Pruitt - Victim of his own arrogance?

#1
UT IE 95

UT IE 95

Against the Grain
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#1
Much has been discussed of Pruitt getting roasted by the local and national media after laying an absolute egg in week 1. When you win, the coach can treat the media that covers the team anyway he wants with little repercussions. Pruitt has seen this from the HC at his previous "successful" stops. Because as we all know, winning cures all ills. What Pruitt is getting a lesson in right now is what happens when you are an arrogant blow-hard that brings a team out looking like trash in a season opener. Those media folks don't have to hold back on their assessment. The reporters have nothing to fear by calling the team and their performance exactly what it was. And that's exactly what is/was happening.

The bad news for Pruitt is this. He also has very few supporters outside the media. Again - no big deal if you're winning. But it's disastrous if you're a failure.

Here's my story. Late last summer I was in Knoxville watching kids play baseball at Lindsey Nelson. It just so happened that the football team was across the street running some station drills. Nothing special, 10 mins and blow a whistle and rotate. Optimism was still high with the Vol faithful because a new coach was in town bringing hope to a battered fanbase. Well, not long after the football team took the field, 2 college kids were running up and down the street and inside Lindsey Nelson telling kids and their parents that Coach Pruitt sent them to tell everyone that they were having a closed practice and no one could look at the field. I mean seriously. The job of these two goons was to run around telling people to look away - we couldn't gaze upon the sacred field on Pruitt's word.

My thought's on this ludicrous behavior? What a completely self-absorbed tool. I mean really. This guy is telling people to look away - not because they are scheming up some trick plays for the 3rd Saturday in October - this was a run-of-the-mill position station practice. What kind of person tells kids they can't look over at the practice field?

So much like how he's alienated the media - he's alienated the fans. Plenty of people have similar stories of this pompous coach. So when they played like trash on Saturday, my first thought was "what a loser" based on that day last summer. If he had any connection with the fan-base at all maybe I'd be willing to think "it's year two, give the guy a break".

Good luck Pruitt. You're gonna need it. But frankly, you're a victim of your own making.
 
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#4
#4
These odd stories about Pruitt just keep popping up and I’m sure we’ll hear more after he is gone. He’s out of control.
 
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#5
#5
I don't necessarily agree with how you interpreted the experience with the practice. Practices are closed and the coaches don't have any way of knowing who you are or what you might be doing -- filming, for instance.

But I do agree with your larger point. Pruitt hasn't endeared himself to anyone with his charming personality.
 
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#6
#6
Grudenhaslanded said:
These odd stories about Pruitt just keep popping up and I’m sure we’ll hear more after he is gone. He’s out of control.
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I don't think anyone has enough insight on the day to day goings on to say he is out of control.
These "stories" that pop up all seem really odd and unverifiable. I personally don't believe them or at least feel key details are left out or not known.
Is he going to be the guy that brings us out of the dumpster, that's yet to be determined, but I hope so.
 
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#12
#12
What makes it even more crazy Is if he’s that crazy about things why wait until after players are kicked off to start telling these wild stories?
 
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#13
#13
Coach Pruitt hasn't alienated me and I'm not in the media...hey OP...I've heard this story before and I still don't believe it...know how to catch a squirrel...climb up a tree and act like a nut...move along, there's nothing to see here...:D

GO BIG ORANGE...BEAT BYU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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#16
#16
Grudenhaslanded said:
It’s certain that not all are true, but when there are so many and they’re so off the wall, then where there is smoke there is fire.
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There was "fire" surrounding Murphy but you jumped right on his jock strap.

I tend to agree about where there's smoke there's fire, but Pruitt won't need your help to hang himself.

And to be honest, just my opinion, even a hater of Pruitt doesn't want a bunch of bad stuff coming out about him or the program, I mean my God, isn't losing enough? Do you really want to find out Pruitt sacrifices young kittens in his basement?
 
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#19
#19
Hacksaw said:
I don't necessarily agree with how you interpreted the experience with the practice. Practices are closed and the coaches don't have any way of knowing who you are or what you might be doing -- filming, for instance.

But I do agree with your larger point. Pruitt hasn't endeared himself to anyone with his charming personality.
Click to expand...
Pruitt is really out of his element at Tennessee - I think there's no question about that. He's never been part of a struggling/rebuilding program before, and he's never been a HC before. He undoubtedly is cut from the Saban cloth as far as his public personality and demeanor. I don't think he cares whatsoever what the media thinks about him, and I admire than to an extent. You can have that attitude...when you're winning. What he likely doesn't understand (because he's never been in this situation before) is that good relations with the media does provide you with a cushion or some slack when times are tough. Being good in press conferences certainly won't save your job, but it can cut you some slack, particularly early in your tenure when people are more likely to be understanding that the job is tough.

I don't know if your story is true or not, but there have been other things he has said (criticizing the fans on a lack of spring game attendance, saying that running through the T was "different," seemingly not being upset or angry after the Georgia St game, etc.) that result in the fans and the media cutting you zero slack.

When Pruitt was hired a lot of Florida St and Georgia fans reported that he knows defense, but was extremely hard to work with. He played nice at Alabama, but of course he was under Saban there, who is such the unquestioned leader there he was able to keep him in check.

Another thing we heard about his previous stops were that his players loved him, and at Alabama in particular he was a buffer between the players in Saban, who notoriously isn't warm and fuzzy and can be intimidating. If there are motivation and buy-in problems among his players, that's kind of surprising.
 
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#22
#22
Reckon a head football coach at a major American University would hale two joggers off the street to go to folks across the road, folks who are just minding their own business, and tell 'em......"Don't ya'll look over yonder......over there across the road,.... where them guys are blowin whistles at guys in helmets and shells....now don't look, Arigt?!"
 
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#24
#24
Behr said:
There was "fire" surrounding Murphy but you jumped right on his jock strap.

I tend to agree about where there's smoke there's fire, but Pruitt won't need your help to hang himself.

And to be honest, just my opinion, even a hater of Pruitt doesn't want a bunch of bad stuff coming out about him or the program, I mean my God, isn't losing enough? Do you really want to find out Pruitt sacrifices young kittens in his basement?
Click to expand...

I think it is past time that he move on to full grown cats....
 
#25
#25
Pruitt is not out of control, can we at least wait and let the season play out before the kneejerkers have him out before BYU. I have been as critical as anyone about last week, but it's along way to go and plenty of examples that turned it around after bad early season losses. Way to early, but all of you I know are hellbent on beating the horse just remember all the horse beating in the world isn't going to change a thing. We simply have to play better and the coaches have to do better, but I still have faith that the staff can salvage the season. There are still some of Jones players that either need to get on board and get OUT. That is our biggest problem. Hopefully this has been a wakeup call, sure there are growing pains, but we turned it over 5 times, and not many are going to beat anybody turning it over like that. That is correctable, some things may take more time but fumbles,interceptions and simply knowing how to lineup these things can be corrected quickly and should be. GBO!
 
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