Last game of the season to be played, do you think Phil Fulmer knew what he was doing hiring Pruitt now?

[The Original Fade]

Wasn’t hoping for a natty and I am pleased with way he and team have gotten their **** together. But some of you are acting as though he has accomplished something. There is a whole thread on here where a poster tried to argue CJP should be SEC COY.

He has accomplished something. Recovering after our horrific start, obliterating SC, playing Bama tougher than anyone expected, and winning back to back road SEC wins with the prospects of playing in either the Outback vs Penn St or Gator vs Michigan is nothing to complain about.

 

[Lurker]

Wasn’t hoping for a natty and I am pleased with way he and team have gotten their **** together. But some of you are acting as though he has accomplished something. There is a whole thread on here where a poster tried to argue CJP should be SEC COY.

I think I understand your point, overall; however, if you think that the Vols haven't "accomplished something" I think you are very mistaken.

One year ago the Vols were broken. The team obviously gave up and mailed in the season. This year, after the horrible start, the team rose up instead of fading. The abominable 1-4 start has turned into a 6-5 record. NATTY-- no, of course not, but in the last 6 games they have lost only one time, in a surprisingly competitive game, to the Tide. I honestly think last year's team would have lost most of the last 6 games, including to SC, KY and Mizzou.

This year's team has added (accomplished) something important. They are playing smart and with character and pride. Pruitt and the staff, with the obvious help of some stubborn seniors and some talented newcomers, have started to teach the Vols the mental side of how to win. Right now, to me it doesn't matter who they beat nearly as much as that they beat them. No one will confuse this roster for Bama's, OSU's or Clemson's on talent. But I don't see much difference in attitude or effort between this 2019 Vols team and teams much more physically gifted. I think he (they) has (have) accomplished something important this season. Now, can it grow forward?

 

[The Original Fade]

I don't understand this incessant need to slap a label on someone. We didn't know after the BYU game if he is the guy and we don't know now. We won't know for a while. Pruitt bought himself another year here. I hate to rain on anyone's parade but we haven't beat anyone that matters yet.

It’s always stunning to me how some people lack the ability to put a performance in context. “He hasn’t beat anyone that matters yet”. EVERY SEC WIN MATTERS, and we have a realistic shot of going 8-5 with a bowl win. According to universal math rules, that’s better than last year and Pruitt deserves credit.

Your argument is the same I heard all offseason from some about how Mullen never did much at Miss St, with no context given. And how stupid do those people look now with what Mullen has done with a backup QB all season?

 

[volfanhill]

He has accomplished something. Recovering after our horrific start, obliterating SC, playing Bama tougher than anyone expected, and winning back to back road SEC wins with the prospects of playing in either the Outback vs Penn St or Gator vs Michigan is nothing to complain about.

Beating a god awful SC team is not an accomplishment. The horrific start he recovered from was his own mess to clean up. Like I said earlier, I am pleased and surprised by the turn around. But let’s keep it real.

 

[The Original Fade]

Beating a god awful SC team is not an accomplishment. The horrific start he recovered from was his own mess to clean up. Like I said earlier, I am pleased and surprised by the turn around. But let’s keep it real.

SC, KY, and Mizzou were all favored vs the Vols

 

[volfanhill]

SC, KY, and Mizzou were all favored vs the Vols

So? They all suck and are worse teams then last year. Not a single quality win, as of yet, on the season.

 

[The Original Fade]

So? They all suck and are worse teams then last year. Not a single quality win, as of yet, on the season.

Honestly, what were you expecting? Wins at Florida, against UGA, and Bama? Those are all top 15 teams. It’s not Pruitt’s fault that you don’t understand what a rebuild Tennessee is right now

 

[volfanhill]

Honestly, what were you expecting? Wins at Florida, against UGA, and Bama? Those are all top 15 teams. It’s not Pruitt’s fault that you don’t understand what a rebuild Tennessee is right now

How many times do I have say I am pleased with the turn around? I am simply pointing out that many of you are way over reacting as if Pruitt has indeed beaten a Florida, UGA, or Bama. Don’t believe me? Check out the CJP SEC COY thread.

 

[Lurker]

So? They all suck and are worse teams then last year. Not a single quality win, as of yet, on the season.

If you only measure accomplishment from 13-0 in '98, you'll never recognize progress. One step at a time. All wins are to be valued and recent Tennessee teams would have lost every one of those games --- because those Vol teams were worse. This team is getting better for the first time in a very long while. Be happy my friend -- at least a little. Don't jump! Go Vols!

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I think he hired the best he could in the situation. I'm not going to go all crazy and act like Fulmer had some genius plan or anything. Let's not get crazy.

 

[Lurker]

I don't think Pruitt is the coach of the year but he certainly is one of the guys who appears to have done more with less in the entire conference.

Listen, the truth is Tennessee has recently been the traditional Vandy of this league. That's where we have been and that's no longer the case.

"Dear Lord, don't make me eat those words!"

 

[The Original Fade]

How many times do I have say I am pleased with the turn around? I am simply pointing out that many of you are way over reacting as if Pruitt has indeed beaten a Florida, UGA, or Bama. Don’t believe me? Check out the CJP SEC COY thread.

So you’re happy, but felt the need to point out that JP hasn’t done much so as to bring back down to earth the fool who started the COY thread.......got it

BTW - Chris Doering of the SWC Network just said on XM that Pruitt has a case for COY.

 

[Volfan76]

It’s always stunning to me how some people lack the ability to put a performance in context. “He hasn’t beat anyone that matters yet”. EVERY SEC WIN MATTERS, and we have a realistic shot of going 8-5 with a bowl win. According to universal math rules, that’s better than last year and Pruitt deserves credit.

Your argument is the same I heard all offseason from some about how Mullen never did much at Miss St, with no context given. And how stupid do those people look now with what Mullen has done with a backup QB all season?

So, beating Vandy this year would be no different than beating Alabama? Didn't say he didn't deserve credit. Said that we don't know if he is "the guy" right now any more than we knew he wasn't "the guy" after the BYU game.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

So you’re happy, but felt the need to point out that JP hasn’t done much so as to bring back down to earth the fool who started the COY thread.......got it

Call me crazy but seems like he's merely trying to center the conversation and avoid the extremes this place goes to. Earlier in the season this place had many if not a slight majority screaming that Pruitt needed to be let go immediately. Now we have people calling for him to be COY (many the same who were calling for his head) and that Fulmer was a secret genius for knowing exactly what he was getting. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

[Vol524]

I try not to jump to conclusions on coaching hires. I did my homework after PF hired Pruitt. After looking at his football history I KNEW he could do the job, if given time. He has football knowledge oozing out of his pores. He is not the most polished HC but that doesn't bother me. He is REAL, HONEST in his assessment of players and the team and his staff. He has really high expectations and standards. This is one of his most outstanding traits. True greatness is EARNED and WORKED for. It is not achieved by accident. I just pray he stays at TN for years and years.

 

[tbh]

Call me crazy but seems like he's merely trying to center the conversation and avoid the extremes this place goes to. Earlier in the season this place had many if not a slight majority screaming that Pruitt needed to be let go immediately. Now we have people calling for him to be COY (many the same who were calling for his head) and that Fulmer was a secret genius for knowing exactly what he was getting. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

It's crazy how the pendulum swings like that. While it remains to be seen whether Pruitt is going to build a dynasty here or not, the development over the course of this season from the landfill fire at the beginning to reaching bowl eligibility has been impressive. Kudos to Pruitt and the staff.

 

[CINCYVOL]

I'm ecstatic that Pruitt has turned this year around and the team has improved but let's pump the brakes since this is just his 2nd year.

Remember we were all aboard the Butch train ending 2015 and entering 2016.

I never felt like we physically dominated or were on same plane physically as we are now. Now our linemen look like SEC linemen.

 

[Slyman35]

Given the landscape of our situation at the time of the hire, he has turned out to be a better hire than most expected. Will he take us to ATL?? That remains to be seen.

BUT,

What he has shown is that he is be capable of rebuilding the program at least to the point that we can attract some decent talent and not be such a significant "project" for whomever his successor may be.

And if for nothing more than that fact alone, he and Fulmer have my support.

 

[OG.V83]

Yes. Pruitt is an OG type of coach. He's young enough to understand today's game, but he's no snowflake. He knows talent when he sees it. Knows how to develop the talent. Plays smash-mouth FB with a modern edge. Like I said in another post, these boys will run through a brick wall for him. I think Fulmer seen the diamond in the rough. He took a chance on an elite assistant coach. Pruitt has had to learn on the job. It's been messy, no doubt, but I can comfortably say he knows what he's doing.

+1 for use of "OG"
yeah hes oldschool. He was also Phil's first choice so people naming random coaches like sumlin got things twisted. That's not who Phil was lookin at. That was Currie grabbing at straws - not Phil.
Pruitt was was even asked about it during his introduction press conference. Some idiotic reporter (prolly from the Knoxville News Sentinel) asked CJP "how does it feel to be Tennessee's last choice?"

Pruitt in response: "well I can tell you this, I've probably not been a lot of peoples first choice in life. But I was Fulmers FIRST CHOICE and that's good enough for me."

Where do these Negas get this idea that CJP was the bottom of .. a what? An Apple barrel?? WTF. -No, he was PF's first choice. And the RIGHT choice.
Go Vols

 

[VFL1953]

I never saw Butch Jones "coach' as in teach his players like Pruitt has. I am very pleased with Jeremy Pruitt as a head coach. I say this from what I'm seeing on the sideline and what I'm seeing and reading from the players. The guy is a teacher, motivator and he knows his X's and O's. He's a hands on coach. He chews out his players and rather than rebel they seem to respond. I can't say enough of how he got his team back on track after the horrible start and blowouts to Alabama, Ga and FL. I figured the team would pack it in. They did just the opposite. He does have some players that'll be drafted in April but his talent was thin due to the changeover from Butch Jones. The silver lining to that start is that no one is going to come calling to pry him away. He does need to pick up recruiting but I like what I see. I think they made a good choice when they hired him.

I agree, especially with how our kids respond to him. 180 degrees from Butch Jones. It seems to me that Pruitt has a certain "something" that players respond to. Call it hillbilly gravitas .

 

[reaperkyle]

I do believe that the team has improved during the season. That seems obvious to me. I give the coaching staff and players credit for grinding it out.

That said, we didn't sniff a win against a ranked team (0-3 with the combined score of 30-112). Also, Georgia St. and BYU happened this season, not last season. Every other coaching staff had an off-season to prepare their teams for the first few games just like we did, and we came out un-prepared and un-motivated. Those losses count toward this season, too.

I think it's a bit short sighted that a 7-5 record and a winning streak against un-ranked opponents has so many making posts about how obvious it is that Fulmer made the right hire and how obvious it is that Pruitt is a great coach and finger point at other fans that have and may still question that.

Truth is...there's probably not enough data to support any conclusion. We've beaten teams that going into the season, we thought we should have beaten and lost to a few that we shouldn't have. We didn't upset any ranked teams (or get close).

The team looks alot better overall, but still could have easily lost the last two games that went to the wire because of turnovers and sloppy play. IMO, there's nothing concrete either way, yet. The coaches and players proved some heart and the ability to not lie down after disappointment, which is an improvement to last year, but it's not like we took care of business and ended up at 9-3 or 10-2 with an upset of UF, GA, or Bama.

I would love to see momentum with recruiting and wins help that. I wonder where we might have been with a 9-3 record. There's still time left, but the current recruiting class is, overall, a step back from last year. I agree with those who say we have great talent evaluators, but the truth is, we've missed on several guys (some in-state), that the staff really wanted. Sometimes taking a commitment from a player that's lower down on the board means simply that you couldn't pull the one you really wanted. Hopefully they are able to make some flips happen down the stretch.

 

[OG.V83]

I agree, especially with how our kids respond to him. 180 degrees from Butch Jones. It seems to me that Pruitt has a certain "something" that players respond to. Call it hillbilly gravitas .

#Real Recognize Real ... that's what they're responding to. No BS from coach, just truth. They also know he genuinely cares about them beyond the football field.
He landed Crouch by playing a game of madden with him ... that's REAL

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

That really depends on what you mean.
As in, he is "the guy"?
Or as in, of all the low profile nobodies he could have hired with little to no experience, he was the best choice?

He is "that guy".

 

[Proud Army Wife]

+1 for use of "OG"
yeah hes oldschool. He was also Phil's first choice so people naming random coaches like sumlin got things twisted. That's not who Phil was lookin at. That was Currie grabbing at straws - not Phil.
Pruitt was was even asked about it during his introduction press conference. Some idiotic reporter (prolly from the Knoxville News Sentinel) asked CJP "how does it feel to be Tennessee's last choice?"

Pruitt in response: "well I can tell you this, I've probably not been a lot of peoples first choice in life. But I was Fulmers FIRST CHOICE and that's good enough for me."

Where do these Negas get this idea that CJP was the bottom of .. a what? An Apple barrel?? WTF. -No, he was PF's first choice. And the RIGHT choice.
Go Vols

A lot of people thought because he wasn't a big name on the wishlist, that he'd be another failed hire. Ya know, the fans that think they're qualified to be AD.

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

I don't understand this incessant need to slap a label on someone. We didn't know after the BYU game if he is the guy and we don't know now. We won't know for a while. Pruitt bought himself another year here. I hate to rain on anyone's parade but we haven't beat anyone that matters yet.

Going undefeated in November matters. You saying we haven't beaten anyone does not matter.