Culture Change

#2
#2
I've noticed the change especially as the season has progressed. Heup has done everything right to this point and you see how hard his team plays for him. White and Heup has moved us in the right direction this past year and I've seen nothing that would make me believe it won't continue. TN football is fun to watch again and seeing our team play their butts off every week gives me real hope for the future.
 
#4
#4
Maybe practice under Pruitt was so agonizing is why JG, in Pruitt's opinion, was the best chance to win. It became obvious in 2020 that the team just didn't have any fire in their bellies. I had hopes for Pruitt after the 2019 season, but that, in hindsight, was an anomaly. Heupel has brought a whole different style to Tennessee and the current players seem to have bought 100% and love playing for him. They are the ambassadors for this program that will sell the recruits on coming aboard.
 
#6
#6
Starts with Danny White. He brought excitement and a new view on TN athletics, from football to baseball. Facts are if you're winning life is easier too and this team is experiencing things they didn't experience the last few years. Neyland Stadium filled up for games and meaning something. I applaud Danny White bringing in CJH and what he has brought to Knoxville. For the first time in a decade it is fun to watch Tennessee football and feel good about the leadership on the sidelines. Always welcome back Fulmer, but no need to let him have influence any longer on the direction of the program.
 
#9
#9
100% agree with this quotation. I’ve mentioned here several times in the the last 6 weeks.

“Creating that culture might be the most impressive thing that Heupel has accomplished during his first 10 months on Rocky Top.”

I viewed this as the biggest challenge whoever took the job would face. You simply must create the right culture and environment to get the most of your talent.

Changing culture is hard…it has its own inertia. It’s not tangible. You can’t buy it. It’s the sum of so many different parts, so many of them psychological.

What has been done in less than 1 year is so impressive.
 
#12
#12
Culture change is such an overused cliche in college football. This is the first time I believe its actually applicable to our program since Fulmer took over for Majors.

I don’t think it’s a cliche at all. Culture is one of the most important building blocks of success.

The last two coaches moaned about the culture but could do little to change it.

You think Alabama’s success is because of Saban’s brilliant coaching decisions? I would say the culture he has built there is a much more important factor in their success.

For Tennessee to start winning again, the culture inside the program has to shift. And it must be bought-into from the top of the administration down to the leaders on the field.
 
Last edited:
#14
#14
Maybe practice under Pruitt was so agonizing is why JG, in Pruitt's opinion, was the best chance to win. It became obvious in 2020 that the team just didn't have any fire in their bellies. I had hopes for Pruitt after the 2019 season, but that, in hindsight, was an anomaly. Heupel has brought a whole different style to Tennessee and the current players seem to have bought 100% and love playing for him. They are the ambassadors for this program that will sell the recruits on coming aboard.
Pruitt’s problem was he had no idea how to lead. There was an enormous divide in that team, possibly made worse by some players getting paid and others players being the ones that Pruitt said we would win when he recruited enough to replace them. It’s hard to perform in that kind of toxic environment.
 
#15
#15
I don’t think it’s a cliche at all. Culture is one of the most important building blocks of success.

The last two coaches moaned about the culture but could do little to change it.

You think Alabama’s success is because of Saban’s brilliant coaching decisions? I would say the culture he has built there is a much more important factor in their success.

For Tennessee to start winning again, the culture inside the program has to shift. And it must be bought-into from the top of the administration down to the leaders on the field.
What I meant was, EVERY coach that comes into a new place says "first thing we must do here is change the culture." However very few really mean it or fail at doing it.
 
#16
#16
What I meant was, EVERY coach that comes into a new place says "first thing we must do here is change the culture." However very few really mean it or fail at doing it.

I agree. It's became pretty much a form of coach speak.

But ACTUALLY changing it and making it stick seems to be a lost art.

There are a lot of good X's and O's coaches out there, some are good leaders. But it seems like very few are great at both. CJH seems like one of the rare ones.
 
#17
#17
They seem to enjoy playing on Saturday. Fun to watch!
This what makes them fun to watch, IMO. They are having fun. In previous years our players seemed to always either be dejected that things were going bad or relieved that things were going good. This team seems MUCH more relaxed than any Tennessee team that I can recall
 
  • Like
Reactions: cobbwebb0710
#18
#18
Pruitt’s problem was he had no idea how to lead. There was an enormous divide in that team, possibly made worse by some players getting paid and others players being the ones that Pruitt said we would win when he recruited enough to replace them. It’s hard to perform in that kind of toxic environment.
I always got the impression that Jeremy Pruitt didn't really care if the Vols won or not. Yeah, I know he kicked a whiteboard and cussed a blue streak, but he never had anything positive to say about his players and nobody wants to play for a coach that makes it obvious you aren't as good as Bama and probably never will be. (HIS opinion-not mine.) I just never saw anything out of him that made me believe he sold out to be the head coach at Tennessee.
 
#19
#19
I always got the impression that Jeremy Pruitt didn't really care if the Vols won or not. Yeah, I know he kicked a whiteboard and cussed a blue streak, but he never had anything positive to say about his players and nobody wants to play for a coach that makes it obvious you aren't as good as Bama and probably never will be. (HIS opinion-not mine.) I just never saw anything out of him that made me believe he sold out to be the head coach at Tennessee.
Idk? I do know he never really dealt with adversity or lack of talent anywhere he had been to that point. He was used to elite talent at every position and just did not know what to do when it wasn’t there for him.
 
#20
#20
Idk? I do know he never really dealt with adversity or lack of talent anywhere he had been to that point. He was used to elite talent at every position and just did not know what to do when it wasn’t there for him.
Totally agree. Always saying "They don't practice right." or "We have to recruit new guys." Well coach, get your butt out there and SHOW them how to practice! It's making me mad all over again, just remembering. Grrr.
 
#21
#21
Totally agree. Always saying "They don't practice right." or "We have to recruit new guys." Well coach, get your butt out there and SHOW them how to practice! It's making me mad all over again, just remembering. Grrr.
Yeah, maybe you believe that as a coach you have to get better guys but you never say crap like that and alienate the locker room. Especially when you have JG continually going out there week after week, there was a point during I think the Kentucky game where you could just see the team fold and honestly I don’t think several guys ever played hard for Pruitt again after that. Was that the same time period an assistant was fired mid season?
 
#22
#22
Yeah, maybe you believe that as a coach you have to get better guys but you never say crap like that and alienate the locker room. Especially when you have JG continually going out there week after week, there was a point during I think the Kentucky game where you could just see the team fold and honestly I don’t think several guys ever played hard for Pruitt again after that. Was that the same time period an assistant was fired mid season?
He could have fired every assistant on the team and never gotten rid of the real problem-himself and his negative, Bama-blooded background. Good riddance is all I have to say.
 
#25
#25
We just had to eradicate the Red Aether that had been festering around this place for the past 15 years. Everything is now new and fresh where it should have been all along.
So you’re saying Heup is like one of those little toilet mints, that you hang on the side of your toilet to get rid of the stink. You have a very special talent of painting pictures with words.👍
🤪
GBO!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: buckfama

VN Store



Back
Top