Pruitt is a terrible hire and here is why

[Jfoley89]

Not to defend OV at all but, yeah, it's possible.

This is the same guy wanting a FB to be a key offensive cog. CPF hasn't exactly adapted to the modern game.

 

[volcop1]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

just because you wanted Gruden ,, who is NEVER going tom coach UT

 

[VolFan..But]

This is the same guy wanting a FB to be a key offensive cog. CPF hasn't exactly adapted to the modern game.

Like Saban has?? LOL! Fulmer forgot more football then most of these young idiot coaches will ever know.

 

[Betzman]

I'm 100% all in! Go Vols :rock:

 

[UTRavens]

So basically the entire OP is just him repeatedly saying "nuh uh" without providing any actual evidence?

Back when I was more active around here, I remember oregonvol from back in the day as someone who would always take the most negative possible stance towards pretty much anything involving Tennessee football - current coaches, current players, beloved past players, anything, and would frequently change his opinions whenever it suited that narrative. The only people he ever talked up were players or coaches who had just left the program (how convenient). That's not being a realist, that's not even being a "negavol", and it goes beyond having doubts about Butch or Dooley or whoever. It's psychologically impossible for an actual fan to have that kind of attitude so consistently towards such a wide range of topics. I don't know who he's trolling for, but he's definitely a fan of someone other than the University of Tennessee. I'm not surprised to see him come out of the woodwork right at this specific moment and I would have been shocked if his OP had been about anything else.

 

[CoachMatt]

Weather is horrible in Oregon!! They say rain causes depression.

 

[catchnburn]

So much for everyone bringing positive energy to the program. Pruitt included fans in that new culture. Get on board or get off the bus!

 

[Rgntddybrvol91]

I do know that Derrick Henry stated that the reason he came to Bammer was because of Pruitt. So, he must not be that bad of a recruiter.

 

[dcm3w]

Oh damn! I guess we should have went with Steele

 

[fla orange]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

Pick a new team and here's to who cares!

 

[Pappy]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

boy...why didn't Phil call you earlier this week? thanks for the late insight!

 

[Brave Volunteer]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

Not sure that I agree. If you had titled your thread "reasons why we should temper our expectations" I would understand your viewpoint. However you declaring that Pruitt is a "terrible hire" is just as presumptuous as those who are already drunk on the Pruitt Kool Aid. However I gave you a like because at least you attempted to show your work.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

So you stated nobody was going after Pruitt? Ok then prove it. Your troll game is extremely weak. This post is nothing but a lame attempt to inject even more negativity on an alreafy down trodden fanbase. Your post is filled with nothing but conjecture and unfiltered garbage. No wonder you only post once in a blue moon.

 

[MyAll]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

OP is an idiot and here ☝️ is why

 

[dancinoutlaw]

No one can say he's a terrible hire. We have no data. That's my biggest problem with the hire though. We should've ponied up the $ and got someone who's proven their trade at Head Coach. I trust Fulmer's best guess though. Its hard for me to not to ask 'Why is Miles still unemployed?' That's a helluva resume at the highest level in college football. You KNOW you're getting a proven coach. With Pruitt, you're HOPING you've got a good coach. The head coaching job brings on more stuff than just a coordinator and time will tell if Pruitt can do it. I'll do what I've been doing for the past decade...cheer my Vols and hope they figure it out. Its just frustrating to constantly hope we've made a good hire.

 

[Titan05]

No one can say he's a terrible hire. We have no data. That's my biggest problem with the hire though. We should've ponied up the $ and got someone who's proven their trade at Head Coach. I trust Fulmer's best guess though. Its hard for me to not to ask 'Why is Miles still unemployed?' That's a helluva resume at the highest level in college football. You KNOW you're getting a proven coach. With Pruitt, you're HOPING you've got a good coach. The head coaching job brings on more stuff than just a coordinator and time will tell if Pruitt can do it. I'll do what I've been doing for the past decade...cheer my Vols and hope they figure it out. Its just frustrating to constantly hope we've made a good hire.

Well said. Pruitt has never been a head coach at any level and wasn’t on any fan’s top 20 wish list. Suddenly he’s the answer because Phil says so as we let him have on the job training and all the pain that goes with it at our expense.

 

[MFL]

They are rolling the dice. Play the odds. Soon or later get lucky and get a good one. It’s hard for a tender foot to ever compete wth the Sabans’ of football. Still that’s a lot of money for OJT coach. I am concerned Fulmer is letting him load his staff with buddies.
Fifty percent chance he’ll be better than an 8 win coach.

 

[UT_Dutchman]

tl;dr On an unrelated note, when are you embarking on your next 4 year sabbatical?

Not soon enough.

 

[UTK]

Op where to begin? You’re reaching a lot here.

No Dooley was never mentioned on being even in the same tier as Pruitt or anywhere near it when it come sto recruiting. He’s a legit top 5 recruiter in the country.

He’s a great DC and knows defense. That’s just obvious to anyone with eyes.

I’m not saying he will for sure be a good HC, no one knows that yet. But I like his chances. He’s a winner.

 

[Volhoops]

Did you post this on Georgia's football boards about Kirby Smart too ? Ridiculous post from start to finish. Still laughing at all the people saying Les Miles would have been a good hire. :crazy:

 

[cncchris33]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

.

 

[Orange defense]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

Yea, but does Derrick Henry he recruited, ring a bell? Uncle Lou??:thud::lolabove:

 

[Orangedogsrule]

I know battered vol syndrome is a real thing and people here just want to feel positive about whatever they get at this point, but I don't feel that we've benefitted in any way by ignoring logic and facts over the years, so I figured I would point out why other schools weren't interested in Pruitt and why it won't work out here.

Let's tackle the "virtues" posters will reiterate ad nauseam:

1. "He's a great recruiter!"

Well, he has traditionally been at schools that have great recruiting. Has he really been the impetus behind it, or just part of a team?

Also, weren't we told the exact same about Dooley? Didn't Dooley come from a similar recruiting background?

Also, does it really matter so much that your head coach was a great recruiter as an assistant? If that were the case, wouldn't other Power 5 schools immediately go for the best recruiting assistants for their head jobs? Or are we just smarter than the rest of them? Does anyone actually believe that?

Haven't we gone down this road again and again? How many top recruits have we singed over the years that weren't properly developed or utilized? Haven't we learned, at this point, that a coach is much more valuable than a recruiter?

2. "He's just like Kirby Smart!"

Actually, looking at the differences between the two resumes is enlightening. Smart was Saban's defensive coordinator for 8 years. Pruitt has only been a defensive coordinator for 5 years total. He has only been Saban's coordinator for 2 years. So, we are certainly looking at less experience.

In fact, one looks at Pruitt's time as a coordinator, and the fact that he has never been at a school for more than 2 years, and you realize that he has very little experience developing personnel. This is a guy you want to rebuild with? By contrast, Kirby Smart was Saban's top assistant as he built the Alabama dynasty. That's far different than being a hired gun that is inserted into already established staffs and programs.

Do you really believe that every Alabama defensive coordinator will make an effective head coach just because Smart has done well this year? That doesn't seem like a good bet. We've seen plenty of successful coordinators fail over the years, guys with more consistent resumes and longer periods of production.

3. "He's a great defensive mind!"

Is he? He has had very good defenses. He's also always had a talent advantage.

The thing I don't understand about Tennessee is that, while the administrations' mouthpieces in the local media keep telling us how hard it is to recruit and win here against the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc…we never really try to hire a coach with a history of getting more out of less. Pruitt definitely continues that trend.

If you believe that he will be able to out-recruit the rest of the SEC, then I guess there is cause for hope. But hasn't that been what we've pinned our hopes on in coach after coach? Why would we think the result will be different this time?

One of the best measures of a coach is what they do in the big games and against teams of similar talent. Since Pruitt has never been the head guy, we have to go by his coordinator experience. In his biggest games (his two national championship appearances) Pruitt's defense has given up an average of 33 points (by contrast, Kirby Smart's defenses never allowed more than 21 points in the national championship game, and averaged 11.7 points allowed per NC game). That's not really the work of a defensive mastermind, especially considering the incredible talent he had at his disposal.

4. "We couldn't get anyone else!"

Well, that may be true. If so, though, that is due to the administration not the fans or the program. Accepting that result and supporting that administration does nothing to improve the state of the program. Haven't we learned anything at this point? Isn't "getting behind the new coach" and having patience the exact reason Dooley and Jones got big extensions, resulting in ridiculous buyouts?

If you truly couldn't get anyone who had a decent chance of winning here due to our administrative mess, wouldn't it be wiser to install an interim until we fixed the mess? Committing longterm to a weak hire simply doesn't make sense for anyone, save those hoping to continue bilking the fans while selling false hope. Sure, an interim would probably kill the recruiting class. But is it better to waste 1 year or 3-4 years?

5. "We got to give him a chance! He hasn't coached a game yet!"

Yes, we're back to that familiar point where the unknowable future is our new coach's best quality. Of course, no one can say for certain that Pruitt will fail, but given that there is so little evidence that he will succeed, it's a sucker's bet to think he'll ever be anything more than average here.

Dumb an 40 (currently) dumber

 

[GOVOLS 1]

Overruled

 

[508mikey]