Mike Bianchi article about the program

I do think the right coach can achieve great things at Tennessee. But, I don't buy the cyclical argument anymore. This is the record of Tennessee's head coaches going back to 1977 (Majors) against the big 4 that currently or used to appear regularly on Tennessee's schedule (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn). I included the wins and losses for 1992 and put them on Majors record since I don't know who gets credit for what. So, Fulmer win-loss totals are 1993 until 2008. There are six head coaches. Only Fulmer has a winning record over any of those 4 teams (Georgia and Alabama). Kiffin also has a winning record over Georgia at 1-0. That's it.

Majors vs....

Florida 2-4
Georgia 2-3
Alabama 4-12
Auburn 6-7-2

Fulmer vs.

Florida 4-12
Georgia 10-6
Alabama 10-5-1
Auburn 3-4

Kiffin vs.

Florida 0-1
Georgia 1-0
Alabama 0-1

Dooley vs.

Florida 0-3
Georgia 0-3
Alabama 0-3

Jones vs.

Florida 1-4
Georgia 2-3
Alabama 0-5
Auburn 0-1

Pruitt vs.

Florida 0-3
Georgia 0-3
Alabama 0-3
Auburn 1-1

Good numbers considering the ONLY team to have an overall winning record over UT was Bama and Aub was a tie when Fulmer was fired. So... SOMEBDODY was doing a helluva lot of winning prior. To be so shortsighted as to think that UT cannot win BIG in the SEC is simply wishful thinking. When did you EVER think that UT would have the best bball program in the conference? BTW... before Spurrier got to UF, you weren't even on the RADAR as a contender in the SEC. So you can save us all your pity and blathering on.
 
Good numbers considering the ONLY team to have an overall winning record over UT was Bama and Aub was a tie when Fulmer was fired. So... SOMEBDODY was doing a helluva lot of winning prior. To be so shortsighted as to think that UT cannot win BIG in the SEC is simply wishful thinking. When did you EVER think that UT would have the best bball program in the conference? BTW... before Spurrier got to UF, you weren't even on the RADAR as a contender in the SEC. So you can save us all your pity and blathering on.

Keep in mind that UT only played UGA and UF every 6-7 years prior to the split divisions. They were on the rotation of UT's SEC schedule.
 
Man that hurts. But so much of it is opinion. It all comes down to coaching. Florida has been able to hire better coaches than us. Point blank. But it’s all cyclical. At some point Tennessee will get a good coach again. Bama was Tennessee a decade ago. They’d been through something like 5 coaches in 10 years (one of the coaches never even coached a game because he got caught with a hooker at sec media days) and they were right at .500 for that 10 year stretch. Eventually though...they got the right coach and the rest is history.
The part of the article that’s absolutely correct is that we’ll have to fire Pruitt and that fulmer is a total freaking idiot for extending him last year. Fulmer should be fired before Pruitt. And that should happen right now. Then Pruitt can follow. The thing that I’m so stressed about is for the first time in a long time there an incredibly successful coach out there available that wants the job. In fact...he’s called the job his dream job. How the hell have we not already hired the guy?

Be careful what you wish for. His SEC record ain't that good.
 
Good numbers considering the ONLY team to have an overall winning record over UT was Bama and Aub was a tie when Fulmer was fired. So... SOMEBDODY was doing a helluva lot of winning prior. To be so shortsighted as to think that UT cannot win BIG in the SEC is simply wishful thinking. When did you EVER think that UT would have the best bball program in the conference? BTW... before Spurrier got to UF, you weren't even on the RADAR as a contender in the SEC. So you can save us all your pity and blathering on.

Tennessee doesn’t have the best basketball program in the conference. I’d love to know when you think this happened.

I’ll write a detailed response to the other stuff later.
 
Be careful what you wish for. His SEC record ain't that good.

He was sometime like 40-25 with back to back convincing wins over bama. Not too bad. Also you have to consider that when he showed up at ole miss they had nowhere near the level of talent that we currently have on our roster. He’d win 10 games next year with this roster.
 
Tennessee doesn’t have the best basketball program in the conference. I’d love to know when you think this happened.

I’ll write a detailed response to the other stuff later.
Who's better this year? UF? UK? We'll see. Oh... and BTW... we have won more bball SEC titles than anyone NOT named Kentucky
 
Keep in mind that UT only played UGA and UF every 6-7 years prior to the split divisions. They were on the rotation of UT's SEC schedule.
I'm aware. And before PF was fired, we had a 22-2 record against LSU. THEY were an also-ran. Not so much now. My point is... things change.
 
Oh man that article was like Apollo Creed's beat down and the guy yelling for Rocky to throw in the towel
 
He's not wrong. I do NOT understand why some are pointing to the Florida game as a glimpse of hope because we didn't lose THAT badly. We did lose badly. Those last two touchdowns for us were definitely in garbage time and Florida was clearly not trying that hard. We were giving our best and that's all we could muster. Other's around the SEC do see us as barely better than Vandy... because we are.

A coaching change can help us all around. But our administration is wholly incompetent and just like Butch, we will keep Pruitt longer than we should. Nobody, and I mean nobody, thinks that Pruitt is the answer to turn this ship around.
 
State run media and the athletic department do an excellent job of spinning up the sunshine and painting a better than you realize picture of the Tennessee sports teams to lure advertisers and sponsors in a professional sports desert like East Tennessee. The university does a good job ensuring any publicly financed or supported sports activities and venues are orange and white. Most Tennessee fans fail to recall that runs to the Sugar Bowl in 1985 and in 1990 occurred solely because the Florida program was on probation and ineligible to represent the conference in New Orleans.

Can't really spin 2-6 in a conference only schedule. I'd like to see the legislature step in and require state universities which are paying opponents to play in their home stadium (not the neutral site games) be required to play other universities operated by the State of Tennessee, keep the buy money in state, give other Tennessee kids an opportunity to play at other state schools other than Tennessee.
 
He's right, although the below is a pretty dangerous quote to make. It's been said about countless programs before who got it turned around.

I just wonder if Tennessee’s institutional self-deception will allow the Vols to grasp that their program will never be what it once was?
 
I’ll give you the analogy based on the way I think Tennessee fans view the program.

Tennessee fans view the program as a cool dude in his 20’s that has a Trans Am Ferrari. But, the Trans Am Ferrari has been in a wreck and needs to be repaired. But, the dude is too dumb or too cheap to take it to the right mechanic, so he’s still getting around town picking up chicks with a bus pass until he can get the Trans Am Ferrari fixed.
Sir, this is Appalachia.
 
Ultimately here's what Bianchi and a lot of people don't realize.

The program has degraded to a point where it is totally justified to say that we cannot compete with Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. We do not and should not expect to be competitive with those teams right now.

The program has not degraded to a point, however, where we should expect to be in a dogfight with Vanderbilt every year. Lack of talent, a degraded program, etc. explains not being competitive with good teams, but it does not adequately explain how we're 3-5 against Vanderbilt over the last 8 years. Given the relative amount of resources, fan support, etc. that each program has, there's no good reason why Tennessee should struggle that much against Vandy.
 
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Sounds like me. Traded my Miata for a German sports car because I was tired of the weird looks. But seriously, maybe we're just destined to have a down period albeit due to the stupidity of our athletic department and boosters.
 
Sounds like me. Traded my Miata for a German sports car because I was tired of the weird looks. But seriously, maybe we're just destined to have a down period albeit due to the stupidity of our athletic department and boosters.
Is our "Down Period" going to last two decades?
 
Is Mullen always so arrogant and ungracious in his comments after a win or does he just particularly hate Pruitt for some reason? Admittedly, I haven't listened to him much, but what I have heard and seen from him, he really comes off as a douche.
I think he's a bit of a douchebag, but he's good at his job and is winning, so he will get by with it. Saban is a prime example, way bigger douche than Mullen, but damn he's good at his job (the best). Win and all is forgiven. A lesson Pruitt would do well to learn, unfortunately I believe Pruitt is unteachable...
 
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I think he's a bit of a douchebag, but he's good at his job and is winning, so he will get by with it. Saban is a prime example, way bigger douche than Mullen, but damn he's good at his job (the best). Win and all is forgiven. A lesson Pruitt would do well to learn, unfortunately I believe Pruitt is unteachable...

I can accept Nick Saban being a prick.

He’s certainly earned it.
 
So, you’re the better program because you’re higher ranked this particular season?
You COMPLETELY missed the point. And YES... right now, I would say that UT is a better program than UF. Whats the head to head records over the last several years? Right now... 76-57 UT since 1927.
 
I’ll give you the analogy based on the way I think Tennessee fans view the program.

Tennessee fans view the program as a cool dude in his 20’s that has a Ferrari. But, the Ferrari has been in a wreck and needs to be repaired. But, the dude is too dumb or too cheap to take it to the right mechanic, so he’s still getting around town picking up chicks with a bus pass until he can get the Ferrari fixed.

The writer is saying no. You’re the guy in his early 50’s with the beer gut, 1998 Miata and the awesome comb over. You think you’re still that cool dude, but you ain’t. And you can’t figure why others don’t see you the way you see yourself.

I think that’s what he trying to say.

I see it more as the Ferrari in the shop. But, I’m also acknowledging more and more that it’s quite possible that the car has been totaled
Hey, that's not a bad analogy. I hope you're right about the Ferrari in the shop (not totaled).
 
You COMPLETELY missed the point. And YES... right now, I would say that UT is a better program than UF. Whats the head to head records over the last several years? Right now... 76-57 UT since 1927.
I like the optimism but I believe that's wishful thinking, unfortunately..
 

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