David Johnson Exit Interview (by David Ubben w/ The Athletic)

#1

GoBigOrangeVols

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#1
David Ubben with The Athletic did a great Exit Interview piece with former Vols RB Coach David Johnson who is leaving for Florida State. A link to the full article is below. @David Ubben writes for his supper over there (and does a very good job of it, in my humble opinion) and they charge a modest fee for their content, so I'm not going to post the text here. However, I will say that David Johnson expressed some extremely high expectations for what he believes this program can achieve in the next few seasons and I'd encourage you all to take a look.


Exit interview: David Johnson on why he left Tennessee for...
 
#3
#3
Wow! Excellent article. Friend gifted me a year's subscription for Christmas to the Athletic, and it has not disappointed.

Basically, without giving away the whole article, DJ left because he trusts Norvell and his wife's family is from Florida. It was a family move more than a business move. Says that Pruitt and Ansley are two of the greatest teachers he has ever seen. Says that Jeremy is huge on accountability and holds every single person accountable in the program. Chaney is one of the most organized guys he has ever worked for, and has a clear plan on what he wants to do. Says we will likely be a Playoff contender in less than 5 years.

Great article. Sad to lose DJ, but I am confident that whoever replaces him will do just as well. Pruitt has this thing rolling in the right direction folks. DJ said no one panicked when they were 1-4. Just kept doing the same things, and it all turned around.

GBO.
 
#5
#5
Wow! Excellent article. Friend gifted me a year's subscription for Christmas to the Athletic, and it has not disappointed.

Basically, without giving away the whole article, DJ left because he trusts Norvell and his wife's family is from Florida. It was a family move more than a business move. Says that Pruitt and Ansley are two of the greatest teachers he has ever seen. Says that Jeremy is huge on accountability and holds every single person accountable in the program. Chaney is one of the most organized guys he has ever worked for, and has a clear plan on what he wants to do. Says we will likely be a Playoff contender in less than 5 years.

Great article. Sad to lose DJ, but I am confident that whoever replaces him will do just as well. Pruitt has this thing rolling in the right direction folks. DJ said no one panicked when they were 1-4. Just kept doing the same things, and it all turned around.

GBO.
Thank you for the summary :)
 
#6
#6
I thought he was good. I thought he was really demanding. He’s a football genius, and not necessarily just on the defensive side of the ball. I know that’s his side, but he understands the game, the total game. For him, it’s about the process. - David Johnson

It was a time to find out who was really on your side and who wasn’t. That’s why I always say Tennessee had such great supporters. Not just fans, these guys support us. That Vol Walk, when you’re 1-4 and still going to games and they come out and let you know they’re going to be there.

You have a kid in Tyler Byrd who hasn’t been a real big part of the offense, but somebody like Jim Chaney continued to trust kids and put him out there and encouraged him to make plays. When you get a kid like Tyler Byrd to score a winning touchdown, I thought that was big.

Probably in less than five years, they’ll be a Playoff contender. I think it’ll be less than five years. They’re doing such a good job recruiting and you’re getting some really good kids in there and trying to own the state.

From DJ "exit interview" - good stuff.

PSA. This is not an endorsement for The Athletic.

I know some of you love/hate @David Ubben, but he has been hitting some HR's on his stuff over at The Athletic lately.
 
#7
#7
Great interview. I know it was a family decision, but I’m sure there were other coaching reasons like your personal fit and style. He was kind and supportive. He kept mentioning Pruitt being really demanding and holding coaches accountable.
 
#8
#8
Wow! Excellent article. Friend gifted me a year's subscription for Christmas to the Athletic, and it has not disappointed.

Basically, without giving away the whole article, DJ left because he trusts Norvell and his wife's family is from Florida. It was a family move more than a business move. Says that Pruitt and Ansley are two of the greatest teachers he has ever seen. Says that Jeremy is huge on accountability and holds every single person accountable in the program. Chaney is one of the most organized guys he has ever worked for, and has a clear plan on what he wants to do. Says we will likely be a Playoff contender in less than 5 years.

Great article. Sad to lose DJ, but I am confident that whoever replaces him will do just as well. Pruitt has this thing rolling in the right direction folks. DJ said no one panicked when they were 1-4. Just kept doing the same things, and it all turned around.

GBO.
Thoroughly agree with everything TNHopeful said.

My son gifted me an Athletic subscription for Christmas, too
Good son. Knowing i've long suffered from BVS, he tosed in a crate of craft beers that you can rarely find in the Deep South
 
#11
#11
It was a time to find out who was really on your side and who wasn’t. That’s why I always say Tennessee had such great supporters. Not just fans, these guys support us. That Vol Walk, when you’re 1-4 and still going to games and they come out and let you know they’re going to be there.

This one kind of hit me where I live. I turned down some free tickets this year more to protest the poor play on the field. Maybe I should have been there for the team when they needed me.
 
#13
#13
From DJ "exit interview" - good stuff.

PSA. This is not an endorsement for The Athletic.

I know some of you love/hate @David Ubben, but he has been hitting some HR's on his stuff over at The Athletic lately.
Think maybe he’s recalibrated his approach? Doesn’t seem to be going with the “comedy” that gained him so many friends. 😏
 
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#15
#15
I thought he was good. I thought he was really demanding. He’s a football genius, and not necessarily just on the defensive side of the ball. I know that’s his side, but he understands the game, the total game. For him, it’s about the process. - David Johnson .

Now say what you will about the source but when was the last time we actually heard our HC referred to as a "football genius"? With Pruitt, it has been multiple people - I remember some of the top recruits, even ones that didnt choose us calling Pruitt a "guru". I think the fact that Pruitt is a real Xs and Os kind of guy (who is also a top Jimmies and Joes) is going to pay real benefits.
 
#16
#16
Now say what you will about the source but when was the last time we actually heard our HC referred to as a "football genius"? With Pruitt, it has been multiple people - I remember some of the top recruits, even ones that didnt choose us calling Pruitt a "guru". I think the fact that Pruitt is a real Xs and Os kind of guy (who is also a top Jimmies and Joes) is going to pay real benefits.

I know one thing. Football genius and Greg Schiano aren't used in the same sentence very often. We Vol fans should pat ourselves on the back for ending the Schiano deal. If not for us, we wouldn't be in this position.
 
#17
#17
I know one thing. Football genius and Greg Schiano aren't used in the same sentence very often. We Vol fans should pat ourselves on the back for ending the Schiano deal. If not for us, we wouldn't be in this position.

No doubt about that...
 
#18
#18
This one kind of hit me where I live. I turned down some free tickets this year more to protest the poor play on the field. Maybe I should have been there for the team when they needed me.
A lot of people did it. I think we all learned some stuff this past season
 
#19
#19
Even more so, how many departing coaches under Dooley and Butch had suck nice things to say about the head coach and future of the program?
 
#20
#20
I've not been going to any games the last two years. Getting a little old and the crowds are so large but I've kept my four seats (too good to let go, 4 on the 40 as I call them) so I've given them to younger people at work who want to take their kids but have a hard time shelling out $400 plus concessions, and my nephew. Guess I'll try to make a game or 2 after the hot weather breaks. (Can remember as a kid, before global warming set in, we actually got snow once or twice in late November for the last game.) It should be an interesting season.
 
#21
#21
Says that Jeremy is huge on accountability and holds every single person accountable in the program.
That's the thing I like the most about him. I hadn't seen that from Tennessee football in a LONG time before Pruitt came.

And it's the reason why this team came back from starting 1-4 to get eight wins.
 
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#22
#22
Anyone who hates Ubben's reporting and content must be so used to the clickbait fan-fiction trash that's been the norm for the past decade, they forgot what actual journalism is like.

People hate him because he has opinions on Twitter, which is separate from his ability as a journalist. I think overreaction from his tweets is dumb. He's an excellent writer and the Athletic is worth every penny.
 
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