College football first-year coach grades

#51
#51
golf437 said:
A team With very few SEC type players> So your standards do not apply to this team.
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Recruiting rankings over the last 4 years say otherwise. Besides, our roster of "non SEC players" managed to beat KY and Auburn, both of whom were ranked at the time. So that excuse doesn't hold water. But even if it's true and we don't have a roster of SEC players, neither does Vanderbilt so it should've been a pretty equal match up. However they beat us like a red-headed step child. They embarrassed us. That's on Pruitt. It's his responsibility to get our team mentally ready for that game.
 
#52
#52
BigOrangeMojo said:
No, through 10 games I thought Pruitt was doing an above average job. I had some minor criticisms but all in all, he was doing an above average job. The last two games occurred and I had to adjust my opinions based on what I saw those 2 games.
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So the last two games of the season, and trust me I was very disappointed in the results, completely change your outlook? We were in bad shape in the beginning, the SEC level depth was not there to start with and it really showed at the end of the season.
 
#53
#53
Brave Volunteer said:
Yet they somehow managed to beat Auburn and KY, both were ranked in the top 25 at the time. The problem against Vandy wasn't the roster. It was the want to.
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I will agree to some extent, I think there are some bad apples on the roster that wasn’t motivated to practice for another month. That said, not sure how that’s Pruitt’s fault
 
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#54
#54
The Original Fade said:
I will agree to some extent, I think there are some bad apples on the roster that wasn’t motivated to practice for another month. That said, not sure how that’s Pruitt’s fault
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Not his fault in the sense that he can't go out there and play for them. But it IS his responsibility. It's absolutely his responsibility to get his team mentally prepared to play and he didn't. He flat out didn't.
 
#55
#55
VolArmy74 said:
Saban's 6 losses that season were by 36 total points. Our average margin of loss over 7 games was more than 25 points. Comparing him to Saban is crazy, same with Meyer. We will see if the Dabo comparison is remotely valid. they improved dramatically when he brought in Chad Morris and started using his offensive system.
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He brought up good/great coaches.. I listed some. I wasn't comparing Pruitt to them by any means.
 
#57
#57
Brave Volunteer said:
Dude, 6-6 for bowl eligibility and a win over freaking Vandy isn't exactly reaching for the moon here. Give me a break!
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You know, I won't argue because it would be pointless. Look at the actual predictions of how this team would fare considering the state of the program, and we are on track. I wanted/hoped for a better than expected result, but I am not quitting as a fan and whining over something that I have no control over. I have supported this team through all of the ups and downs since the mid 70's and I do not intend on changing now. Feel free to continue as you so desire; but all thet plucking of the beard, rending of the clothes and sitting in ashes you do will change nothing in the greater scheme of UT athletics.
 
#58
#58
If last year was an F, then this year can’t be any better than a D right?

One game improvement. Going in the right direction. But still below our potential.
 
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#59
#59
Brave Volunteer said:
Not his fault in the sense that he can't go out there and play for them. But it IS his responsibility. It's absolutely his responsibility to get his team mentally prepared to play and he didn't. He flat out didn't.
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And the players that have already mentally checked out? What's he gonna do about them? Look at these kids that ain't getting drafted. They don't care about another 15 practices.
 
#60
#60
GreGGo said:
Or you just think your entitled to instant success. This team is terrible, yet Pruitt coached them up enough to win two games he shouldn't have. He's already got half the amount of ranked wins Butch did in his first year... We ran out of gas at the end of the year because we don't have a single linemen, offense or defense, that would start anywhere else.
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This...
 
#61
#61
GreGGo said:
And the players that have already mentally checked out? What's he gonna do about them? Look at these kids that ain't getting drafted. They don't care about another 15 practices.
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Pruitt is getting paid 4 million a year to keep those players from mentally checking out.
 
#63
#63
Pacer92 said:
This...
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Man, these people don't even get that not a single player will be drafted this year or probably next year. They want immediate success with a bunch of players that are going to graduate and join the workforce, not the NFL.
 
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#64
#64
Brave Volunteer said:
The irrefutable fact is he lost to Vandy because he didn't have his team ready to play. Would we have still lost if we played our best? Who knows but we damn sure couldn't win playing like we didn't even want to be out there. Our team did not care. Vandy shoved our asses all around that football field and it wasn't because they were just SOOOO much better than us talent wise! That's on Pruitt. It's HIS responsibility to get his team up for that game and he failed at doing so, which cost him a possible bowl appearance, which cost him a passing grade for his first year as our head coach as far as I'm concerned.
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Then say all of that and not "he lost to vandy so he fails" the loss to Vandy did not cause the problem you have, the unprepared for the game is the problem you have. If they had played like they did at Kentucky and still lost would your opinion be different?
 
#66
#66
piratelifeforme said:
Then say all of that and not "he lost to vandy so he fails" the loss to Vandy did not cause the problem you have, the unprepared for the game is the problem you have. If they had played like they did at Kentucky and still lost would your opinion be different?
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1. If we played Vandy like we played against KY I do not believe we would have lost. So it's hard to answer that question.

2. Losing to Vanderbilt is complete and utter nonsense, regardless of the year, and yes, I do believe we had enough talent on this team to beat them. Lack of talent got us beat against teams like Alabama, Georgia, West Virginia, and Florida. It did not get us beat against Vandy.
 
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#68
#68
GreGGo said:
And the players that have already mentally checked out? What's he gonna do about them? Look at these kids that ain't getting drafted. They don't care about another 15 practices.
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Agree. They barely know Pruitt, weren’t recruited by him and probably don’t buy into his system. There’s only so much a coach can do with players on their way out.
 
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#70
#70
Pride85 said:
So the last two games of the season, and trust me I was very disappointed in the results, completely change your outlook? We were in bad shape in the beginning, the SEC level depth was not there to start with and it really showed at the end of the season.
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The way we lost is what concerns me, especially since we looked decent against USCe and very good against UK. We weren't "out-athleted", the other teams were more invested, and Barry Odom, Derek Dooley, and Derek Mason coached teams out-prepared us, out-coached us, out-schemed us, etc. It's one thing to lose a close game, it's another to give up to teams with similar athletic ability.....
 
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#72
#72
BigOrangeMojo said:
The way we lost is what concerns me, especially since we looked decent against USCe and very good against UK. We weren't "out-athleted", the other teams were more invested, and Barry Odom, Derek Dooley, and Derek Mason coached teams out-prepared us, out-coached us, out-schemed us, etc. It's one thing to lose a close game, it's another to give up to teams with similar athletic ability.....
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Good points. I do still believe that the players that were SEC caliber were used more than they could legitimately handle and were worn out by the end. There was still some evidence of "here we go again" showing up with some players, including starters, that impacted their play as well. CJP tried to lean on the elite as much as he could, but they ran out of steam physically and emotionally as well. I think he did a decent job of keeping most of the team in the right frame of mind throughout the season.
 
#73
#73
piratelifeforme said:
their opponents record is 85-54 and they could have been a 9 win team. They are not the Vandy of the 90's. we did look bad but you are seeing Vandy as the same team we use to barely show up and beat. They are not the same as they were. Same as Missouri, They have just as many SEC East championships as anyone else since they have been here. Those are not the cupcake games you people think they should be.
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Could have been a 9 win team is fantasy. They were a 5 win team when we played. It’s not like we played Alabama.

If that’s the best we can expect from this staff with our talent then get ready for another 4 or 5 wins next season because this roster isn’t getting overhauled enough to make up for this lack of talent. We’ll have new players but they’ll be freshmen.
 
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#75
#75
GreGGo said:
Got any examples to back this claim up?

Saban in his first year improved Bama from 6-7 to 7-6. Swinney in his first year took Clemson to a 7-6 record... a year after going 9-4 and a year prior to going 9-5. Those are two great coaches. Meyer took Zook's UF 7-5 team to 9-3 and OSU from 7-5 to 12-0, but they were already stacked... So who else can we compare to UT's situation?
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Saban didnt lose a single game by more than one score
 
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