"I need to see Josh Heupel accomplish...

[vols 30]

Every coach, every fan, every year - "we dont have the depth" or ""they roster is lacking"

#1 excuse





And it's BS

 

[deatojl]

Don't mind me. I'm just here to find out where I need to set these goal posts.

 

[Volnanza]

It’s funny. But Butch has our last 2 wins against UGA and has come closer in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa than Heupel. The 2023 Florida game was horrid.

Are you implying that Butch is a better coach than Heupel??? That would be crazy.

 

[sonofUT62]

Are you implying that Butch is a better coach than Heupel??? That would be crazy.

Almost as crazy as that being addressed in post #31 and you still asking me.

 

[volhall16]

And that is a major problem* in YEAR 5

*or at least should be IMO

It is a major ****in problem, no doubt. This fanbase needs to temper expectations for this year, bc it ain’t gonna be very pretty. 8 wins is about the ceiling for this roster.

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

Unfortunately I don’t see any of those happening this year

 

[volhall16]

I like all of the coaches at Tennessee but Josh has accomplished more in his first 4 years than Barnes or Vitello did. And he’s done it under scholarship reductions & NCAA probation.

This isn’t a knock on Barnes or Vitello but simply a compliment to the job Heupel has done here.

Yet, he’s easily the 3rd best coach of the trio. And, it’s not particularly close. Vitello & Barnes are both light years better than Heupel..

 

[volhall16]

Okay, but Jones didn't play/win against Kirby Smart's UGA, didn't record one win against AL, and had 1 win vs FL. In five seasons. His conference record was above .500 just one season.
There's no comparison there.

Actually, Butch did, in fact, beat a Kirby UGA team…. 2016, in Kirby’s first year there…

 

[zjcvols]

Yet, he’s easily the 3rd best coach of the trio. And, it’s not particularly close. Vitello & Barnes are both light years better than Heupel..

Vitello yes. Vitello is one of the greatest college baseball coaches of all-time. Not quite fair to compare him to those two.

Barnes & Heupel are probably on the same tier. Not top 5 in their sport but comfortably in the 6-15 range.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Yet, he’s easily the 3rd best coach of the trio. And, it’s not particularly close. Vitello & Barnes are both light years better than Heupel..

How exactly?

 

[Godfatha]

The ceiling is raised by upping the recruiting game and being willing to work with championship coaches who he doesn’t have a close relationship with. The players love him and he’s an offensive genius. Some thought that Spurrier had hit his ceiling and he hired Bob Stoops. I think there’s a small amount of correlation here.

Agree with you, but he's gotta do it. Get outside of the buddy system, hire the best, and recruit the best.

 

[sonofUT62]

Yet, he’s easily the 3rd best coach of the trio. And, it’s not particularly close. Vitello & Barnes are both light years better than Heupel..

Heupel put us back on the map in 2022. “Light years” is silly.!

 

[volmandu]

It’s funny. But Butch has our last 2 wins against UGA and has come closer in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa than Heupel. The 2023 Florida game was horrid.

Butch just could not close games out and fumbled at the end of his tenure, otherwise what he had in year 3 and 4 was a very impressive collection of talent that should have won a lot more.

 

[LAVol1]

Except Josh has only hired internally for his offensive staff really.

Funny enough IMO, I feel that the defense has been better than the offense (maybe some recency bias)

What we have seen is steady improvement in the D as the O has digressed. With the losses on D, it appears the D will digress somewhat in '25 and the O will probably not improve over '24 unless JA is a huge improvement over he who's name shall not be mentioned.

 

[LAVol1]

I like all of the coaches at Tennessee but Josh has accomplished more in his first 4 years than Barnes or Vitello did. And he’s done it under scholarship reductions & NCAA probation.

This isn’t a knock on Barnes or Vitello but simply a compliment to the job Heupel has done here.

You've got to be kidding. Vitello took a program that was near the bottom of the SEC, won a NC and propelled them to the #1 baseball program in the country in less than 7 seasons. Vitello is probably the greatest coach the Vols have had in any sport since The General.

 

[Wahoooo]

It’s funny. But Butch has our last 2 wins against UGA and has come closer in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa than Heupel. The 2023 Florida game was horrid.

Agree, however UGA was beatable under Richt. I know one win was against Kirby, but that was his first year and Butch did have more talent that year. At least we have a 2 game win streak vs Bama at home,

 

[volhall16]

How exactly?

Do you really need me to explain that to you? Lol, c’mon, man…

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Do you really need me to explain that to you? Lol, c’mon, man…

Yeah I would . How is Rick Barnes light years ahead of Josh Heupel? And how do you measure that?

 

[OffTackleVol]

It is a major ****in problem, no doubt. This fanbase needs to temper expectations for this year, bc it ain’t gonna be very pretty. 8 wins is about the ceiling for this roster.

8 wins is the ceiling? LMAO...........

 

[sonofUT62]

Agree with you, but he's gotta do it. Get outside of the buddy system, hire the best, and recruit the best.

Really about the only concern I have. He’s a relationship coach and that doesn’t matter on the field.

 

[Elhanan]

I don’t know what to expect this season tbh.

I don’t know enough about our new starters to make an honest prediction but it would be nice to see one of those accomplished.

 

[deatojl]

Agree with you, but he's gotta do it. Get outside of the buddy system, hire the best, and recruit the best.

There are currently three out of 11 on field coaches who worked with CJH prior to Tennessee: Alec Abeln, Joey Halzle and Glen Elarbee. CJH also just brough Marion Hobby in as an analyst, whom he had not previously worked with. I see this nonsense spewed quite frequently but please explain how his coaching staff is nothing but a "buddy system".

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

I don't get the "roster is lacking" view. There's plenty of capable talent on hand to have an outstanding season.

By what standards? We have enough for 8 or 9 wins but we won't be a top 10 team at probably any point this season. It would be nice to take the next step and be up there with UGA, tOSU, Oregon etc. Not gonna happen until we recruit at an elite level like those schools.

 

[TNnative]

It’s funny. But Butch has our last 2 wins against UGA and has come closer in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa than Heupel. The 2023 Florida game was horrid.

To be honest about Butch? There was a lot I liked. And there was one thing I hated, which was a big reason why patience with him dried up quickly his last season.

And that reason is summed up with his favorite word; Individuals.

 

[njvols]

Heupel is about out of the 'wait til he gets his own guys' days. This is a big year for him, next year is HUGE.

I fear he has a high floor BUT has about hit his ceiling. Time will tell.

I am a JH fan and really glad we have him. I do think, however, that you're correct. We are undermanned vs UGA, TX, Bama on paper and could easily argue others like LSU....and semi on par w/ TaM, OM, etc. Our best chance at taking the next step is exponential QB play. It's the playbook Clemson used to climb to national relevance, and among SEC powers where everyone recruits well, and upper crust recruits elite, you need to have differentiated QB play to separate...of course, all while maintaining a stout D. Good news is JH excels at QB recruitment...just need it to show up on Saturdays in a significant way.