Is it just as easy as replacing the coach?

[rocky top buzz]

Someone smarter than me can help. We can all say the answer is to fire Pruitt and that may well be the right answer. It's not just that UT is losing, but how they are losing and simply not competing with even arky and UK is troubling.

But maybe it's more than that. I look at schools like Nebraska and Michigan and that like UT traditionally had success but now cannot find it outside of a good season here or there. You look at their head coaches and they are coaches that have had success. Instead look at Clemson, a team that had been "good" in the past but now has become great and I think the Athletic department doesn't get enough credit. You can give the credit to Dabo but he became head coach in 2008 and they didn't really become a powerhouse until 2015. What happened? Well in 2012 Clemson hired Dan Radakovich from Ga Tech to become their AD. I was very impressed with him at Tech, the triple-option may have extended it's welcome but fact is DRad brought in Paul Johnson because he knew to have a successful AD in the south you needed a successful football team. Before DRad went to Clemson, Clemson lost 4-5 games per year, everyone remembers the disastrous Orange bowl in 2011. But then you get a competent AD and things turn around.

So I ask, someone smarter than me - Am I missing it? Is Dan Radakovich the reason that Clemson has found so much success? Is a competent, strong, well run AD that important? Or did it just take Dabo more time and he's lucky that USC, FSU and Miami have been down? And if the answer is more about the athletic department as a whole, where do you start? Did we miss a chance with David Blackburn (I felt from the moment Currie was picked over him, it was a mistake). But then how does "joe fan" fix this because it's a deeper issue than buying out a coach.

 

[landscapingvol]

If you replace him with another Dooley type hire, then no. If you actually conduct a thorough search and hire someone with actual head coaching experience, even if it is at lower division or lesser conference then it may just be a matter of hiring a new coach.

 

['Boro-vol]

Someone smarter than me can help. We can all say the answer is to fire Pruitt and that may well be the right answer. It's not just that UT is losing, but how they are losing and simply not competing with even arky and UK is troubling.

But maybe it's more than that. I look at schools like Nebraska and Michigan and that like UT traditionally had success but now cannot find it outside of a good season here or there. You look at their head coaches and they are coaches that have had success. Instead look at Clemson, a team that had been "good" in the past but now has become great and I think the Athletic department doesn't get enough credit. You can give the credit to Dabo but he became head coach in 2008 and they didn't really become a powerhouse until 2015. What happened? Well in 2012 Clemson hired Dan Radakovich from Ga Tech to become their AD. I was very impressed with him at Tech, the triple-option may have extended it's welcome but fact is DRad brought in Paul Johnson because he knew to have a successful AD in the south you needed a successful football team. Before DRad went to Clemson, Clemson lost 4-5 games per year, everyone remembers the disastrous Orange bowl in 2011. But then you get a competent AD and things turn around.

So I ask, someone smarter than me - Am I missing it? Is Dan Radakovich the reason that Clemson has found so much success? Is a competent, strong, well run AD that important? Or did it just take Dabo more time and he's lucky that USC, FSU and Miami have been down? And if the answer is more about the athletic department as a whole, where do you start? Did we miss a chance with David Blackburn (I felt from the moment Currie was picked over him, it was a mistake). But then how does "joe fan" fix this because it's a deeper issue than buying out a coach.

The AD is a major component. We haven't had competent leadership since Dickey. And yes...we missed big with Blackburn.

 

[rocky top buzz]

Doug Dickey was AD from 1985 thru 2002. I think most would agree that was a fairly successful tenure for UT. In fact people talk about the 2001 SEC championship being the beginning of the end of the championship runs. Is it just luck that football was undefeated against UK and Vandy during his tenure? Won 7 straight over bama? I mean he wasn't a coach, just the AD. When you look at how OSU went from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day and didn't skip a beat, OU went from Bob Stoops to Lincoln Riley and have remained competitive, I just think there is a lot more to it than just hiring another coach. Frankly, I don't think that will solve the underlying issues with UT Football.

 

[GoodmanVol]

You need a coach and administration that are in lockstep, working together and doing whatever necessary to build a championship program (upgrade facilities, upgrade support staff.)

The coach is a very important piece as he's the CEO of the team, but if he's hamstrung by a mediocre university administration who don't really care that much about football, that coach won't be able to do what he needs to do.

 

[rocky top buzz]

If you replace him with another Dooley type hire, then no. If you actually conduct a thorough search and hire someone with actual head coaching experience, even if it is at lower division or lesser conference then it may just be a matter of hiring a new coach.

Would you say that Michigan didn't do a good job hiring Harbaugh? I think most would argue their hire was a slam dunk and yet he will likely be gone after this year with 0 big ten championship's. What about Scott Frost at Nebraska? Again most agreed that was a slam dunk hire and yet they can't beat Iowa and Northwestern? I think most fans are thinking what you are thinking. My point is there's a lot more to it than bringing in 1 guy as head football coach. I think the culture sucks and it starts at the top.

 

[lilesrt]

No. It starts with the head coach.

 

[butchna]

Better and more decisive decisions. Being stubborn and inflexible for their own sakes, just because it worked after it didn’t last season. It’s frustrating and energy draining. This from someone who was all in as one could get. You lose that group this quickly and you’ve conducted a clinic in bad program building.

 

[landscapingvol]

Would you say that Michigan didn't do a good job hiring Harbaugh? I think most would argue their hire was a slam dunk and yet he will likely be gone after this year with 0 big ten championship's. What about Scott Frost at Nebraska? Again most agreed that was a slam dunk hire and yet they can't beat Iowa and Northwestern? I think most fans are thinking what you are thinking. My point is there's a lot more to it than bringing in 1 guy as head football coach. I think the culture sucks and it starts at the top.

Scott Frost was a flash in the pan hire, not saying he can't get it done but his resume was very thin as a head coach and coordinator. He was only a coordinator for two years and that was under an offensive minded head coach and he was a head coach for two seasons at UCF. He was probably ill prepared to handle the mess at Nebraska. Jim Harbaugh has won nearly 50 games at Michigan in 5 and 1/2 seasons including 3 seasons of 10 wins. He has been anything but a failure. He just hasn't beaten OSU.

 

[ShoalCreekVol]

Someone smarter than me can help. We can all say the answer is to fire Pruitt and that may well be the right answer. It's not just that UT is losing, but how they are losing and simply not competing with even arky and UK is troubling.

But maybe it's more than that. I look at schools like Nebraska and Michigan and that like UT traditionally had success but now cannot find it outside of a good season here or there. You look at their head coaches and they are coaches that have had success. Instead look at Clemson, a team that had been "good" in the past but now has become great and I think the Athletic department doesn't get enough credit. You can give the credit to Dabo but he became head coach in 2008 and they didn't really become a powerhouse until 2015. What happened? Well in 2012 Clemson hired Dan Radakovich from Ga Tech to become their AD. I was very impressed with him at Tech, the triple-option may have extended it's welcome but fact is DRad brought in Paul Johnson because he knew to have a successful AD in the south you needed a successful football team. Before DRad went to Clemson, Clemson lost 4-5 games per year, everyone remembers the disastrous Orange bowl in 2011. But then you get a competent AD and things turn around.

So I ask, someone smarter than me - Am I missing it? Is Dan Radakovich the reason that Clemson has found so much success? Is a competent, strong, well run AD that important? Or did it just take Dabo more time and he's lucky that USC, FSU and Miami have been down? And if the answer is more about the athletic department as a whole, where do you start? Did we miss a chance with David Blackburn (I felt from the moment Currie was picked over him, it was a mistake). But then how does "joe fan" fix this because it's a deeper issue than buying out a coach.

No, it's not as easy as replacing the coach. That's obvious to everyone. But when your coach is in this far over his head and simply incapable of doing what needs to be done, you have to change the coach. No one is saying that's all it takes, we're saying it's step one.

And by the way, step 1B would be replace him with the *correct* coach. Fit means everything. Just promoting someone from a coordinator job because it's supposedly their turn, has been proven to not work consistently enough to rely on.

This program needs a true leader, someone experienced in managing people and leading an organization.

 

[jeff1vol]

Fulmer had ZERO experience as an Administrator of this magnitude. Pruitt has ZERO experience leading a program the magnitude of this one. There is your answer. It really is pretty simple. Neither men has the capacity nor the experience necessary to be successful at THIS level. We should've NEVER hired either one of them. Blackburn would've been a great hire as AD. Pruitt was doomed to fail from the get-go. And to think the present leader of the AD started him off with a $4m a year contract when he would've jumped at $2M. Unreal.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

The university needs alignment up and down the hierarchy. The AD, boosters, administration, and coaches all need to be on the same page. Until that happens, we will be a clusterF....

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

Too many power plays between factions and too much incompetence in Knoxville to really be functional anymore.

Someone had to make the decision to cut Fulmer a check to do a job he wasn't remotely qualified for.

Fulmer made the decision to hire Pruitt in a job he has shown little evidence he was qualified for.

Until the big boys writing the checks and the BOT and Chancellor all start rowing in the same direction, it will just be more of the same.

Getting Fulmer out of the AD permanently should be the primary goal IMO. He has done more harm than good for the program for going on 2 decades now.

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

When I lived in Huntsville, Al., there was a hardware store that advertised "Taxes and Lawn Mower Repair". The comedian James Gregory immortalized the place when he included it in his stand-up routine. He said something like, "I bet that, sometime in the past, some nut said, 'You know, you did a good job on my lawn mower. I think I'm going to let you do my taxes.'."

We got a good lawn mower repairman.

 

[Bigorange123]

 

[GoodmanVol]

No. It starts with the head coach.

Hi, I'm Urban Meyer/Hugh Freeze/Jon Gruden, and I'm the new coach of the Tennessee volunteers.
In order to develop a championship program, I need to recruit the best athletes in the country to come play for me and bring home a Championship.
To do that, I need great facilities, excellent career/development/support staff, and top of the line position coaches that will attract players. I need to show these players that UT is more awesome than Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Can I get a few bucks to put in key upgrades?

Administration: No

OK there you have it... It starts with a head coach who knows to ask for these things, but it only works if the administration supports him.

 

[tbones0711]

Fulmer had ZERO experience as an Administrator of this magnitude. Pruitt has ZERO experience leading a program the magnitude of this one. There is your answer. It really is pretty simple. Neither men has the capacity nor the experience necessary to be successful at THIS level. We should've NEVER hired either one of them. Blackburn would've been a great hire as AD. Pruitt was doomed to fail from the get-go. And to think the present leader of the AD started him off with a $4m a year contract when he would've jumped at $2M. Unreal.

Unreal.........Will Friend,(800K), Ansley, (1mil), and J.Chaney,(1mil+), and check out the product. Always easy to spend money someone else earned.

 

[VolsFan-TX]

Hi, I'm Urban Meyer/Hugh Freeze/Jon Gruden, and I'm the new coach of the Tennessee volunteers.
In order to develop a championship program, I need to recruit the best athletes in the country to come play for me and bring home a Championship.
To do that, I need great facilities, excellent career/development/support staff, and top of the line position coaches that will attract players. I need to show these players that UT is more awesome than Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Can I get a few bucks to put in key upgrades?

Administration: No

OK there you have it... It starts with a head coach who knows to ask for these things, but it only works if the administration supports him.

I understand what you are saying, but what facilities are lacking, what support staff is lacking, etc.? TN is outperformed by many schools with lesser facilities and less support staff. Seems like our athletic facilities are pretty good and the support from S&C, dietician, recruiting money, tutoring, etc. are good too. What are we missing (other than the obvious coaching)? Could the facilities be even better? I guess so, but the biggest gap is in coaching and player development.

 

[EZE]

Someone smarter than me can help. We can all say the answer is to fire Pruitt and that may well be the right answer. It's not just that UT is losing, but how they are losing and simply not competing with even arky and UK is troubling.

But maybe it's more than that. I look at schools like Nebraska and Michigan and that like UT traditionally had success but now cannot find it outside of a good season here or there. You look at their head coaches and they are coaches that have had success. Instead look at Clemson, a team that had been "good" in the past but now has become great and I think the Athletic department doesn't get enough credit. You can give the credit to Dabo but he became head coach in 2008 and they didn't really become a powerhouse until 2015. What happened? Well in 2012 Clemson hired Dan Radakovich from Ga Tech to become their AD. I was very impressed with him at Tech, the triple-option may have extended it's welcome but fact is DRad brought in Paul Johnson because he knew to have a successful AD in the south you needed a successful football team. Before DRad went to Clemson, Clemson lost 4-5 games per year, everyone remembers the disastrous Orange bowl in 2011. But then you get a competent AD and things turn around.

So I ask, someone smarter than me - Am I missing it? Is Dan Radakovich the reason that Clemson has found so much success? Is a competent, strong, well run AD that important? Or did it just take Dabo more time and he's lucky that USC, FSU and Miami have been down? And if the answer is more about the athletic department as a whole, where do you start? Did we miss a chance with David Blackburn (I felt from the moment Currie was picked over him, it was a mistake). But then how does "joe fan" fix this because it's a deeper issue than buying out a coach.

Joe Fan has no power to fix anything. Period.

A good AD is a huge plus, because that is the person who hires a new coach. And it is all but certain that we are now on our 4th straight bad hire, bad contract management.

But, however you get there, a good coach can work wonders:
Saban
Dabo
Carroll
B Stoops

Just examples of a few coaches that took traditional powers that were dumpster fires and turned them back into national champions.

So, to answer your question. A good AD helps but only inasmuch as they hire a top-shelf coach. Because a top-shelf HC is the biggest factor.

 

[GoodmanVol]

I understand what you are saying, but what facilities are lacking, what support staff is lacking, etc.? TN is outperformed by many schools with lesser facilities and less support staff. Seems like our athletic facilities are pretty good and the support from S&C, dietician, recruiting money, tutoring, etc. are good too. What are we missing (other than the obvious coaching)? Could the facilities be even better? I guess so, but the biggest gap is in coaching and player development.

All fair points and honestly I can't speak to the exact state of things today. But my point is that if we want to be elite, we have to be elite in all of these areas - not just "pretty good" and "better than lesser schools."

A few cases in point:
- Nick Saban's support staff - has something like 40 off-field analysts drawing about $3 million annually
- Kirby Smart's recruiting budget - $3.7 Million dollars in 2019, more than anyone
- UGA again - spent $80 million in athletic facility expansions, including an awesome new locker room

Some would argue "yeah, UGA has spent a lot but what can they show for it." Well what they can show for it is a CFP appearance, 1 SEC Championship, 2 SECE Championships, and the ability to whip our tail any time we show up to play them. So I'd say that's a dang sight better than where we are today.

THINGS LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE ARE REALLY COMPETING AGAINST.

I know we recently renovated our weight room, but can we improve our locker room? Our student-athlete housing? our dining facilities? Install putt-putt golf or an arcade? etc... Things that "sell" the university to the elite recruits we keep missing on.

 

[BeecherVol]

The AD is a major component. We haven't had competent leadership since Dickey. And yes...we missed big with Blackburn.

Yep.

And if you re swinging for the fence you have to have a good portion of the admin, and $ swinging the same way.
$ talks, but those types want complete control from top to bottom. If they don't succeed its not because somebody else was in their way.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Neither Michigan nor Nebraska have had anywhere near the slump that UTK has experienced. We got behind the 8 ball 20 years ago and have not had the will to do what it will take to get back on top. The fans want it and keep showing up, so they are obviously not the problem. Facilities are still top notch. That leaves administration, coaches and boosters. I don’t think those groups have worked together very well and they certainly haven’t made decisions that energize the fan base.

 

[Ten_Titans]

No you have to fire the bad coach and then not hire another bad coach.

Instead we are firing bad coaches and hiring more bad coaches.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

 

[hog88]

Scott Frost was a flash in the pan hire, not saying he can't get it done but his resume was very thin as a head coach and coordinator. He was only a coordinator for two years and that was under an offensive minded head coach and he was a head coach for two seasons at UCF. He was probably ill prepared to handle the mess at Nebraska. Jim Harbaugh has won nearly 50 games at Michigan in 5 and 1/2 seasons including 3 seasons of 10 wins. He has been anything but a failure. He just hasn't beaten OSU.

Nebraska is a hard place to recruit to, the days of the teams filled with corn-fed mid-western boys beating up on everyone are over. They shouldn't have left the Big 12. Harbaugh just isn't a great coach.

 

[sjt18]

Someone smarter than me can help. We can all say the answer is to fire Pruitt and that may well be the right answer. It's not just that UT is losing, but how they are losing and simply not competing with even arky and UK is troubling.

But maybe it's more than that. I look at schools like Nebraska and Michigan and that like UT traditionally had success but now cannot find it outside of a good season here or there. You look at their head coaches and they are coaches that have had success. Instead look at Clemson, a team that had been "good" in the past but now has become great and I think the Athletic department doesn't get enough credit. You can give the credit to Dabo but he became head coach in 2008 and they didn't really become a powerhouse until 2015. What happened? Well in 2012 Clemson hired Dan Radakovich from Ga Tech to become their AD. I was very impressed with him at Tech, the triple-option may have extended it's welcome but fact is DRad brought in Paul Johnson because he knew to have a successful AD in the south you needed a successful football team. Before DRad went to Clemson, Clemson lost 4-5 games per year, everyone remembers the disastrous Orange bowl in 2011. But then you get a competent AD and things turn around.

So I ask, someone smarter than me - Am I missing it? Is Dan Radakovich the reason that Clemson has found so much success? Is a competent, strong, well run AD that important? Or did it just take Dabo more time and he's lucky that USC, FSU and Miami have been down? And if the answer is more about the athletic department as a whole, where do you start? Did we miss a chance with David Blackburn (I felt from the moment Currie was picked over him, it was a mistake). But then how does "joe fan" fix this because it's a deeper issue than buying out a coach.

Timing is important as is having the right people in the right roles.

No. It isn't just as simple as firing Pruitt. But the proof is mounting that firing Pruitt may be an unfortunate and necessary step to move forward. He's bleeding recruits. Allen never developed at UT however I think there have been others leave the program. He isn't performing on the field. He is stubborn in the wrong ways. His strategic decision making is suspect. And there are indications of division on the team.