The case against Pruitt

[lovavol]

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.

nothing personal, but your opinion and folks like you thinking they know all, is why all the outsiders rant against the fanbase, just shut up

 

[munsterlander]

Finally, our problem last year was not on the Defensive side.

Vanderbilt scored 42 points against us. Missouri - 45. Kentucky - 29. Five teams over 40. We gave up yards like a blue light special - especially when it counted. Secondary and LBs have been a disaster ever since CBJ arrived (helped in the wrong way by injuries). Yes, offense not staying on the field hurts, but get real - this year’s team had NO strengths outside of Trevor Daniel and Trey Smith. Our vaunted pass defense rating was because nobody needed to pass against us - and when the game was on the line, we could count on the secondary to give up 50 yards at a pop, or last second TDs (not just this year - I can still see Mosely and Jumper desperately chasing TD-winning receivers against OU, UF...).

You have no clue how anybody we hire will do, or who might come as OC with any of these DCs (eg, Kirby Smart). All this reminds me of girls I knew in high school that would watch the Young and the Restless at lunch.

 

[UCVOL]

Outsiders are right....our fan base is very delusional.

 

[volfanbill]

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.

He literally won recruiter of the year. So, no. Every year recruits talk about the relationships with the assistant that spends the most time recruiting them.

 

[Stoked]

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.

First it's "couldn't care less"...second if you think the HC is the only reason players choose a school then you really don't have a clue about recruiting.

Most successful coaching staffs have excellent recruiters that put in the legwork and the hours for recruiting. Coaches like Saban and Jimbo Fisher aren't out there putting in as many hours as their staff on the recruiting trail.

For example... Cade Mays posted a pic of him and Pittman last night. Pittman had an in-home with Cade and I doubt HC Kirby Smart was there. If Cade commits to UGA I believe it will most likely be because of his relationship with Pittman being a huge part of his decision. This is the case with most recruits. They develop relationships with their position/coordinators coaches first and then usually the HC will come in and close the deal if needed.

 

[99gator]

The fear I have with Pruitt, or a lot of the other rumored choices, is that no one else wanted them.

Now, I'll take that back with Pruitt. He was rumored regarding the Miss State job after Mullen left. They decided on someone else.

But, none of these guys were getting phone calls from anyone else.

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

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

Curious? He interviewed at Mississippi State, they went a different direction. So we should be good with left overs from crap hole schools!

 

[volfanbill]

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

All day

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

The fear I have with Pruitt, or a lot of the other rumored choices, is that no one else wanted them.

Now, I'll take that back with Pruitt. He was rumored regarding the Miss State job after Mullen left. They decided on someone else.

But, none of these guys were getting phone calls from anyone else.

Hmm. Sounds familiar.

 

[VolsFreak18]

TN VS GATECH 14 - 21 after 3 quarters
TN VS FL 3 - 6 after 3 quarters
TN VS UMASS 17 - 13 GAME
TN VS SCAR 9 - 15 GAME
TN VS MISSOU 17 - 24 AT HALFTIME
TN VS LSU 17 - 10 AT HALFTIME

I am bringing this up just so we can see that our defense kept us in most of these games but were just wore out or had too many inexperienced players playing. Our offense was 10 times more of an issue than out defense was.

 

[n_huffhines]

Curious? He interviewed at Mississippi State, they went a different direction. So we should be good with left overs from crap hole schools!

Maybe crap hole schools are crap holes because they pass on good coaches?

I swear to God, people come up with the dumbest reasoning. How do you guys manage adult life?

 

[papatomany]

Certainly rather have Pruitt than Steele or Tucker. (And Tucker before Steele.) But I'd rather have Venables over any of them. I want a return to the aggressive defenses I grew up watching at UT. The relevant stat for whether a coach likes to be aggressive is tackles for loss. Sacks, too, of course, but sack totals can be skewed more by one or two great players than TFL can. So, Venables teams have averaged more than 8 TFLs per game for the last several years. Alabama is averaging only 6.7 this year; and Georgia only 6.0 after a 4.7 last year. All of those schools have great players who make plays, but Venables' scheme is the difference. The other thing I like is Venables personality. He's having a ball out there.

 

[jakez4ut]

Outsiders are right....our fan base is very delusional.

not any more than any other fan base.

the media railed on GA fans for wanting to run Mark richt out. they've railed on FSU fans for giving Jimbo a reason to want to leave. they railed on LSU fans for being hard on Miles....Auburn fans on Malzahn...aTm fans for bailing on Sumlin........

and the only reason is that all of these fan bases are so spastic, that everytime the post a new article, thousands of people click.

the reason Oregon fans didn't railed on for their "uprising" against Schiano a few years ago, is because no one cared, there just aren't enough. but many of the same issues we had with that hire, were the exact same issues Oregon fans had when his name was brought up in their search.

had twitter been around when Saban was hired at Bama, and the fiasco that search was.....it would have been every bit as bad, if not worse, than this has been for us.

and we're an easy target right now. fish in a barrell.

 

[k-town_king]

First it's "couldn't careless"...2nd if you think the HC is the only reason players choose a school then you really don't have a clue about recruiting.

Most successful coaching staffs have excellent recruiters that put in the legwork and the hours for recruiting. Coaches like Saban and Jimbo Fisher aren't out there putting in as many hours as their staff on the recruiting trail.

For example... Cade Mays posted a pic of him and Pittman last night. Pittman had an in-home with Cade and I doubt HC Kirby Smart was there. If Cade commits to UGA I believe it will most likely be because of his relationship with Pittman being a huge part of his decision. This is the case with most recruits. They develop relationships with their position/coordinators coaches first and then usually the HC will come in and close the deal if needed.

I didn't want to play grammar police but that was really bothering me too. lol.

Not to mention the whole argument is just :crazy:.

 

[Vol7777]

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.

That was my issue this year..We had more "undisclosed injuries"than any team I can ever remember

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

The case against Pruitt?

FSU, FL, A&M, UCLA, Nebraska, and it looks like Arkansas with Morris all made their searches look relatively easy and all landed guys who were more proven and just as credible as Pruitt.

Tennessee goes through the most ridiculous coaching search I have ever seen to land us right where we were 5 years ago, with an unproven coach that we have no idea if he can actually succeed at this level as a head coach. It's a big step up from coordinator to head man and there are just as many examples of failures as there are successes.

 

[Stoked]

I didn't want to play grammar police but that was really bothering me too. lol.

Not to mention the whole argument is just :crazy:.

Yeah I usually don't because my grammar isn't the best lol... But when people that say could care less, or don't know the difference between your/you're and there/they're/their it really bothers me.

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

That was my issue this year..We had more "undisclosed injuries"than any team I can ever remember

Jones was basically a pathological liar this past season trying to cover up stuff like the Tuttle incident.

 

[pcolavol2]

Blah,blah... some of you are so out of touch. He's as good as we can get,it seems. Get over it already.

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

The fear I have with Pruitt, or a lot of the other rumored choices, is that no one else wanted them.

Now, I'll take that back with Pruitt. He was rumored regarding the Miss State job after Mullen left. They decided on someone else.

But, none of these guys were getting phone calls from anyone else.

Nope.

Little to no interest in any of these guys from other schools for head coach.

Meanwhile, you have guys like Leach, Venables, Chad Morris,etc out there barely getting mentioned along with guys with track records running programs such as Sumlin and Graham.

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

Maybe crap hole schools are crap holes because they pass on good coaches?

I swear to God, people come up with the dumbest reasoning. How do you guys manage adult life?

Want to talk about dumb! That really makes a lot of sense. Do you really think a school of any caliber just passes on a good coach? Good call DA

 

[feathersax]

Ban OP for taking FREAK name in vain with this lengthy, ridiculous post. J:no:

 

[feathersax]

TN VS GATECH 14 - 21 after 3 quarters
TN VS FL 3 - 6 after 3 quarters
TN VS UMASS 17 - 13 GAME
TN VS SCAR 9 - 15 GAME
TN VS MISSOU 17 - 24 AT HALFTIME
TN VS LSU 17 - 10 AT HALFTIME

I am bringing this up just so we can see that our defense kept us in most of these games but were just wore out or had too many inexperienced players playing. Our offense was 10 times more of an issue than out defense was.

Worst VOL defense ever. Shoop was garbage.

 

[MR_VOL]

Curious? He interviewed at Mississippi State, they went a different direction. So we should be good with left overs from crap hole schools!

Just because Miss St passed on Pruitt does not make him a bad coach or a bad hire. There are numerous reasons why Miss St went for a different coach.......[1] the AD maybe an Offensive guy, [2] the AD may have wanted certain coaches retained, [3] the AD may have given Pruitt a "courtesy interview" just to get Pruitt's opinion as to why Miss St defense is pitiful, [4] Pruitt may have demanded more money, [5] Pruitt may have wanted more control, [6] there could have been a general or specific disagreement between Pruitt and the AD as to Miss St football and its next step, etc, etc. I can speculate all day, but in the end, who really know why Pruitt wasn't hired other than the Miss St AD.

Regardless, you hire the best person available, and at this time Pruitt is the best coach being mentioned for the UT Head Coaching job.

 

[IngloriousBastard]

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:

A. Hasn’t been officially hired
B. Hasn’t assembled a staff (see A)
C. Hasn’t recruited for UT yet (see A)
D. See A

You guys need to chill.