Grading UT Seasons (Majors thru Pruitt)...

#1

Rickyvol77

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#1
If you assigned a letter grading scale for UT coaches per season, what would their report card look like?
(remember base this on actual coaching job, talent, expectations, etc and NOT just emotional "i cried when we lost that game")

Majors
1977 - 4-7 - D- (not much talent, average schedule but at the time the worst record in UT history)
1978 - 5-5-1 - C (average year during rebuilding, tie vs Oregon St at home was not very good)
1979 - 7-5 - B- (rebuilding still, great wins over Auburn, ND and tough effort vs Bama, but upset to Rutgers and lost to best Purdue team in their history in bowl)
1980 - 5-6 - C- (pulled defeat from the jaws of victories in two near back to back upsets over UGA/USC at start, bu lost the team in terrible losses rest of year including to horrible UVA team)
1981 - 8-4 - B- (donkey stomped by UGA/USC but had a nice 6-1 run before upset to UK, rallied vs Vandy and Wisconsin at end of season)
1982 - 6-5-1 - C (upset by Duke in opener, other that upset win over Bama ending the streak and nice tie at LSU, average year)
1983 - 9-3 - B- (lost to Pitt/Auburn, but had great winning streak until upset loss to Ole Miss cost them the Cotton Bowl)
1984 - 7-4-1 - C+ (tie to Army, losses to Florida/Auburn offset by wins over Bama and Ga Tech, lost last second to 9-3 UK team, and by 1 pt in bowl to Maryland)
1985 - 9-1-2 - A+ (tied UCLA and Ga Tech and lost to cheating Florida team, but dominated #1 Auburn, beat Bama, and crushed Miami; probably would've won NC in todays format)
1986 - 7-5 - C+ (rebuilding year and it showed with losses to Miss State and Army, but put a nice 5 game winning streak and beat Minnesota)
1987 - 10-2-1 - B+ (Beat Iowa in opener, tied Auburn, terrible loss to Bama kept them from winning SEC, lost on road to Boston College barely which cost them a major bowl bid)
1988 - 5-6 - D+ (6 game losing streak to open season albeit all to ranked teams that were pretty good, rallied and won 5 in a row to end season)
1989 - 11-1 - A (SEC champs, crushed UCLA and Duke, beat Auburn, UGA, LSU, Ole Miss and a really great Arkansas team in Dallas. Bama was only defeat)
1990 - 9-2-2 - B+ (SEC champs, played the NC game opponents in OOC play (tied Colorado, Lost to ND), crushed Florida, but Auburn tie and terrible loss to bad Bama team kept this from A)
1991 - 9-3 - B+ (beat Louisville/UCLA/Auburn, lost to Florida and Bama, Comeback in South Bend, before come apart to Penn State in bowl)
1992 (split) - 4-3 - D (rushed after off the field issues and cost us an appearance in initial SEC title game appearance blowing a three game lead in the East to Florida with losses to bad SC/Arky teams)

Fulmer
1992 (split) - 5-0 - A+ (upset UGA and Florida with great coaching, rallied team after Majors firing over BC in bowl)
1993 - 9-2-1 - B+ (destroyed UGA,LSU, Louisville and the rest of the entire schedule, lost by TD to Florida in shootout, tied #1 Bama on the road, lost to Penn St in bowl due to turnovers)
1994 - 8-4 - B (lost Colquitt opening drive, offense off-kilter, played all 3 remaining QBs to see who was best, picked Manning correctly, Blew out by #1 Fla, lost close game to Bama, 7-1 over stretch)
1995 - 11-1 - A- (great wins over UGA, Bama, Miss St, Okla State, Arkansas, and an elite Ohio St team, was outcoaching Spurrier 37-14 in Swamp until the turnovers began and Chavis had melt down)
1996 - 10-2 - B- (good season overall, but with talent was completely outcoached by Spurrier, and just wasn't focused or had the team focused in loss to Tiger High, crushed a great N'Western team)
1997 - 11-2 - A- (had one of the toughest schedules in the country and won the SEC, lost to Florida in Swamp keeping this from being a A+ season, Nebraska was simply the best team in the country)
1998 - 13-0 - A+ (won SEC, won NC, pretty much outcoached and outplayed every team with the exception of possibly Arkansas, but team didn't give up)
1999 - 9-3 - C (1 of Fulmer's "worst" coaching season, w everyone returning from NC lost to Fla, needed hail mary to beat awful Memphis team, STILL had a shot for NC game until upset loss to Arky)
2000 - 8-4 - B- (QB decision not to start with Clausen hampers this season, coaching conservatively and ref call led to Fla loss and no SEC east title, lost to UGA, and KSU this season was an older team)
2001 - 11-2 - B+ (toughest schedule in country, had several great wins, close loss to UGA was awful but didn't kill season, lost to LSU started the "bad mojo", crushed Mich)
2002 - 8-5 - C- (loss to Fla in rain was bad, recovered vs Arky only to lose Clausen most of season;QB situation/injuries prevented any real success, got beat by top 10 UGA, Bama, Miami and Maryland)
2003 - 10-3 - B (beat Fla, lost a close to Auburn, team fell apart after terrible TO at UGA half, gritty wins vs Bama and Miami on road, team got snubbed by big bowls and didn't show up vs Clemson)
2004 - 10-3 - B+ (beat Fla/UGA and won SEC east with freshman QBs, stupid stupid play call by Fulmer/Sanders whomever cost them ND game and any chance at NC, played Auburn tough beat A&M)
2005 - 5-6 - D- (Ainge drug issue and injuries and offensive mismanagement, led to several losses, throwaway awful season)
2006 - 9-4 - B (upset Cal, lost to Florida and LSU on terrible ref's calls, comeback and destroyed UGA, beat Bama, didn't have a defensive plan for Arky duo, and lost to Penn St thanks to Arian Foster)
2007 - 10-4 - B- (terrible def plan for Cal, got killed by Bama/Fla, destroyed UGA again, beat a good Arky team and won the SEC East, had NC LSU on the ropes late in 4th and beat a good Wisc team)
2008 - 5-7 - F (Clawfense and Crompton were awful, lost easily winnable games vs UCLA, Auburn and barely won over N. Illinois, gave up after Fulmer was fired and lost the Wyoming game)

Kiffin
2009 - 7-6 - C- (lost games to UCLA and Auburn that could have been won, played GREAT vs Bama but coaching did himself in at the end, staff was in flux and bowl game blowout as result)

Dooley
2010 - 6-7 - C- (outmatched vs several teams, but had great LSU game plan till disaster at end, started Bray finally and offense was great, UNC loss was on ref's call)
2011 - 5-7 - D (offense started with promise until injuries happened after Florida and UGA and wheels came off, MTSU and OT win vs Vandy all that kept team from F, upset loss to UK)
2012 - 5-7 - C- (a waste of one of the best offenses in UT history, great win vs NC State, competitive but couldnt finish against Florida, UGA, MSU, SC. barely beat Troy and lost to Mizzou and Vandy)

Jones
2013 - 5-7 - C- (played arguably the toughest schedule in school history with five 11 win teams; had UGA beat but lost at end, lost terrible loss to Vandy)
2014 - 7-6 - C (should've beaten UGA and Florida in close games, Dobbs win vs SC let to a "mini streak" culumating in dominating win over Iowa in bowl)
2015 - 9-4 - B (Butch had a great team, but every loss was close oklahoma, Florida, Arky, Bama were wins that were taken away due to coaching mistakes, great win vs N'Western)
2016 - 9-4 - B- (great 5-0 start vs Va Tech, Florida and UGA, close loss to Texas A&M but awful losses to SC and Vandy cost us a Sugar Bowl)
2017 - 4-8 - F (other than win vs GT in OT, hail mary loss to Florida, team just gave up)

Pruitt
2018 - 5-7 - D+ (1st year had good wins vs Auburn and UK, but not competitive with any other team)
2019 - 8-5 - C+ (loss to Ga State was arguably worst in school history, losses to Florida/UGA/Bama blowouts but did go 7-1 to end season)
2020 - 3-7 - F (COVID year or not, was 2-0 but the decision to start JG directly cost us 3 additional wins, coaching turmoil and violations bookended)
 
#3
#3
Fulmer years were an aberration for expectations besides Neyland success

Majors, Jones years are probably what the expectation should be

some of us have unrealistic expectations

flame away rednecks
 
#4
#4
6 Fs in past 15 years

2020 - F
2019 - C
2018 - C-
2017 - F
2016 - C
2015 - B
2014 - C
2013 - C
2012 - F
2011 - F
2010 - D
2009 - C
2008 - F
2007 - B
2006 - B
2005 - F
 
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#5
#5
I mostly agree with the grades but would go lower for 1999 and 2002. Two absolutely loaded teams that should have went unbeaten or had one loss. The 1999 Florida game was an all-time embarrassment. Letting one player wreck your offense because you wouldn't change your snap count.
 
#6
#6
Fulmer years were an aberration for expectations besides Neyland success

Majors, Jones years are probably what the expectation should be

some of us have unrealistic expectations

flame away rednecks
Majors, yes...Butch, no thanks. Majors won or tied for 3 SEC titles in 16 years, had a litany of players drafted in the first round, and set the stage for Fulmer. Credit to Fulmer for taking to next level, but he doesn't win if the foundation wasn't there for him to build upon.
 
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#8
#8
I mostly agree with the grades but would go lower for 1999 and 2002. Two absolutely loaded teams that should have went unbeaten or had one loss. The 1999 Florida game was an all-time embarrassment. Letting one player wreck your offense because you wouldn't change your snap count.
1999 i totally agree with
2002 was doomed as soon as Clausen and others had injuries, and Kelly Washington tricked Donte Stallworth into going pro instead of coming back
 

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