What gives you confidence in the coaching staff?

#76
#76
Ive seen improvement from the beginning.
With our roster and what he has to work with, he is doing great. I love to see how we look in 2 or 3 years with some recruiting. We have less players than Gump and I think we are doing better.
 
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#77
#77
TAF said:
4 - 4, 2-3 SEC

Meh...
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Really, my alumni brothers say this is the best a Volunteer football team has looked in ... over 10 years.
Frankly, I can't tell if your expectations are really high or you are simply focused on W-L numbers.
Please observe that Nick Saban in his first year at Alabama was 6-6.
Not saying that Heup is equal to Nick.
Just pointing out numbers, so you might ... want to put a little more thought into your overall rationale.
 
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#78
#78
ftsandersvol said:
It's obvious that Heupel devises game plans to get the ball to our playmakers, and he doesn't have a set formula to do it. If he thinks you have an advantage, he is going to get the ball in your hands. As I said before, what recruit who thinks of himself as a difference maker wouldn't want to play in this offense.
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Spot on. Coaches in the past (Pruitt, Butch) seemed almost agnostic when it came to the attributes of a given opponent. You don’t need to read Sun Tzu to know how stupid that is. Heupel doesn’t have the same issue of sticking to his “system” even if it’s the equivalent of beating your head against a rock.
 
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#80
#80
I have faith because this team is so thin and many guys weren’t “stars” coming in per say. But, they fight to the end and don’t quit. I can tell the players believe they can best anyone.

We’re 2 plays from 6-2 and a top 15 ranking.

With some depth and experience (we’re getting lots of guys experience now), we can complete with anyone.
 
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#81
#81
I am a little different than most fans. I look at the bottom foundation instead of the top which is wins. You can’t have a solid program if you don’t start with a foundation that will last for multiple seasons. Heupel is laying a foundation of Expectations of effort and attitude and dedication. (Leaders get what expectations they set) He doesn’t seem to play favorites. He puts blame on coaches as well as players. The entire program has expectations, even the student managers. That results in confidence and trust. That is the first step in getting the best out of the teams ability. Then you work on getting better talent and keep those same expectations and trust. I actually think coach is a year ahead in building that foundation. And to hear him vaguely talk, recruits are taking notice of what he is building. That is step two.
 
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#82
#82
peaygolf said:
Playing devils advocate here, but other than Hooker, who has "developed"?
BM-No
HB-No
JM-Regressed.
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BM was a spaz on the field and didn’t have the mental ability IMO.
HB - we don’t know if he improved or not but his skill set just isn’t there yet
JM - I don’t know why you think he regressed. He’s looked better since the opener in limited action. Just made the boneheaded play of running OOBs which is a mental lapse

Hooker has looked much better than he did at Tech and has improved all year
 
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#83
#83
There's only one thing I've disagreed on with Heupel this year and that's not going for the 4th & 1 against Bama at midfield. I'm sure he was feeling confident in the defense after they'd forced 3 consecutive punts, but he had to know Alabama was bound to start wearing us down at some point. Down 7 with the ball at midfield... I'd of like to see us roll the dice there.

For me to only have ONE complaint says a lot about how much I like these guys; especially Tim Banks, Rodney Garner, and Willie Martinez. I couldn't be more pleased with the job they've done.
 
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#84
#84
a vol n tears said:
I am a little different than most fans. I look at the bottom foundation instead of the top which is wins. You can’t have a solid program if you don’t start with a foundation that will last for multiple seasons. Heupel is laying a foundation of Expectations of effort and attitude and dedication. (Leaders get what expectations they set) He doesn’t seem to play favorites. He puts blame on coaches as well as players. The entire program has expectations, even the student managers. That results in confidence and trust. That is the first step in getting the best out of the teams ability. Then you work on getting better talent and keep those same expectations and trust. I actually think coach is a year ahead in building that foundation. And to hear him vaguely talk, recruits are taking notice of what he is building. That is step two.
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Exactly
 
#86
#86
tbh said:
Bingo. I'm encouraged that, for the first time in what seems like quite a while, the players' bodies are giving up before their brains are giving up. What I mean is: it's a rebuild, and depth is an issue, but they are showing that they have some fight in them and that's encouraging.
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Man, that's the best way I've seen it put in a long time.
 
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#87
#87
TennEddie said:
The fight and “ don‘t quit “ attitude gives me hope.
Choosing Milton at QB to start the season gives me pause.
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I don’t know why people are concerned with the starting Milton thing. Coaches start who masters the offense and looks better in camp EVERY single time. Sometimes the backup ends up better. Happens everywhere
 
#89
#89
Above all else, the effort of the players. I am also impressed with the relative success of the defense.
 
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#91
#91
vollygirl said:
Or, if you don't, what are you looking for? (recruiting of course, but I don't feel like we'll know that until signing day)

I feel like this is what I ask for everytime we having coaching turnover.



And also, I wish I hadn't seen this. I get my hopes up way too easy. (Not saying anything about the game on the 13th, just that I LOVE seeing our players have success!)

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For me, personally anyway, this year has been fun to watch, something that’s not been able to be said about any time over the last 3-4 years. It’s also the fact these kids are having fun, you see that in the effort they put on the field every week. We’re also prepared and engaged every single week, we have yet to come out and look totally flat against anybody. Not to say it won’t happen but it’s not so far this year. The mentality seems different from the staff and these players. Heupel is not going into any game with the idea of “well I hope we can just keep it close”. It’s nice to see for a change.
 
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#92
#92
vollygirl said:
Or, if you don't, what are you looking for? (recruiting of course, but I don't feel like we'll know that until signing day)

I feel like this is what I ask for everytime we having coaching turnover.



And also, I wish I hadn't seen this. I get my hopes up way too easy. (Not saying anything about the game on the 13th, just that I LOVE seeing our players have success!)

Click to expand...

If you don’t have confidence in this staff thus far….I can’t help you. We’ve seen the results of doing more with less.
 
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#93
#93
TAF said:
We've heard/read such things for >15 years now...

Ws are the ONLY measure of a College Coaching Staff...

Ws.
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Can you not be so lazy and go ahead and spell that out? Keeps people from wondering what in cowboy hell a "WS" is.
 
#94
#94
Voltopia said:
No whiteboards kicked (although that alone isn't a deal breaker for me, Pat broke clipboards all the time).

No trying to talk their way out of losses.

No "champions of life" moments.

No 13-men-on-the-field penalties.

Running a defense with practically no linebackers (that's an exaggeration but).

Offensive scoring plays that looks intentional, rather than accidental.

Only thing that worries me, really, is recruiting and penalties. Heupel's UCF teams apparently were notorious for being heavily penalized. Can't get away with that in the SEC.
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I agree with the penalty thing.. Hell the sec refs will flag us for stepping on the field left foot first...
 
#95
#95
a vol n tears said:
I am a little different than most fans. I look at the bottom foundation instead of the top which is wins. You can’t have a solid program if you don’t start with a foundation that will last for multiple seasons. Heupel is laying a foundation of Expectations of effort and attitude and dedication. (Leaders get what expectations they set) He doesn’t seem to play favorites. He puts blame on coaches as well as players. The entire program has expectations, even the student managers. That results in confidence and trust. That is the first step in getting the best out of the teams ability. Then you work on getting better talent and keep those same expectations and trust. I actually think coach is a year ahead in building that foundation. And to hear him vaguely talk, recruits are taking notice of what he is building. That is step two.
Click to expand...
Post this more often..
 
#97
#97
I like that they play like a team and play all four quarters. Lots of effort.
 
#98
#98
vollygirl said:
Or, if you don't, what are you looking for? (recruiting of course, but I don't feel like we'll know that until signing day)

I feel like this is what I ask for everytime we having coaching turnover.



And also, I wish I hadn't seen this. I get my hopes up way too easy. (Not saying anything about the game on the 13th, just that I LOVE seeing our players have success!)

Click to expand...


I like the fight of the team, I like the results. During the Pruitt era, I said he needed to beat Mizzou, USC, and Kentucky before we could talk about Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. To his credit, he did accomplish that. He was 2-1 against all three of those opponents. It's about the only thing he did accomplish. It doesn't excuse our collapse last year, but for about 8-9 games I was mildly optimistic about Pruitt.

So what I like about Heupel is that he reached the Pruitt "plateau of success" almost immediately, and with much more style. Pruitt had to struggle a bit to beat Mizzou, junior, and even Vandy, Heupel dominated them (and likely will vandy as well). Thus, instantly, we are beyond where Pruitt took us.

In past coaching changes, it seems that the new coach needed a year or two to recover for the state the last coach left us in. Dooley was a game worse than Kiffin's one season (and never improved on that, SMH), Jones picked up where Dooley left off at 5-7. Pruitt did improve one game over Butch's last 4-8 season, but who cares, 2017 was a very anomolous season and a low standard. Granted, with Pruitt going 3-7 last year, topping that is a low standard also, but, in absolute terms, never mind what last season was, Heupel has a chance to have the best starting record of ANY COACH that has replaced Fulmer. If we win this weekend, and win the bowl game, we will be 8-5, the best first year record of any coach in the years following Fulmer. Not to mention it's 5 more wins than last year, by far the biggest improvement (to be fair, last season is not a great comparison since there were 10 SEC games, but even factoring that in it's impressive.)

The other big thing is that the defense is a lot better than expected even after losing three big starters from last year, including a complete devastation of the LB corps.

Concerns....not a lot, but as you say recruiting needs to be better, but that is NCAA-induced to some extent. My biggest concern is to not get my hopes up. Here for contrast are my honest thoughts about previous coaches, behind the scenes:

1. Kiffin....did not like the hire at all. Didn't think he was a great choice to replace a "legendary" coach. Was willing to give him a chance and particularly see if his recruiting was all it was said to be (but for that matter, Fulmer could also recruit). MIght have at least kept the Vols in the top 25, certainly was entertaining, but .... well, you know.
2. Dooley. Did not like the hire, and was just hoping he would get us to a few bowls and recruit well to leave the larder stocked for the next guy. He made one bowl, mismanaged the clock at the end, and then put together two more losing seasons. Worst coach of the era (potentially the worst UT has ever had).
3. Butch Jones...was "meh" about the hire. Originally did not want him at all, but made myself optimistic. Was thinking he might at least get us to an SECC game if he recruited well, which almost did. Was cautiously optimistic about him till mid-2016 when the wheels came off. Was hoping he would get us to the consistent 8-10 wins plateau. He ALMOST did. Best coach of the era following Fulmer, which is not an endorsement of Jones as much as an indictment of the rest (I know everyone will say it was Kiffin, and I would not disagree, but one season is not enough to judge IMO, so saying Jones is the "best after Fulmer" has an asterisk that Kiffin is not eligible). Made a lot of us think he could at least make the Vols relevant...until he didn't. Too much BS from this guy (of all the stupid things he said, my no. 1 is claiming there was a "list" that justified his not going for 2 vs Florida in the 4th, up 5, grrrr).
4. Pruitt...like Jones, did not want, but got onboard after the hire. Figured he would be a slight improvement over Butch, get us to a 10 win season (10-3 including bowl and/or SECC), and I was wrong. From what I have read, does know defensive football well, but not offensive, and was too stubborn and arrogant (undeservedly so!) to listen to those around him. A the end of the day, a huge failure (I mean...GSU '19 and Kentucky '20...GMAFB!).

Bottom line...Heupel is ahead of all four of those so far.

My main concern is that he will disapoint again. At different points, I had confidence that Kiffin, Jones, and Pruitt would at least get us to an SECCG at some point (never thought Dooley would though, lol) and was disappointed (though Jones got agonizingly close). I am NOT going to make that mistake with Heupel.

In summary..very happy with where Heupel is today but ask me again after the Kentucky game. I am through predicting what our coaches will do, just going to let it unfold.
 
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#100
#100
...their coaching. It seems evident to all that have watched this team. Overall well coached...well developed for having SO little time...fight 110%.

Not sure how much more you can ask for Y1. Those Ole Miss, Bama, Pitt games were fought so dang hard and could have been ours. And UF...we gained way more yards than the scoreboard reflected, even that one was closer.

Play for play, this is one of the best teams since Fulmer.
 
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