For fun. If Johnny Majors had remained coach would he have won a NC?

[USAFgolferVol]

Agreed, Cut brings in Peyton who brings in elite talent for several years that push Tennessee to the top.

There was as much talent on the 1990 team as there was on the 1998 team
Actually more

 

[GAVol]

Nope. I think 1990 was the best team ever. 2 ties and that awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, awful loss to Bama. No way we ever won another SEC title much less a Natty. I know we "won" the SEC that year, but Jeez..Johnny...we were so loaded.

3 picks in the top 12 of the 1991 NFL Draft and something like 20 Jrs and Srs off that team got drafted.

 

[dustyrhodes]

I don’t know. He drove the bus for a long time. I can’t think of anyone that won their first with a school after coaching for more than 10 years. Look at the last 40 or so. Dabo probably took longer than just about anyone.

 

[munsterlander]

Jon Majors was one fine football coach! National Coach of the Year at Iowa St, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. That’s rare air! and would be in the HOF hash’s not stubbornly returned to Pitt which dropped his winning percentage below .600. That is a requirement to be in the HOF!

Numbers don't lie. He was barely above .600 before returning to Pitt.

Bryant .75
Saban .79
Neyland .80
Meyer .85

CJM was middling at best. Dorsette-led Pitt was the exception. As several have noted, the inconsistency was maddening. Today's VolNation would never have put up with his first 12 years as our coach.

 

[2GeeZ4VolZ]

Wonder how things would have been different if Majors had replaced Doug Dickey instead of Bill Battle getting promoted.

Now THAT is an interesting scenario.

 

[ksgovols]

I love Johnny Majors for his love of UT, but the same group singing his praises is calling for Pruitt's head after 3 years. CJM had a losing record against every team in the SEC I believe except Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss and LSU. He made hay mostly where it needed to be made, won a game he shouldn't every now and then and lose or more likely tie somebody that just outcoached him in the second half. The Vols were not feared at any time during his reign.

 

[Border Vol]

I love Johnny Majors for his love of UT, but the same group singing his praises is calling for Pruitt's head after 3 years. CJM had a losing record against every team in the SEC I believe except Vandy, Kentucky, Ole Miss and LSU. He made hay mostly where it needed to be made, won a game he shouldn't every now and then and lose or more likely tie somebody that just outcoached him in the second half. The Vols were not feared at any time during his reign.

Tennessee under Johnny Majors went to Bowl Games in

1979
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1989
1990
1991

I'll take that happily!

 

[ksgovols]

Tennessee under Johnny Majors went to Bowl Games in

1979
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1989
1990
1991

I'll take that happily!

3-3 in the conference most of those years. His teams wouldn't survive in today's SEC. Vols had the luxury of playing 3 of the "have nots" in football every season. The only team in the SEC with that luxury. Majors played, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vandy every year and rotated a home and home with the remaining 4 teams which he routinely lost to, except LSU for some reason. The remaining 5 games on the schedule would be a good UCLA, Notre Dame, USC or other quality opponent which his teams beat or tied as often as they lost. So you only had to win your 3 SEC games and 3 non conference patsies to get to a bowl like the Sun Bowl, Peach Bowl, Liberty Bowl, etc. Two Sugar Bowl teams in 16 years. 6-8 wins a year was his norm with 5 or 6 guaranteed wins on the schedule. His teams also managed to lose or tie their share of games against Rutgers, Wichita State, Washington State, Army, Cal, North Texas, Boston College, etc....

 

[CAVPUT]

I always liked the guy and sorta think he was done dirty. Could he have won a NC if the coup hadn't taken place?

Kinda like a fly who has had his wings pulled off thinking about when he could fly. No reason to force me to think upon UT when it was a real football program. Let me suffer quietly.

 

[CINCYVOL]

I always liked the guy and sorta think he was done dirty. Could he have won a NC if the coup hadn't taken place?

more than one

 

[CINCYVOL]

3-3 in the conference most of those years. His teams wouldn't survive in today's SEC. Vols had the luxury of playing 3 of the "have nots" in football every season. The only team in the SEC with that luxury. Majors played, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vandy every year and rotated a home and home with the remaining 4 teams which he routinely lost to, except LSU for some reason. The remaining 5 games on the schedule would be a good UCLA, Notre Dame, USC or other quality opponent which his teams beat or tied as often as they lost. So you only had to win your 3 SEC games and 3 non conference patsies to get to a bowl like the Sun Bowl, Peach Bowl, Liberty Bowl, etc. Two Sugar Bowl teams in 16 years. 6-8 wins a year was his norm with 5 or 6 guaranteed wins on the schedule. His teams also managed to lose or tie their share of games against Rutgers, Wichita State, Washington State, Army, Cal, North Texas, Boston College, etc....

Majors also took over a depleted program, and has an impressive coaching tree. The game was much different in those days. Receivers and QBs weren’t coddled nearly as much

 

[ksgovols]

Majors also took over a depleted program, and has an impressive coaching tree. The game was much different in those days. Receivers and QBs weren’t coddled nearly as much

And he hung around for 16 years. The other thing different in his day was scholarship limits and size of signing classes. I believe he brought in like 51 kids in his first class. His record speaks for itself. His teams could get up for one big game here and there, lose one most years that they shouldn't have and go to a minor bowl game.

I certainly don't think the national championship trajectory was getting easier after 16 years and he came in and promptly coached losses to a pitiful South Carolina and Arkansas team when he did come back too early. Think he had that locker room behind him?

 

[Wylo]

Majors was a much better gameday coach than Fulmer, especially 1993 Fulmer. He'd have been able to go toe to toe with Spurrier.

Not even close. Majors was the king of run run pass punt.

 

[Nasavol]

Phil-o-Potamus won a NC because of Cut & Chief.....notice how we fell off when Cut left for Ole Piss? Remember how many teams tried to hire Phil-o-Potamus when he was axed from UT? Here's a clue: its less than 1.

Chavis sure as hell wasn’t an important cog in that machine. Notice how many programs have ran him off after 1-2 years?

 

[ksgovols]

Not even close. Majors was the king of run run pass punt.

3rd down and long draw plays just to mix them up or a little quick kick on 3rd down. The Little General loved that 1950's playbook. Prevent defense ahead by 16 in the 4th quarter and get tied by UCLA in the mid 80's.

 

[tennrich1]

John was a great football guy and was fun to talk to about anything. But he was getting harder and harder to deal with. His coaches were more than capable and produced at a very high level. I’m afraid John had seen his best days though when Phillip took over. Could John have won a NC? Doubtful. Of course that is a question which will never be answered.

 

[volinbham]

only if one can win the NC by quick kicking

 

[Kinglberry]

There was as much talent on the 1990 team as there was on the 1998 team
Actually more

In some areas that's true, the defenses got better after Peyton arrived IMHO. Plus having a better play caller than Phil helped in all areas.

 

[DougAtkins91]

only if one can win the NC by quick kicking

The quick kick is one of the greatest strategic calls in football, when used at the correct time.

 

[1982Alum]

No NC for Majors here at UT.

He would not have survived many more Johnny Majors Shows on Sunday morning in the fall either. He was getting so red in the face before he left, I thought the color on my TV was going all red. Gentleman Jack was the only winner during his years.

 

[Wylo]

The quick kick is one of the greatest strategic calls in football, when used at the correct time.

Is it, though??

 

[DiderotsGhost]

There was as much talent on the 1990 team as there was on the 1998 team
Actually more

Tee Martin > Andy Kelly
Peyton Manning > Andy Kelly
Heath Shuler > Andy Kelly
Casey Clausen > Andy Kelly

That's the thing about Majors' teams. He never really had an elite talent at QB in the 80's. Shuler got there in the 90s, but Majors was already gone by then.

It's tough to say whether we win an NC with Majors, but what's really obvious to me is that we don't win one without him; that is, Majors hired Cutcliffe which directly led to the huge improvement in QB recruiting and play in the 90s. And as much as people talk about Manning, Shuler was the player that really opened the door for us. Shuler's success is partly why Manning and Brandon Stewart both came to Tennessee, which then leads to Tee Martin and Casey Clausen, as well.

The same virtuous cycle that Clemson is seeing right now in QB recruiting. That was us in the 90s and it was thanks to Cutcliffe, who was hired by Majors. Fulmer never could replace him.

 

[griddie]

My best friend played at Bama and I posed this question to him. His response was Majors would not have won one. He would have won several. He said he never felt so helpless in a game as to win he was playing against a Johnny Majors offense.

 

[HarderKnox59]

Johnnies best team was 1990 it was loaded. He still couldn't get it done.

 

[99gator]

My best friend played at Bama and I posed this question to him. His response was Majors would not have won one. He would have won several. He said he never felt so helpless in a game as to win he was playing against a Johnny Majors offense.

Several?

He was there 16 years for crying out loud.

How often was Tennessee ranked #1 when he was in Knoxville?