Let's be honest

#404
#404
VolAllen said:
I know a lot of you are internet tough guys and actual conversation is far less likely than getting flamed. I don't hold it against you, it's just the East Tennessean fighter blood that flows through your veins. And no, this isn't a "knee jerk" reaction after a loss thread. This is a legitimate question/concern/conversation/get the gears in your head turning thread.

Do any of you guys actually like our coach? I know winning cures all. But I mean do you actually like the dude? Dig deep. Actually think about the question. Are you proud to call Jeremy Pruitt the coach of our beloved Vols? Or did Fulmer and our university totally just whiff the hell out of this thing the way they always do?

It would be fair to wait until the end of the season to judge, and even then seems a bit premature. But I'm not necessarily talking about his win/loss record. I'm talking about him as a representative of our program. Forget the 5-6 start. I can look beyond that.

Most of you are going to throw hateful things in my direction and tell me to go back to my momma's basement, but some numbers tell me that others may feel the same.

2009, Lane Kiffin's first and only season. 7-6 record. We averaged 100,000 fans in the seats.

2010, Dools first season. 6-7 record. We averaged 100,000.

2013, Butch Jones first season. 5-7 record. We averaged 96,000.

2016, Butch Jones best season. 9-4 record. 101,000 average attendance.

2018, Jeremy Pruitt's first season. 5-6 record. 92,869 average attendance. 3 games didn't even hit 90k.

There should be a spike in enthusiasm for a coach's first season, so why such a large drop in attendance? Lane obviously got fans excited. I remember it vividly. He was the first coaching change I had experienced and it was a feeling of new blood and a new era. Dooley received far less enthusiasm from the fans, but it was expected given the sudden and strange departure of Kiffin. Butch came in and really had the fan support. He said all the right things, knocked recruiting out of the park, beat Steve Spurrier in his first season. Hell, he crushed it.

Pruitt. It irked the hell out of me the way he answered Bob's question in the 2nd episode of The JP Show regarding running through the T for the first time. I stated that it bothered me right after it happened in the JP Show thread and caught some heat for it. Guess what? It still bothers me. Even more so now that we're 5-6. "It was uhhh....different", was the line. Mind you, this episode was following a win. It wasn't after getting straight whipped by West Virginia. No. It was after beating lowly ETSU, Pruitt's first win as the Tennessee head coach. His attitude sucks, and it's not good for business.

Do I like Pruitt more than Schiano? You're damn right I do. Do I like him more than Mike Leach? Not even close. Les Miles? Nope. Dan Mullen? Hard to say. Butch Jones? I don't think so. Dooley? I'm not sure.

Win, and of course, I'll shut up. But Coach Pruitt, you're making $4,000,000 a year to coach football. Ideally, you're supposed to win the games. If you don't, however, at least give us the impression that you're a good dude and that you're happy to be in Knoxville. Because at the end of the day, you're still going to be rich, and we're still going to be sitting on cold, hard, metal bleachers hoping that things change.

I'll go on record right now and say I have doubts that this experiment is going to work out. I think Mike Leach, Les Miles, or Dan Mullen would have been a better choice. And I'm not saying fire the guy. That's not going to accomplish anything. But win or lose, I don't really like this dude, and I'm feeling super disconnected from Tennessee football because of it.

Flame away.
Click to expand...
Nope....never did. Hiring him was a slap in the face to this once storied program.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolAllen
#405
#405
VolAllen said:
It's ironic that Les is going to end up at Kansas. Fulmer almost took that job as well after he "resigned".
Click to expand...

I wanted Les because I thought that's what this program needed due to its decimation by Jones. No matter who was hired, I saw this as a five year rebuild (give or take).

Regarding Pruitt, I want(ed) him to be the coach Alabama wanted back when Saban retired---liking him had/has nothing to do with my desire for him to be successful.

Good post by the way. Although, I disagree with your attendance numbers. If I'm not mistaken, what you posted are actually tickets sold numbers. I recall the University publishing something at the end of last year stating that average attendance was actually somewhere around mid to upper 70's . . . I think. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolAllen
#407
#407
Pruitt is not Einstein you know that when he gives his press conference. I wanted to believe that his football knowledge was where he would be a genius but he is just your average guy. I have no confidence in him anymore not making players better not recruiting players that can make a difference.
 
#408
#408
VolAllen said:
I know a lot of you are internet tough guys and actual conversation is far less likely than getting flamed. I don't hold it against you, it's just the East Tennessean fighter blood that flows through your veins. And no, this isn't a "knee jerk" reaction after a loss thread. This is a legitimate question/concern/conversation/get the gears in your head turning thread.

Do any of you guys actually like our coach? I know winning cures all. But I mean do you actually like the dude? Dig deep. Actually think about the question. Are you proud to call Jeremy Pruitt the coach of our beloved Vols? Or did Fulmer and our university totally just whiff the hell out of this thing the way they always do?

It would be fair to wait until the end of the season to judge, and even then seems a bit premature. But I'm not necessarily talking about his win/loss record. I'm talking about him as a representative of our program. Forget the 5-6 start. I can look beyond that.

Most of you are going to throw hateful things in my direction and tell me to go back to my momma's basement, but some numbers tell me that others may feel the same.

2009, Lane Kiffin's first and only season. 7-6 record. We averaged 100,000 fans in the seats.

2010, Dools first season. 6-7 record. We averaged 100,000.

2013, Butch Jones first season. 5-7 record. We averaged 96,000.

2016, Butch Jones best season. 9-4 record. 101,000 average attendance.

2018, Jeremy Pruitt's first season. 5-6 record. 92,869 average attendance. 3 games didn't even hit 90k.

There should be a spike in enthusiasm for a coach's first season, so why such a large drop in attendance? Lane obviously got fans excited. I remember it vividly. He was the first coaching change I had experienced and it was a feeling of new blood and a new era. Dooley received far less enthusiasm from the fans, but it was expected given the sudden and strange departure of Kiffin. Butch came in and really had the fan support. He said all the right things, knocked recruiting out of the park, beat Steve Spurrier in his first season. Hell, he crushed it.

Pruitt. It irked the hell out of me the way he answered Bob's question in the 2nd episode of The JP Show regarding running through the T for the first time. I stated that it bothered me right after it happened in the JP Show thread and caught some heat for it. Guess what? It still bothers me. Even more so now that we're 5-6. "It was uhhh....different", was the line. Mind you, this episode was following a win. It wasn't after getting straight whipped by West Virginia. No. It was after beating lowly ETSU, Pruitt's first win as the Tennessee head coach. His attitude sucks, and it's not good for business.

Do I like Pruitt more than Schiano? You're damn right I do. Do I like him more than Mike Leach? Not even close. Les Miles? Nope. Dan Mullen? Hard to say. Butch Jones? I don't think so. Dooley? I'm not sure.

Win, and of course, I'll shut up. But Coach Pruitt, you're making $4,000,000 a year to coach football. Ideally, you're supposed to win the games. If you don't, however, at least give us the impression that you're a good dude and that you're happy to be in Knoxville. Because at the end of the day, you're still going to be rich, and we're still going to be sitting on cold, hard, metal bleachers hoping that things change.

I'll go on record right now and say I have doubts that this experiment is going to work out. I think Mike Leach, Les Miles, or Dan Mullen would have been a better choice. And I'm not saying fire the guy. That's not going to accomplish anything. But win or lose, I don't really like this dude, and I'm feeling super disconnected from Tennessee football because of it.

Flame away.
Click to expand...
Putting this on the last page. 100% spot on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolAllen
#409
#409
Internet tough guy, that's cute


But in seriousness, I don't know if like him or not. He hasn't done much for me, I'll say that. Regardless I love my vols and had to put up with about 20 Gators screaming in my bar today...and each week as we proceed I'll have our game on in my Brewery in South Florida
 
#413
#413
Don’t worry Pruitt pumpers will be out in force........not to tell us how good he is.......but they will “again” explain covid.......and $$.....and give us all kinds of excuses.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volsonyourface
#415
#415
He smells like Alabama, he looks like Alabama, he acts like Alabama, he talks like Alabama, and we should hate Alabama!
 
  • Like
Reactions: tnbelle98
#416
#416
Chad F said:
I


You are right. It’s difficult to grasp exactly how pathetic of an AD hire Currie was. On top of that, we have expensive tickets and 10 years of incompetence st every level in our football program. Battered fan syndrome is real.
Click to expand...
I agree 100% For all those screaming that Fulmer stabbed him in the back are completely stupid! Currie got himself fired. I am not saying that Fulmer has clean hands but he was the only option after everything exploded. No one else was available in a pinch and Blackburn had already been blackballed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ABINGDON VOL FAN
#417
#417
airvols said:
He smells like Alabama, he looks like Alabama, he acts like Alabama, he talks like Alabama, and we should hate Alabama!
Click to expand...
Exactly! Look what happened the last time an Alabama guy (Hart) did to the athletic program when he was here. Got rid of Lady Vols except for basketball and kept giving Butch contract extensions and raises. If it walk like a duck...
 
#418
#418
airvols said:
He smells like Alabama, he looks like Alabama, he acts like Alabama, he talks like Alabama, and we should hate Alabama!
Click to expand...
damn skippy that has been my position since day 1.

I am not one that thinks you have to have a VFL HC , but don't give me born , bred, feed, Alabama and call it anything but , #$@!
 
  • Like
Reactions: tnbelle98
#421
#421
A coach’s job isn’t to be liked. It is to win games. I don’t want to hang out with a coach or go get a beer with him. I want him to crush our opponents and make their fans weep and wail. Get the job done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DEFENDTHISHOUSE and hog88
#423
#423
OrangeTsar said:
A coach’s job isn’t to be liked. It is to win games. I don’t want to hang out with a coach or go get a beer with him. I want him to crush our opponents and make their fans weep and wail. Get the job done.
Click to expand...
I’d say you’ve got a better chance of drinking a beer with him than he does winning games.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CSVol, Firebirdparts and Volsonyourface
#424
#424
tnbelle98 said:
Exactly! Look what happened the last time an Alabama guy (Hart) did to the athletic program when he was here. Got rid of Lady Vols except for basketball and kept giving Butch contract extensions and raises. If it walk like a duck...
Click to expand...

He also hired Rick Barnes
 
New Posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

Advertisement



Back
Top