CJH approval rating in year six

How do you rate CJH’s tenure?

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#203
#203
#1fulmerite said:
Had CJH not had the year he did in ‘22, would he be on the hot seat?
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We still went to the CFP in 2024. I would imagine that would count for something. If I really wanted to move the goalposts, I could say that CJH would have a qualified for a 12 team CFP 2 times in 3 years if it had been in place. I don’t think anyone is satisfied by any measure, but CJH has shown that he do very well here.
 
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#205
#205
hUTch2002 said:
Is that really different than defining success off the most successful stretch in modern UT history? Both thoughts cherry pick a stretch of time to fit whatever narrative is wanting to be spun and both have valid points. I don’t know that either is truly relevant given how different things are now, but it’s ok to have some perspective and appreciation for where we are vs where we were while also expecting more.
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How about potentiality? Fanbase, billionaires, NIL, facilities? Josh has done some nice things but I don’t think he’s actualized everything available.

Heupel actually benefits from the lowered expectations that his three predecessors created. They’ll be appealing to that this year, as this team has virtually no chance at a playoff. Just wait until 2027. Wait and see.

Prove me wrong.
 
#206
#206
RDU VOL#14 said:
We still went to the CFP in 2024. I would imagine that would count for something. If I really wanted to move the goalposts, I could say that CJH would have a qualified for a 12 team CFP 2 times in 3 years if it had been in place. I don’t think anyone is satisfied by any measure, but CJH has shown that he do very well here.
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For a lot of folks, getting humiliated the way we did wasn’t worth the appearance.
 
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#207
#207
RDU VOL#14 said:
It’s an important question to ask when being critical of your coach. Nobody ever has a plan. It’s always “ fahhrr the coach” . Ok. Then what? Who do you want? What if no one is a good fit? Our job is much more desirable than it used to be thanks to CJH and the current administration. And I guarantee that if Heupel were let go bc he went 8-4 he would have a ton of Power 4 schools banging down his door, including schools in the SEC. If Heupel landed at Clemson or FSU he’d win the ACC in 2 years. If he went to the Big 12 he’d win right away, if he had taken the Penn State job they immediately get better. We have a good coach, who has his flaws, but is also smart enough to recognize and adjust .
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I think there are plenty of delusional fans that think Nick Saban is just waiting for the right job to open up to unretire and lead them to greatness. He’s the only guy that could garner that kind of respect as a proven winner. Urban Meyer is out there too but he’s so utterly unlikable and has so much baggage that it wouldn’t be worth it. There’s really no magical formula that guarantees a coach will be successful at any given job. Saban is really the only guy I can think of that would make any program an instant contender upon being hired, but even then it’s not guaranteed. I also believe Saban isn’t coming out of retirement for any job at his age. You really should not fire a guy unless you have an absolute banger of a plan to replace him.
 
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#208
#208
Unconditional Surrender said:
He's average. We're just used to bad.
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Only a few could have done better with the NIL money at their disposal. For the '26 season, the Vols ranked 10th in NIL spending, $11M behind #1 TX. The Vols ranked 15th in '25. Based on NIL money available, I would contend that Heupel is doing a decent job. '27 should be a great year for the Vols in the NIL market. If Heupel doesn't make the playoffs in '27, then he'll be under fire.
 
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#210
#210
VolinMichigan said:
I think there are plenty of delusional fans that think Nick Saban is just waiting for the right job to open up to unretire and lead them to greatness. He’s the only guy that could garner that kind of respect as a proven winner. Urban Meyer is out there too but he’s so utterly unlikable and has so much baggage that it wouldn’t be worth it. There’s really no magical formula that guarantees a coach will be successful at any given job. Saban is really the only guy I can think of that would make any program an instant contender upon being hired, but even then it’s not guaranteed. I also believe Saban isn’t coming out of retirement for any job at his age. You really should not fire a guy unless you have an absolute banger of a plan to replace him.
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Age has less to do with Saban's retirement than the climate of college sports.
 
#213
#213
WaywardVol said:
How about potentiality? Fanbase, billionaires, NIL, facilities? Josh has done some nice things but I don’t think he’s actualized everything available.

Heupel actually benefits from the lowered expectations that his three predecessors created. They’ll be appealing to that this year, as this team has virtually no chance at a playoff. Just wait until 2027. Wait and see.

Prove me wrong.
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New QB and new DC. Odds are this year is building towards ‘27 and ‘28. We will still be decent this year.
 
#214
#214
Teams reflect the coach, and history is a great teacher. We're undisciplined and fundamentally unsound in areas. I'd say we play soft in some spots.

He won at UCF with Frosts recruits then began to fade when those recruits transitioned out. The NCAA penalties aren't an excuse anymore especially with the NIL.

This is Heupels team and staff 100%. Yeah, the schedule is already his crutch for this year along with youth at QB, but again he allowed the QB spot to reach this point. He has to own it.

Right now I see Heupel as an OC trying grow into a head coach in one of the toughest conferences in college football. I don't think he'll ever be much more than a mid head coach....average.
 
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#215
#215
hUTch2002 said:
New QB and new DC. Odds are this year is building towards ‘27 and ‘28. We will still be decent this year.
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No offense, but this is exactly what I’ve been saying. We’re getting spun to be patient. Why, in year six, are we having to be told that Heupel can’t mature his team in the portal? Remember when we were told 2025 was the year they were building towards with Nico? How’d that work out?
 
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#216
#216
LAVol1 said:
Only a few could have done better with the NIL money at their disposal. For the '26 season, the Vols ranked 10th in NIL spending, $11M behind #1 TX. The Vols ranked 15th in '25. Based on NIL money available, I would contend that Heupel is doing a decent job. '27 should be a great year for the Vols in the NIL market. If Heupel doesn't make the playoffs in '27, then he'll be under fire.
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Money spent doesn’t equate to monies available. How did Barnes turn UT into a top 5 spender? He got out and beat the bricks. He worked his billionaires. Heupel has been passive in this area.
 
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#217
#217
VolinMichigan said:
I think there are plenty of delusional fans that think Nick Saban is just waiting for the right job to open up to unretire and lead them to greatness. He’s the only guy that could garner that kind of respect as a proven winner. Urban Meyer is out there too but he’s so utterly unlikable and has so much baggage that it wouldn’t be worth it. There’s really no magical formula that guarantees a coach will be successful at any given job. Saban is really the only guy I can think of that would make any program an instant contender upon being hired, but even then it’s not guaranteed. I also believe Saban isn’t coming out of retirement for any job at his age. You really should not fire a guy unless you have an absolute banger of a plan to replace him.
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The difference is the state of the program now versus then. I’ll give Danny credit in that UT is incredibly sound financially, and way ahead in all the areas that held them back. Primarily, they aren’t run by a bunch of incompetent academics who don’t know who butters their bread. Hiring a coach today would look a lot different than hiring one over the last 20 years.
 
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#219
#219
WaywardVol said:
No offense, but this is exactly what I’ve been saying. We’re getting spun to be patient. Why, in year six, are we having to be told that Heupel can’t mature his team in the portal? Remember when we were told 2025 was the year they were building towards with Nico? How’d that work out?
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He tried to get a QB and missed so it is what it is. On the DC topic, most fans wanted a change there and we have it now. With change comes a learning curve. Those 2 things alone logically make it unlikely we will see a playoff berth, especially with a tougher schedule. Sure, we can armchair QB and say he should’ve done this or that but he has made some positive staff changes, or so we assume, he brought in a very good recruiting class and, overall, he’s done enough good here to warrant a little patience. It’s not always linear trajectory in turning a program around. Maybe you’re ready to hop off the Heup train but I’m not and, obviously, neither is White at this point, for better or worse.
 
#220
#220
hUTch2002 said:
He tried to get a QB and missed so it is what it is. On the DC topic, most fans wanted a change there and we have it now. With change comes a learning curve. Those 2 things alone logically make it unlikely we will see a playoff berth, especially with a tougher schedule. Sure, we can armchair QB and say he should’ve done this or that but he has made some positive staff changes, or so we assume, he brought in a very good recruiting class and, overall, he’s done enough good here to warrant a little patience. It’s not always linear trajectory in turning a program around. Maybe you’re ready to hop off the Heup train but I’m not and, obviously, neither is White at this point, for better or worse.
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I've come to accept who and what Heupel is. I know what his teams are going to look like and my expectations are in line with that. I see 7-9 wins annually with the occasional 10 win season. Get us to some nice locations for bowl games and just enjoy the ride. It's not Derek Dooley and Butchie Boi so that's a win in my book.
 
#222
#222
BreatheUT said:
So motto - We rebuild we don't reload?
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Currently it seems most programs are rebuilding annually with roster turnover being so high. The portal has been a bigger emphasis the last class and going forward, which makes sense to me. Why pay a high schooler to sit and develop when you can maybe get a plug and play starter? Better ROI for certain positions.
 
#224
#224
GSPVol said:
I've come to accept who and what Heupel is. I know what his teams are going to look like and my expectations are in line with that. I see 7-9 wins annually with the occasional 10 win season. Get us to some nice locations for bowl games and just enjoy the ride. It's not Derek Dooley and Butchie Boi so that's a win in my book.
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"Good enough" is the enemy of "greatness". That pretty much describes Heupel through this point. Is he capable of producing a true championship contender?
 
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#225
#225
WaywardVol said:
Money spent doesn’t equate to monies available. How did Barnes turn UT into a top 5 spender? He got out and beat the bricks. He worked his billionaires. Heupel has been passive in this area.
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That's Danny White's job. Coaching a football team takes MUCH more time than coaching a basketball team. Do you think Saban actively solicited donations for Bama? I live in Alabama, spent time in Saban's presence almost every year for 10+ years and have many acquaintances who are significant Bama donors. I never saw any or heard of any evidence of Saban going out of his way to kiss up to donors--just not how the man rolls. When Saban came to Mobile to visit AJ McCarron, one of the biggest boosters in Mobile, an acquaintance of mine, picked up Saban at the airport and served as Saban's chauffeur on the visit. When asked about the experience the next day the booster said: "I'll never do that again" and went on to relate how Saban was such a jerk.
 
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