UTRavens
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That's why I'm hyped for Jeremy Pruitt.
Without a doubt THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you want in a head coach is a "yes" to this question: does he have national championship potential? Not 10-win season potential, not SEC East title potential, but to go all the way and win the whole thing. Because we shouldn't lose sight of the ultimate goal here - national championships. That's what our program has achieved in the past and that's what it has the resources to do in the future.
You look at someone like Mike Leach, David Cutcliffe, maybe Dan Mullen or Mike Gundy - all proven successes at otherwise weak P5 programs, but do they have national championship potential? I could see Mullen as a dark horse and Gundy as maybe a little more likely, but the other two are about as firm of a NO as it gets. Recently people talked about wanting someone like Kevin Sumlin with SEC experience - but haven't we already seen what the best, not even close to national title caliber results look like with that kind of coach? Even a Les Miles type who already won one in the past warrants a strong argument that his best days are behind him and he no longer has that capability. Obviously arguable, but it's exactly what happened with Fulmer.
Even most of the young, up and comer candidates have strong evidence indicating that maybe their ceilings aren't quite that high. Many people wanted Mike Norvell, but does he have the potential to be the best if he's a clear second banana to Scott Frost in his own conference, especially after he inherited a better team? Are Jeff Brohm and Matt Campbell NC type coaches if their success at G5 programs still ended with them losing a few games every year?
Jeremy Pruitt is not a home run hire, he's not a proven head coach (although even those aren't sure things either). It goes without saying that's a legitimate drawback and this is a hire that carries a lot of risk with it.
But man, Jeremy Pruitt is just dripping with sweet, delicious potential. Youth, wild success as a DC in three different stops, loads of experience under great coaches and well documented success with recruiting. None of that guarantees success as a head coach, but it certainly points to an extremely high ceiling. I see elements of coaching greatness with him that I don't see with most (not all) other candidates. Maybe it translates, maybe it doesn't, but if I have a choice between that and playing it safe for more modest success, I'm more than willing to roll the dice.
Without a doubt THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you want in a head coach is a "yes" to this question: does he have national championship potential? Not 10-win season potential, not SEC East title potential, but to go all the way and win the whole thing. Because we shouldn't lose sight of the ultimate goal here - national championships. That's what our program has achieved in the past and that's what it has the resources to do in the future.
You look at someone like Mike Leach, David Cutcliffe, maybe Dan Mullen or Mike Gundy - all proven successes at otherwise weak P5 programs, but do they have national championship potential? I could see Mullen as a dark horse and Gundy as maybe a little more likely, but the other two are about as firm of a NO as it gets. Recently people talked about wanting someone like Kevin Sumlin with SEC experience - but haven't we already seen what the best, not even close to national title caliber results look like with that kind of coach? Even a Les Miles type who already won one in the past warrants a strong argument that his best days are behind him and he no longer has that capability. Obviously arguable, but it's exactly what happened with Fulmer.
Even most of the young, up and comer candidates have strong evidence indicating that maybe their ceilings aren't quite that high. Many people wanted Mike Norvell, but does he have the potential to be the best if he's a clear second banana to Scott Frost in his own conference, especially after he inherited a better team? Are Jeff Brohm and Matt Campbell NC type coaches if their success at G5 programs still ended with them losing a few games every year?
Jeremy Pruitt is not a home run hire, he's not a proven head coach (although even those aren't sure things either). It goes without saying that's a legitimate drawback and this is a hire that carries a lot of risk with it.
But man, Jeremy Pruitt is just dripping with sweet, delicious potential. Youth, wild success as a DC in three different stops, loads of experience under great coaches and well documented success with recruiting. None of that guarantees success as a head coach, but it certainly points to an extremely high ceiling. I see elements of coaching greatness with him that I don't see with most (not all) other candidates. Maybe it translates, maybe it doesn't, but if I have a choice between that and playing it safe for more modest success, I'm more than willing to roll the dice.
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