The case against Pruitt

[VolsFreak18]

Pruitt is not going to be the answer. I am amazed that people are even trying to defend the guy. He has coached for 3 different college teams, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State. What do those schools have in common? They almost always have recruiting classes in the top 5. When you are that high up in recruiting and have that much talent coming in just about any coach can look promising. You can just out talent everyone else and look good.

The next thing I have an issue with is him being called a great recruiter. Again, the issue here is he coached at teams that are annually top 5 or at least top 10 in recruiting every year. Just about anyone can go to those schools and bring in a few 5 stars just because of the school. I’m sorry but national recruiting awards are about as meaningful as the Heisman award.

Finally, our problem last year was not on the Defensive side. It was 100% on the offensive side. How many times in the last 10 years have we made the comment “The defense is keeping us in this game”. We have typically had strong defenses but Tennessee has rarely had an elite offense. This is why I don’t understand why we are looking at defensive coordinators. It just seems like it is much harder to hire a great OC and is much easier to hire a great DC. In the SEC you have to play aggressive to survive and generally DCs tend to not be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. I am just tired of us having a lead and allowing the opponent to get back into the game because we let off the gas pedal.

This hire does not excite me at all in any way. I am already seeing the sunshine pumpers trying to do what they do and build up the coach. I love Tennessee Football and always will no matter how bad it gets. I just think we are looking at Jones/Dooley 2.0 for the next 3 years. It is sickening to think about but because this is the guy Fulmer wants and everyone will give it a chance instead of voicing their displeasure before the hire is made.

Finally, i'll end one the same note as people did with almost every coach last week. If he is such a hot name in the coaching world why did I have to Google him and why were there no rumors of any interview with him at other schools? VolNation doing what it did with Dooley and Jones and that is build them up like they are the next best thing.

 

[volfanbill]

He was recruiting those classes

 

[MR_VOL]

The case for Pruitt.......he is the best coach currently being discussed.

 

[jakez4ut]

had this part of a conversation in another thread, thought it applied here. i think it's less about Pruitt, and more about how we arrived at Pruitt.

none of us really know if Pruitt will be good or bad, hence the problem:

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricFreakingBerry View Post
Most of us do.

Sadly, I think there is a segment of the fanbase that just wants him to fail because:

* "he's a Bammer"
* "I didn't get my guy"
* "I want to take an elitist unpopular opinion so if it does fail, I can come back and beg for my e-cred"

well, i won't speak for everyone. i think people are just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

we want something to be "KNOWN". and a gruden, petersen, patterson, fuente type hire gives everyone a known commodity that one could realistically expect better levels of success with.

a pruitt hire, despite the warm and fuzzy tone i've tried to set here, provides more unknown. could be good, could be bad. and over the last 13 years, each, and EVERY, time we've been in a 50/50 proposition on the direction of the program...........

well, it's gone against. every single time.

so why, really, should this time be different? another 50/50, and we're just supposed to trust the same people responsible for the last 10 years that this time is different?

BVS. it's real. and everyone in the fan base thinks they know who can deliver the cure, and most do not think it's going to Pruitt, Tucker or STeele.

so....i don't think it's a matter of "wanting him to fail", as much as it is "expecting it to fail, because it feels the same as all the others".

 

[vols1707]

Best coach fit for Fulmer that will take this job....

 

[FLVOL_79]

The only knock I have against him is that he has no HC coaching experience. Some of that "knock" is tempered by the fact he has worked for a group of really good and proven coaches.

Look on the bright side, he doesn't have a losing record as a HC!

 

[BallerVols]

UT's defense ranked 81st in total defense in FBS. Yes, the offense was worse, but UT certainly had issues on defense. Pruitt finished the year ranked 2nd in total defense. I could care less about this being an exciting hire, UT just racked up 4 top 15 recruiting classes, with 2 of those being top 5. Attrition, strength and conditioning, and development have all gone against UT due to poor coaching.

Lastly, if you had to google him to know who he is then you don't pay attention to big time football. He has been the DC at Bama, UGA, and FLST. If you don't pay attention to who is where in college football, especially in the SEC, then you have no credibility with your opinion.

 

[checkerboards09]

As crappy of a coach as Butch was, the recruiting classes haven’t been that bad.

 

[SDV]

When Kirby Smart left Bama, Nick Saban didn’t even interview anyone for his DC. He already had Pruitt chosen. Let that sink in.

 

[VolsFreak18]

He was recruiting those classes

Sorry but Mark Richt, Nick Saban, and Jumbo Fisher were recruiting those classes. Most recruits could careless if a coordinator leave a school but if the HC leaves you see recruits almost immediately open up their recruitment.

 

[Dan Federman]

Pruitt is not going to be the answer. I am amazed that people are even trying to defend the guy. He has coached for 3 different college teams, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State. What do those schools have in common? They almost always have recruiting classes in the top 5. When you are that high up in recruiting and have that much talent coming in just about any coach can look promising. You can just out talent everyone else and look good.

The next thing I have an issue with is him being called a great recruiter. Again, the issue here is he coached at teams that are annually top 5 or at least top 10 in recruiting every year. Just about anyone can go to those schools and bring in a few 5 stars just because of the school. I’m sorry but national recruiting awards are about as meaningful as the Heisman award.

Finally, our problem last year was not on the Defensive side. It was 100% on the offensive side. How many times in the last 10 years have we made the comment “The defense is keeping us in this game”. We have typically had strong defenses but Tennessee has rarely had an elite offense. This is why I don’t understand why we are looking at defensive coordinators. It just seems like it is much harder to hire a great OC and is much easier to hire a great DC. In the SEC you have to play aggressive to survive and generally DCs tend to not be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. I am just tired of us having a lead and allowing the opponent to get back into the game because we let off the gas pedal.

This hire does not excite me at all in any way. I am already seeing the sunshine pumpers trying to do what they do and build up the coach. I love Tennessee Football and always will no matter how bad it gets. I just think we are looking at Jones/Dooley 2.0 for the next 3 years. It is sickening to think about but because this is the guy Fulmer wants and everyone will give it a chance instead of voicing their displeasure before the hire is made.

Finally, i'll end one the same note as people did with almost every coach last week. If he is such a hot name in the coaching world why did I have to Google him and why were there no rumors of any interview with him at other schools? VolNation doing what it did with Dooley and Jones and that is build them up like they are the next best thing.

Pruitt would be a good hire in my opinion. And so would Tucker. I'd be more than pleased to get either one. And if you had to google Jeremy Pruitt then you don't keep up with whats going on in college football.

 

[CAVPUT]

The case for Pruitt.......he is the best coach currently being discussed.

Yep. UT is choosing from coordinators. It is what it is. Pretty much two levels.....Pruitt, Tucker and Venebles on one and Steele a notch below...IMO. The UT decides things in Steeles favor and there's a chance folks get what they've been clamoring for....Martins return to the hill.

At this point, I'm just ready for this ordeal to be over. Don't care about the press conference hyping whomever is hired. I'll watch how they handle recruiting then see what the product on the field looks like next year. Wonder if the new guy can finally get our players to understand the difference in being hurt and being injured? Maybe we won't be quite as fragile next season? One can hope and maybe we can get to 5 wins next year? Grab a positive where and when you can I guess.

 

[Mason]

ok i defense is not the problem... sure.. we just got outscored by everyone in the SEC this year

 

[Ashevillevol]

As crappy of a coach as Butch was, the recruiting classes haven’t been that bad.

One of his biggest problems is he can take a good player/class and make them look crappy. And do it with consistency.

 

[CINCYVOL]

Pruitt is not going to be the answer. I am amazed that people are even trying to defend the guy. He has coached for 3 different college teams, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State. What do those schools have in common? They almost always have recruiting classes in the top 5. When you are that high up in recruiting and have that much talent coming in just about any coach can look promising. You can just out talent everyone else and look good.

The next thing I have an issue with is him being called a great recruiter. Again, the issue here is he coached at teams that are annually top 5 or at least top 10 in recruiting every year. Just about anyone can go to those schools and bring in a few 5 stars just because of the school. I’m sorry but national recruiting awards are about as meaningful as the Heisman award.

Finally, our problem last year was not on the Defensive side. It was 100% on the offensive side. How many times in the last 10 years have we made the comment “The defense is keeping us in this game”. We have typically had strong defenses but Tennessee has rarely had an elite offense. This is why I don’t understand why we are looking at defensive coordinators. It just seems like it is much harder to hire a great OC and is much easier to hire a great DC. In the SEC you have to play aggressive to survive and generally DCs tend to not be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. I am just tired of us having a lead and allowing the opponent to get back into the game because we let off the gas pedal.

This hire does not excite me at all in any way. I am already seeing the sunshine pumpers trying to do what they do and build up the coach. I love Tennessee Football and always will no matter how bad it gets. I just think we are looking at Jones/Dooley 2.0 for the next 3 years. It is sickening to think about but because this is the guy Fulmer wants and everyone will give it a chance instead of voicing their displeasure before the hire is made.

Finally, i'll end one the same note as people did with almost every coach last week. If he is such a hot name in the coaching world why did I have to Google him and why were there no rumors of any interview with him at other schools? VolNation doing what it did with Dooley and Jones and that is build them up like they are the next best thing.

You lost me praising the defense. Truth is the whole team sucked this year, every phase.

 

[Vol_Doc]

Butch had highly ranked recruiting classes, and where did that get us? Oh, and if you think our defense this year was anything but a sieve, you weren't paying attention. Have you looked at the defensive stats from the years he was at those respective programs? I think there's too much "he's not a proven head coach" mumbo jumbo on this board. I'm not sure we'd be able to get a proven head coach anyway, even if we just throw a bunch of money at him. This guy is a proven coordinator who has been moving his way up the ranks. He's a 2 time Broyles award finalist. I think he's ready to jump to the next level. The only way to know is to give him a shot.

Of course, until he's officially announced as the coach, this is all rumor and conjecture.

 

[djohnnyg]

So how many head coaching jobs did Kirby Smart have before taking his team to the BCS playoffs at Georgia ? Oh...was he the DC at Alabama too? Horrible idea and Georgia is obviously paying dearly for it.

 

[jpope9]

Pruitt is not going to be the answer. I am amazed that people are even trying to defend the guy. He has coached for 3 different college teams, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State. What do those schools have in common? They almost always have recruiting classes in the top 5. When you are that high up in recruiting and have that much talent coming in just about any coach can look promising. You can just out talent everyone else and look good.

The next thing I have an issue with is him being called a great recruiter. Again, the issue here is he coached at teams that are annually top 5 or at least top 10 in recruiting every year. Just about anyone can go to those schools and bring in a few 5 stars just because of the school. I’m sorry but national recruiting awards are about as meaningful as the Heisman award.

Finally, our problem last year was not on the Defensive side. It was 100% on the offensive side. How many times in the last 10 years have we made the comment “The defense is keeping us in this game”. We have typically had strong defenses but Tennessee has rarely had an elite offense. This is why I don’t understand why we are looking at defensive coordinators. It just seems like it is much harder to hire a great OC and is much easier to hire a great DC. In the SEC you have to play aggressive to survive and generally DCs tend to not be aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. I am just tired of us having a lead and allowing the opponent to get back into the game because we let off the gas pedal.

This hire does not excite me at all in any way. I am already seeing the sunshine pumpers trying to do what they do and build up the coach. I love Tennessee Football and always will no matter how bad it gets. I just think we are looking at Jones/Dooley 2.0 for the next 3 years. It is sickening to think about but because this is the guy Fulmer wants and everyone will give it a chance instead of voicing their displeasure before the hire is made.

Finally, i'll end one the same note as people did with almost every coach last week. If he is such a hot name in the coaching world why did I have to Google him and why were there no rumors of any interview with him at other schools? VolNation doing what it did with Dooley and Jones and that is build them up like they are the next best thing.

that has to be the stupidest thing I have read today, blames guy for only being a good coach because of recruiting classes, not realizing he's one of the best recruiters out there bringing those classes in....

 

[jpope9]

One of his biggest problems is he can take a good player/class and make them look crappy. And do it with consistency.

Jones was always preaching about consistency lol

 

[VolsFreak18]

UT's defense ranked 81st in total defense in FBS.

Lastly, if you had to google him to know who he is then you don't pay attention to big time football. He has been the DC at Bama, UGA, and FLST. If you don't pay attention to who is where in college football, especially in the SEC, then you have no credibility with your opinion.

First a lot of the issues with our defense were because our offense sucked so bad. They were almost always on the field. Yes I agree they weren't elite but they played better than 81st.

I did have to Google him because I only know the head coaches of other schools. I sure as heck know who the coordinators are at MY school. I could care less who they are at other schools unless they are brought to my school. I hardly think that makes my opinion less creditable. I only care about Tennessee and I only see her continuing to be irrelevant for at least another 5 years.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

Sorry but Mark Richt, Nick Saban, and Jumbo Fisher were recruiting those classes. Most recruits could careless if a coordinator leave a school but if the HC leaves you see recruits almost immediately open up their recruitment.

I disagree, guys commit to schools because of one or more coaches ability to get them signed to a NFL contract. Also the extra $ or incentives will sway players.

Now, how often does a HC leave and all coordinators stay the same? Not often.

 

[reecetn]

Finally, i'll end one the same note as people did with almost every coach last week. If he is such a hot name in the coaching world why did I have to Google him and why were there no rumors of any interview with him at other schools? VolNation doing what it did with Dooley and Jones and that is build them up like they are the next best thing.

This!!!!!

 

[BallerVols]

First a lot of the issues with our defense were because our offense sucked so bad. They were almost always on the field. Yes I agree they weren't elite but they played better than 81st.

I did have to Google him because I only know the head coaches of other schools. I sure as heck know who the coordinators are at MY school. I could care less who they are at other schools unless they are brought to my school. I hardly think that makes my opinion less creditable. I only care about Tennessee and I only see her continuing to be irrelevant for at least another 5 years.

I'll consent that UT's offense was a large part of why the defense was on the field as much as they were, however UT couldn't get off the the field on 3rd down, which led them to being ranked 81st. In this case numbers don't lie. If you want to shill for a DC that gave up 42 to a 5-7 Vanderbilt then have at it. I, however would take a look around at the best conference in football (SEC), and who's in the playoff (UGA and Bama), and think what do they have that UT doesn't and I see elite defenses. Pruitt helped build the one at UGA, and is currently running the defense at Bama.

 

[WhitewaterVol]

If you had to Google Pruitt, you must be a very casual football fan.

 

[n_huffhines]

I guarantee you FSU would have given him a serious look if he hadn't left Tallahassee on bad terms (personal reasons). The first thing my FSU buddies asked me when Schiano and Brohm fell through is why we aren't looking at Pruitt?