. But we all need to appreciate the absolutely rock star hire Heupel has been.

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#4
#4
I mean my goodness. I will be the first to admit that I didn’t expect anything close to this when he was hired. I didn’t think something like this was possible given what we have went through for so long. But we all need to appreciate the absolutely rock star hire Heupel has been.

View attachment 495167

I didn’t know much at all about him and was pretty disappointed when I heard we had hired someone without SEC coaching experience. Now, I couldn’t be happier with the choice. If anyone had told me how well we would do in his first year, and the position we would be in now, with realistic opportunities to have a double digit season I would’ve been pretty skeptical and probably would have asked for some of what they were having.

The Pruitt debacle was a real low point. I remember when we had 5 win seasons, and that was as bad as we had ever done. I didn’t think it could get worse, and then historic lows with 4 wins with Jones and later with Pruitt 3 wins. We had never had worse results. To have the expectations that we do now and to have the opportunities that we do now so quickly is amazing.

I started at UT in 2003, not having followed football before that and I remember what we expected our football team to do in those days. Tickets for students were free, and I quickly learned how important football was around here. I remember after we lost I believe the Georgia game seeing grown men cry they were so disappointed. Pretty soon I was a huge fan. From that to getting to where everything felt hopeless and we had so many disappointments has been challenging.

To see the progress made since hiring Heupel has me as excited as I’ve been in a long time. Much still has to be done, and nothing is certain, do things could still go south, but I can’t think of many other program turnarounds that were in a better position at this point in a new coaches tenure.
 
#7
#7
I didn’t know much at all about him and was pretty disappointed when I heard we had hired someone without SEC coaching experience. Now, I couldn’t be happier with the choice. If anyone had told me how well we would do in his first year, and the position we would be in now, with realistic opportunities to have a double digit season I would’ve been pretty skeptical and probably would have asked for some of what they were having.

The Pruitt debacle was a real low point. I remember when we had 5 win seasons, and that was as bad as we had ever done. I didn’t think it could get worse, and then historic lows with 4 wins with Jones and later with Pruitt 3 wins. We had never had worse results. To have the expectations that we do now and to have the opportunities that we do now so quickly is amazing.

I started at UT in 2003, not having followed football before that and I remember what we expected our football team to do in those days. Tickets for students were free, and I quickly learned how important football was around here. I remember after we lost I believe the Georgia game seeing grown men cry they were so disappointed. Pretty soon I was a huge fan. From that to getting to where everything felt hopeless and we had so many disappointments has been challenging.

To see the progress made since hiring Heupel has me as excited as I’ve been in a long time. Much still has to be done, and nothing is certain, do things could still go south, but I can’t think of many other program turnarounds that were in a better position at this point in a new coaches tenure.

To be totally fair on Pruitt’s 3 wins, that’s not quite the same as 3 wins in a “real” season. We didn’t have the benefit of 3 scrubs that year. It would stand to reason that was probably a 6-6 team.
 
#8
#8
To be totally fair on Pruitt’s 3 wins, that’s not quite the same as 3 wins in a “real” season. We didn’t have the benefit of 3 scrubs that year. It would stand to reason that was probably a 6-6 team.

Fair point, but it is difficult for me to be reasonable when we only win 3 games. You are right though, and probably healthier to see it this way.
 
#10
#10
I honestly didn't know what to expect when he first got here but I have quickly become a huge fan of his style on and off the field....
 
#11
#11
I was glad we hired someone with real head coaching experience instead of the last 3 coaches that were complete stretches. I was flabbergasted when Pruitt was hired, I just hoped he could bring world class defense to the team.
 
#13
#13
I was glad we hired someone with real head coaching experience instead of the last 3 coaches that were complete stretches. I was flabbergasted when Pruitt was hired, I just hoped he could bring world class defense to the team.

Butch was a complete failure at the end, but (unpopular opinion going to get slaughtered for)......... at the time he was hired he wasn't that bad a hire, honestly.
  • Six years of head coaching experience
  • His teams finished 1st in 4 of those years, 2nd in another.
After the TaxSlayer Bowl win and w/all the talent we had returning, we all thought we had the next great thing. What an absolute trainwreck to follow. Major disappointment and dumpster fire.
 
#14
#14
Every Vol fan should be very happy with the progress so far…even if/when we lose some games, including any we should win on paper. This program is still recovering and on a good trajectory. But, it hasn’t arrived yet, which actually makes it even more exciting.
 
#15
#15
I'll be the first to admit that I hated the hire. Reviewed one of his post game or post practice pressers and thought he looked like a slob. I think that was how I I put it. The old adage about judging a book by its cover certainly applies here. Heupel is, by all accounts, just a real person. That resonates with player and coaches. The culture starts with the head coach and it's clear we got a helluva head coach this time around. I am thrilled to be absolutely and completely wrong on this one. Hope he's our head coach through the rest of my time on this earth.
 
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#16
#16
I'm glad we have him and think he will be a long term good hire. But with that said, I expect a real regression next year. He got somewhat lucky with a lot of senior starters on the offensive side and a stud super senior QB. Lots of guys graduating this year.
 
#18
#18
Hated Dooley, Butch, Pruitt, and Heupel hires....

I'm in the boat of glad to be wrong on the last one. Completely wrong. I am blown away with the progress. I think we are still not seeing the best of this staff. That's exciting to think about.

Go Vols!!!
 
#19
#19
I'm glad we have him and think he will be a long term good hire. But with that said, I expect a real regression next year. He got somewhat lucky with a lot of senior starters on the offensive side and a stud super senior QB. Lots of guys graduating this year.
BOOOOOOO!!!!!!
 
#20
#20
I'm glad we have him and think he will be a long term good hire. But with that said, I expect a real regression next year. He got somewhat lucky with a lot of senior starters on the offensive side and a stud super senior QB. Lots of guys graduating this year.
Who was the stud super senior QB that was here when he came in?
 
#22
#22
Butch was a complete failure at the end, but (unpopular opinion going to get slaughtered for)......... at the time he was hired he wasn't that bad a hire, honestly.
  • Six years of head coaching experience
  • His teams finished 1st in 4 of those years, 2nd in another.
After the TaxSlayer Bowl win and w/all the talent we had returning, we all thought we had the next great thing. What an absolute trainwreck to follow. Major disappointment and dumpster fire.

Yup he was just in over his head and failed to develop and grow himself. And his players.
 
#23
#23
Hendon Hooker came here under Jeremy Pruitt, but I feel pretty confident HH isn't the same QB under Pruitt that he is today.
HH seems to follow the demeanor of CJH more so than CJP.

Same. But I also credit Hooker for having the potential and putting in the work. At the end of the day, no matter how great a QB-whisperer the HC is, you still can't polish a turd. (as we say in the Army)

Losing Hendo will suck, but I'm pretty confident that CJH will be able to reload with a either Year 3 Milton, Year 2 Jackson, or the incoming stud Iamaleava. And ultimately, that's what great programs do.

Losing signal-callers like McCarron, Sims, Corker, Hurts, Tagovailoa, Jones, Fromm, Fields, Haskins, Barrett, Jones, Miller, Rattler, Hurts(again), Murray, Mayfield, Knight, Jones, Bradford, White or Heupel hasn't stopped the 'Bama, Georgia, OSU, or Oklahoma's of college football from staying on top.
 
#24
#24
Yup he was just in over his head and failed to develop and grow himself. And his players.

The number of UDFA or late-round picks that have blossomed in the NFL is staggering. That Kamara could be a back-up at UT but make the Pro Bowl as a rookie says it all.

And as part of that development, not getting them physically ready for an SEC schedule. Just the injured players alone on that 2016 season could've formed a top-tier defense.
 
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#25
#25
I mean my goodness. I will be the first to admit that I didn’t expect anything close to this when he was hired. I didn’t think something like this was possible given what we have went through for so long. But we all need to appreciate the absolutely rock star hire Heupel has been.

View attachment 495167
We have an elite offense without a dominant running game or offensive line. Amazing.
 
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