Has there ever been a coach that became GREAT after being terrible his first 3 years?

#102
#102
VolFanNC09 said:
I think the thread should be.....Has there even been a coach whose fan base turned on him so abruptly?

After Game 2 this year, he was on track to be one of our best coaches and after game 4 he is one of our worst coaches. I think that is the fastest turnaround I have ever seen on this board. Not saying its wrong, but just saying it was quick.
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LOL

After game 2 anyone with 1/2 a brain knew we were in trouble and lucky we weren't 1-1.
 
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#103
#103
VolFanNC09 said:
I think the thread should be.....Has there even been a coach whose fan base turned on him so abruptly?

After Game 2 this year, he was on track to be one of our best coaches and after game 4 he is one of our worst coaches. I think that is the fastest turnaround I have ever seen on this board. Not saying its wrong, but just saying it was quick.
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If you've paid attention that previous two seasons, and still thought that he was on track to be "one of our best coaches" because he squeaked by Muschamp in his death throws, and beat up on a coach in his first season at Missouri, then that's on you.

Red flags on this hire have been going up practically since Pruitt set foot on campus.
 
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#105
#105
BeardedVol said:
If you've paid attention that previous two seasons, and still thought that he was on track to be "one of our best coaches" because he squeaked by Muschamp in his death throws, and beat up on a coach in his first season at Missouri, then that's on you.

Red flags on this hire have been going up practically since Pruitt set foot on campus.
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When he elected to stay at Bamma through the playoffs I was done with him.
 
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#106
#106
madbamahater said:
So you're suggesting Pruitt is another Majors? Laughable. Majors was a National Championship coach when hired at UT. Completely different situations altogether....
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You'll have to forgive @Pride85 , he's a dyed in the wool coach-worshiper, so he can't help himself. He tried to make the same Johnny Majors argument to justify keeping Butch back in 2017.

Pride85 said:
Yeah no other coach has ever taken over a historical top 15 program and not been successful after the 4th year. Oh wait, I can think of one that is well known.

This coach had the audacity to take the aforementioned top 15 program and drove it into the ground in their first four years at the helm. In fact, after four years as the head coach his record was 21-23-1 (OMG) going 0-1 versus Florida and 0-4 against Alabama (SMHWD).



Oh BTW, that coach's name is.......Johnny Majors.:thud:
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#107
#107
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
To me this is why you gotta cut Pruitt lose right now. The likelihood he turns it around is unlikely. Most great coaches show that they're great by Year 3 or sooner. If there was a long history in recent years of coaches being terrible for 3 years then suddenly turning into powerhouses then there might be reason to hold out hope. But there isn't. So Tennessee would be stupid to hang on to Pruitt hoping he's the outlier rather than the rule.
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Saban was .500 his first few years Dabo went 4-3, 9-7,6-7 at Clemson his first 3 years
 
#108
#108
midtnvol2 said:
Saban was .500 his first few years Dabo went 4-3, 9-7,6-7 at Clemson his first 3 years
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Saban was dealing with probation and scholarship reductions his first few years at MI State and Dabo's often mentioned "3rd" season was his second full season as HC and still made it to a bowl game. See what he did in his 3rd full season.
 
#109
#109
Dobbs 4 Heisman said:
To me this is why you gotta cut Pruitt lose right now. The likelihood he turns it around is unlikely. Most great coaches show that they're great by Year 3 or sooner. If there was a long history in recent years of coaches being terrible for 3 years then suddenly turning into powerhouses then there might be reason to hold out hope. But there isn't. So Tennessee would be stupid to hang on to Pruitt hoping he's the outlier rather than the rule.
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Can't just look at Win/ Loss record.
Need to analyze games played.
When Pruitt's teams lose, it's usually by double digits! They don't just lose they give up too!

Pittman and Kiffin have their teams fighting every game in their first seasons.
Our team this year is looking worse the last 5 games than Muschamps South Carolina team their past 19 games or so.

I'll add this. Pruitt knows football. He could become a good or great HC one day (doubtful). But it won't be here.
He doesn't want to be in Knoxville, and I fully expect him to get fired end of the season.
He's doing everything in his power to not be retained without morally compromising his position as HC.

Kirby Smart had success with Stetson Bennett. Yet as soon as JT Daniel was cleared to play, he started him! And everyone can see the difference. He made the move to better his team.

Pruitt is INTENTIONALLY hindering the growth of his own team, so that he can be let go with a large 12 million. And I think any coach that would fold in like that, will never be a good or great HC.
 
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#110
#110
midtnvol2 said:
Saban was .500 his first few years Dabo went 4-3, 9-7,6-7 at Clemson his first 3 years
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Michigan State was under NCAA sanctions for nearly the entirety of Saban's tenure, and he still managed to never have a losing season, and pulled off a 9- win season.

Dabo was interim coach for half of the 2008 season, he was not in charge of the program for the prior 10 months of the year, so his first year of coaching is 2009. In his first season as the HC, he made it to the ACC title game, and in his third he'd won his conference.

There is no comparison to Pruitt, who has 12 blowout losses in 32 games, and can't beat the likes of a bad Kentucky, or an Arkansas with a first time head coach, in his 3rd season.
 
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#111
#111
GoBigOrangeVols said:
Frank Beamer was a combined 11-21-1 his first 3 seasons at Virginia Tech.

Johnny Majors was a combined 11-20 his first 3 seasons as a head coach (at Iowa State). He was also a combined 16-17-1 his first three seasons on the Hill (and he went 5-6 in his 4th year).
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When people complain about Pruitt, I always think about Majors. UT was very average for the first nine seasons when Johnny came marching home.............but that was before internet message boards too.
 
#112
#112
GoBigOrangeVols said:
Frank Beamer was a combined 11-21-1 his first 3 seasons at Virginia Tech.

Johnny Majors was a combined 11-20 his first 3 seasons as a head coach (at Iowa State). He was also a combined 16-17-1 his first three seasons on the Hill (and he went 5-6 in his 4th year).
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When people complain about Pruitt, I always think about Majors. UT was very average for the first nine seasons when Johnny came marching home.............but that was before internet message boards too.
 
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#113
#113
Lobo71 said:
Johnny Majors was not a GREAT coach.
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There are different facets in terms of what makes a great coach. Majors was not always a great „Gameday“ field general coach; but he was a great „rebuild your program“ Coach who brought in Great assistants and players and established a culture that expected excellence and maximum effort. That remained the standard identity of Vol Football until the long slide started after 2001 and is the one thing no one has reestablished since.
Whatever Majors’ shortcomings as a tactician, there ain’t no way in heck JG keeps taking the field game after game if Johnny were coaching.
 
#114
#114
BACKDOC said:
When people complain about Pruitt, I always think about Majors. UT was very average for the first nine seasons when Johnny came marching home.............but that was before internet message boards too.
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Because of course the football landscape from 2018-2020 is the same as football from 1977-1985.
 
#118
#118
OrangeTsar said:
There are different facets in terms of what makes a great coach. Majors was not always a great „Gameday“ field general coach; but he was a great „rebuild your program“ Coach who brought in Great assistants and players and established a culture that expected excellence and maximum effort. That remained the standard identity of Vol Football until the long slide started after 2001 and is the one thing no one has reestablished since.
Whatever Majors’ shortcomings as a tactician, there ain’t no way in heck JG keeps taking the field game after game if Johnny were coaching.
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Johnny won 185 games, even though he took over rebuilding projects at every stop, won a national championship, 3 SEC championships, was a national coach of the year at two different schools, an SEC coach of the year, built Tennessee into an NFL factory over time. It's hard to argue he isn't the 2nd most successful coach who ever coached here behind General Neyland. Johnny also was great at finding assistants and has a legitimate coaching tree. His only failing was what gets a lot of coaches, they don't quite adapt to new offenses changes.
 
#119
#119
SaintLouisVol said:
How on earth would you know something like that?
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A + B = C

No other coach in the conference would start JG week in week out.

He hates dealing with the local media and ALWAYS has. "That's not my job to worry about the direction of the program. My job is to coach " etc

I've seen Jeremy make adjustments before IN GAME. At FSU and at Bama ( Both in National Championship games) I've not seen him make adjustments since Auburn 2018...

Ran the ball against Bama on 3 and 8 ( conceding defeat) Ran against loaded front all 2nd half against Arkansas allowing them to catch up. Putting JG back out there after 2 pick 6s against UK.

I have eyes. How can anyone NOT see what he is doing at this point is beyond me.
 
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#120
#120
VolArmy74 said:
Johnny won 185 games, even though he took over rebuilding projects at every stop, won a national championship, 3 SEC championships, was a national coach of the year at two different schools, an SEC coach of the year, built Tennessee into an NFL factory over time. It's hard to argue he isn't the 2nd most successful coach who ever coached here behind General Neyland. Johnny also was great at finding assistants and has a legitimate coaching tree. His only failing was what gets a lot of coaches, they don't quite adapt to new offenses changes.
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I think that is sort of what I was trying to get at. He built an organization that succeeded and he inspired his staff and players to deliver ongoing excellence.
The reason I still have some reservations about his coaching I guess were still those bitter memories of all those consecutive losses to Bear and Bama. Maybe that isn’t fair because Bear did that to a lot of great coaches.

But man, I have never known a Tennessee Coach who could get his players to play lights out football above their level like Johnny could. That Sugar Bowl win over Miami still might be my favorite Vol game of all time, even above the 1998 NC. Johnny had those kids believing!!!
i will say this, when Johnny Majors walked into a room, you knew who the Coach was. Some people are just born leaders. Johnny was one of those men. The last three Vol Coaches could not be mistaken for that sort of leader at all.
 
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#121
#121
hog88 said:
LOL

After game 2 anyone with 1/2 a brain knew we were in trouble and lucky we weren't 1-1.
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About five minutes into the third quarter against Georgia, everyone in the Stadium knew Pruitt was in waaaay over his head. And based on the performance on the field, the guys wearing the Power T knew it even more so. That is where we have been ever since. The coach lost the confidence of his team. He failed as a leader and has done absolutely nothing to recover his status. Frankly, with this group of young men, I don’t think he ever can at this point.
These are bright kids and they know who is for real and who is a pretender.
 
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#122
#122
Do you realize how much of a dumpster fire 🔥 this job has been? He’s a good coach. Be patient man dang.
 
#123
#123
Look, im not thrilled with him starting JG every week but what that does tell me, is that he's in it for the long haul and protecting HB. I'm on the fence with that. He knows we need more talent to be competitive but what worries me is the lack of player development. You could chalk some of it up to Covid and quarantine I guess.

Fact is....we've got JP here probably at least 2 more years unless there's a massive disaster.
Perhaps he can get his type of players to be more bought in than our current senior team leadership?
 
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