The Most Important Question of the Day

#51
#51
Coaches need to go back and watch some films on the recruiting process and then get back and work like heck!!!
 
#52
#52
You're probably right. I do agree that the class isn't so bad, considering the circumstances. Still, there is a definite separation between what expectations were this morning and where we ended-up. But I hope Pruitt can coach 'em up. And I expect next year's recruiting class to be better. We'll just all have to wait and see, I guess.

Next years class will be a top 10 for sure. Money in da bank!
 
#53
#53
Dooley was a Saban guy too. Fact is that if Pruitt had been announced before the Schiatno incident, we would've freaked. Some people lowered their expectations to psych themselves up and try to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Supposedly, we were getting an ace recruiting staff and that was going to offset some of the lack of experience. What we saw play out today is that, like may before them, once the ties were cut between the big time, successful program where they were killing it on the recruiting trail their productivity nose dived. I don't trust that these guys can recruit to a school like UTK. Why should I think they will be able to coach up lesser talent to beat elite talent when they've never had to do that either? Yeah. We're screwed.

Recruiting is about building relationships and trust over a reasonable time period. If you think this staff can't recruit based on this cycle, you don't understand recruiting. These coaches are coming in from all different directions and on short notice. And having to combat FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) by rivals who a) played in the National Championship game and b) can say "they didn't even win an SEC game".

It's real - Pruitt and staff are dealing with a dumpster fire. Don't blame him or his staff though. Blame the Haslam/Currie crap show that occurred last fall. You could almost trace it back to a year ago when Currie was named AD rather than someone competent. Give this staff a chance. They may end up awful, but right now - I think they did damn good given what they inherited and how UGA and Bama's season went.
 
#54
#54
Next years class will be a top 10 for sure. Money in da bank!

I hope you're right. But I still remember how excited we all were by Butch's first full year class in '14 that was also Top 10. We've got a long row to hoe before I can really feel optimistic again.
 
#55
#55
Doesn't matter if the expectation was reasonable, we have a right to be pissed at the administration for screwing up this badly and putting us in this situation.

Florida State got hit as badly as we did by a coaching search- 11th ranked class.
Florida had their poop together and hired the right guy quickly- 14th ranked recruiting class.
Oregon got wrecked by losing a first-year coach- 16th ranked class.

No, it isn't Pruitt's fault. Maybe its just Currie's fault, but we never should have been in this position to begin with, and you can't tell me that at least the old administration's blunders didn't prevent a much better class. Today didn't have to go down like this.

The 3 schools you mention over the last 5 years:
FSU 14-0, 13-1, 10-3, 10-3, 7-6
florida 4-8, 7-5, 10-4, 9-4, 4-7
Oregon 11-2, 13-2, 9-4, 4-8, 7-6

UT 5-7, 7-6, 9-4, 9-4, 4-8

Closest comparison is florida who you note had the 14th ranked class. However, we also have to look at not just recent history, but the last 10-15 years. All of those programs have had more success than we have. The state of Florida will attract recruits by itself based on the climate and location.

Winning consistently recruits itself. Until we do that, we will struggle in recruiting. Butch did a good job of recruiting, but the results were not parallel with that. I will reserve judgement until we see a couple years on the field and the results of recruiting.
 
#56
#56
Next years class will be a top 10 for sure. Money in da bank!

It will depend on how we do in W-L next year because at that point recruits will have an early answer about Pruitts head coaching ability (which is at this time the only thing missing from his otherwise super impressive resume):

1. Win <3 - Pruit (and Fulmer) may both be gone :mf_surrender:
2. Win 3-5 results in 10-20 ranking :snoring:
3. Win 6-8 results in 5-9 ranking :good!:
4. Win >8 results in 4-1 ranking :crossfingers:
 
#57
#57
I hope you're right. But I still remember how excited we all were by Butch's first full year class in '14 that was also Top 10. We've got a long row to hoe before I can really feel optimistic again.

Agree 100% w you on this. Keeping fingers crossed that Coach Pruitt can coach kids.
 
#58
#58
Doesn't matter if the expectation was reasonable, we have a right to be pissed at the administration for screwing up this badly and putting us in this situation.

Florida State got hit as badly as we did by a coaching search- 11th ranked class.
Florida had their poop together and hired the right guy quickly- 14th ranked recruiting class.
Oregon got wrecked by losing a first-year coach- 16th ranked class.

No, it isn't Pruitt's fault. Maybe its just Currie's fault, but we never should have been in this position to begin with, and you can't tell me that at least the old administration's blunders didn't prevent a much better class. Today didn't have to go down like this.

Those programs have not gotten the coverage ours has because of nonsense. While many of you gave standing ovations over the protests, it was considered as complete idiocy outside the borders of our state. Anyone who had their head outta their big orange ass wasn't surprised at all how it went down.

The good news is this time next year, all that will be ancient history if Pruitt and Co. do things right. So take your absurd instant gratification demands and right to be pissed, stuff em down your throat, and wash them down with a hot, refreshing cup of STFU. It will all come out in the wash eventually as long as you all quit being twits.
 
#61
#61
Doesn't matter if the expectation was reasonable, we have a right to be pissed at the administration for screwing up this badly and putting us in this situation.

Florida State got hit as badly as we did by a coaching search- 11th ranked class.
Florida had their poop together and hired the right guy quickly- 14th ranked recruiting class.
Oregon got wrecked by losing a first-year coach- 16th ranked class.

No, it isn't Pruitt's fault. Maybe its just Currie's fault, but we never should have been in this position to begin with, and you can't tell me that at least the old administration's blunders didn't prevent a much better class. Today didn't have to go down like this.

This is pretty simple......

UT is not a top 25 program right now. The past AD did screw things up. The 3 programs you listed are top 25 programs (not always top 25 teams, but programs).
HS players want to go to those schools. Coaches want to coach at those schools. Even the best players from our own state are going other places. Don't even get me started on the coaching fiasco (exADJC, social media, AdMin, some fans, ect....). UT was a laughing stock for the national media. I'm sure that had something to do in clouding the minds of recruits and an 0-8 SEC record.

Let's face it....2017 was a complete cluster *#@$ for the University of Tennessee.

To have a top 20 recruiting class was an amazing feat!

And....You are right...UT should have never been in this kind of situation. A few bad hires in Admin, Coaching, and other leadership roles can screw a program for years. Let's hope UT got it right this time. I have faith!
 
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#62
#62
We Went From- Just Win, Recruiting Will Follow.

Butch Had 2 Decent Year's. Recruiting Did Not Improve

Then We Went To- No Players Want To Play For Butch, Get A Good coach.

We Have A NC HC and didn't fair better than Dooleys first class

We've All Heard The, Just Get Him On Campus Talk. UT recruits itself, etc

It's Going To Be Hard To Recruit Here. We don't have a proven staff, still question marks all over this team , we haven't won anything in most of these kids lifetime.

Truth Is, We May Never Catch Back Up Until We Hire A True homerun coach. Everyone Is expecting a Kirby 2.0
I don't want Kirby 2.0, I want Jeremy 1.0. To me Kirby seems a little more underhanded and sleazy, while Pruitt so far seems fairly genuine. I would be pleased with a Kirby like ROI, but that is not my expectations.
 
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#64
#64
I don't want Kirby 2.0, I want Jeremy 1.0. To me Kirby seems a little more underhanded and sleazy, while Pruitt so far seems fairly genuine. I would be pleased with a Kirby like ROI, but that is not my expectations.

Gave you a like but would go you one better. My sense with Pruitt is "what you see is what you get" and what I see is an honest, hard-working, straight-shooting, no-nonsense, uncompromising (which may be a bit of a mixed blessing, but mostly to the good) championship-caliber football coach. Granted, he has not yet been his own field general but his time is coming "soon". Give him time and I'm willing to wager a tidy sum, that he will definitely turn things around in K-town. Those who are badmouthing him for not hitting home runs on NSD either have no clue or have a different agenda from the vast majority of mostly-sane UT fans.
 
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#66
#66
This is pretty simple......

UT is not a top 25 program right now. The past AD did screw things up. The 3 programs you listed are top 25 programs (not always top 25 teams, but programs).
HS players want to go to those schools. Coaches want to coach at those schools. Even the best players from our own state are going other places. Don't even get me started on the coaching fiasco (exADJC, social media, AdMin, some fans, ect....). UT was a laughing stock for the national media. I'm sure that had something to do in clouding the minds of recruits and an 0-8 SEC record.

Let's face it....2017 was a complete cluster *#@$ for the University of Tennessee.



To have a top 20 recruiting class was an amazing feat!

And....You are right...UT should have never been in this kind of situation. A few bad hires in Admin, Coaching, and other leadership roles can screw a program for years. Let's hope UT got it right this time. I have faith!

Florida finished well ahead of us after going 4-7. Another amazing feat, I guess.
 
#67
#67
Florida finished well ahead of us after going 4-7. Another amazing feat, I guess.

Well who else but UT did such an amazing and royal job of screwing the pooch the way the coaching transition went down? We're just dang lucky we didn't end up with a much worse outcome.
 
#69
#69
Cade said he was here if we hired Gruden. Maybe that was never meant to be but you can bet your ass that if we'd made a bigger hire we'd be sitting pretty.

Maybe so, but just speaking for me I'd rather have players who play for Tennessee, the orange, the people in the state, rockytop, Neyland....rather than players who play for any coach who can leave anytime after they're recruited. It's like following a pastor rather than Lord Jesus. I don't care if they are 5 stars
 
#70
#70
Florida finished well ahead of us after going 4-7. Another amazing feat, I guess.

Florida wasn't the complete clusterf**k that Tennessee was in 2017, to quote the person you quoted.

They were about 6 spots ahead of us in recruiting, and about 6 spots behind us in total clusterf**kery, due to their coaching search being a smooth and logical transition.

So yeah Mullen did pretty good, and Pruitt did just as good, if not better when considering the sorry circumstances he inherited.

Which is pretty much what peaygolf said in the body of his post. It was a fine and reasonable post, in case you didn't read the entire thing or had trouble understanding his main idea.
 
#71
#71
The mess is over and done with. Can't you whiners just push your mute buttons as we wait to see if this new staff will move vertically either north or south? That is, climb the mountain or dig a deeper hole? They don't need your help, or rather lack of it to go either way.


TJHcAegkfi+YUxba+Ln3v7M4afn37z9KPtU09A+DogAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==

There will be peace in the valley for me, I hope some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh this I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow or maybe there will be
No trouble, trouble I see nor want to
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me and I hope for you as well

TJHcAegkfi+YUxba+Ln3v7M4afn37z9KPtU09A+DogAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==
 
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#72
#72
We have to let CJP do what he thinks best, but I still question why we didn't more aggressively pursue Anthony Grant. Maybe he doesn't end up being the RB we need, but the guy is a football player and we could use him somewhere--LB, RB or perhaps elsewhere. That's my only question about the way NSD turned out.
 
#73
#73
Florida finished well ahead of us after going 4-7. Another amazing feat, I guess.

still a top 25 PROGRAM! Hate to say it, but the hole Florida is digging out of isn't nearly as deep is the one UT is in. CJP will get the program out of it! Have faith!
 
#74
#74
If you want to blame someone, blame Jimmy Haslam for trying to control everything and cut the other boosters out. He's the reason Currie was hired over Fulmer initially. He wanted a yes man. We should all be happy that Fulmer is now in charge of the AD and he makes his own decisions and Jimmy Haslam no longer runs the show.
 
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