What Will it Take??

[sjt18]

The right coach can turn it around. There is not a doubt in my mind.

The question is with the current state of the program and possible sanctions coming, how much time is a legitimate amount of time for the "right coach' to have Tennessee back in the hunt.

IMO, it will take until year 3 to achieve something beyond mere bowl eligibility. Some may think it should be quicker than that. Some may think it will take longer.

Part 2 is how long to win a championship. That's a different deal because with the current state of the league you can finish #6 in the country and not win your division.

It isn't reasonable to believe that Heupel can compete for championships this year... or next... and maybe not the next. What is reasonable is to expect him to coach to at least the level of the talent on the roster... or better. the "right coach" will produce a team greater than the sum of its parts. The last three guys have done the opposite.

From there, it really has to happen quickly if it is to happen at all. That early success has to be used to leverage recruiting.... which should keep upward momentum going. If the recruiting does not improve then someone has to have the wisdom to cut bait. Had the AD had that wisdom after Jones' 3rd year... we wouldn't be where we are. UT cannot afford to plateau at the UK level much less start regressing.

Great coaches, coach great. They coach great when they have a loaded roster. They coach great when they have a deficient roster. We will be able to see as much about Heupel's ability this fall as we will in 5 years. Excuses were made especially for the last two guys in their first year. Their underperformance of the talent on those rosters were an accurate indication of their coaching abilities.

FWIW, you are underestimating the raw talent on this team and especially the offense. There's little experience but more raw ability than many UT teams over the last several seasons.

 

[DeutshVollen]

Your administration didn't know what they wanted beyond being cheapskates. I'm not so sure if they've learned their lesson even now. We fans might have to content ourselves with some tangerine flavored maryjane for a while yet.

 

[Envolronment]

"Legacy" players are never a lock. Guys want to do their own thing, and not necessarily what their parents did. Manning went to UT and not Ole Miss.

It's really as simple as coaching quality. Every great coach in the modern era has had success with 3* rosters early in their careers. Pulling in great recruiting classes is pointless if you can't develop and coach them well, see Pruitt and Jones.

This. I said the very same thing in another thread. If you can't develop talent then recruiting is irrelevant. Elite teams do both. Huepel recruited only 1 4* in 3 years at UCF but his teams would have beaten every team that Pruitt put on the field in the same 3 years at Tennessee.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

One thing nobody ever talks about is, yes we have to get better. However for us to truly get back to where we were in the 90's other programs have to get worse and unfortunately I don't see that happening any time soon. We benefitted from other programs being down, namely Georgia and Alabama. Right now our ceiling is quite a bit lower than it was in the 90's because of the way Alabama and Georgia are rolling. Not to mention Florida has gotten better, Texas A&M is picking up momentum, LSU is still strong, etc. I just want us to get back to respectability.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

One thing nobody ever talks about is, yes we have to get better. However for us to truly get back to where we were in the 90's other programs have to get worse and unfortunately I don't see that happening any time soon. We benefitted from other programs being down, namely Georgia and Alabama. Right now our ceiling is quite a bit lower than it was in the 90's because of the way Alabama and Georgia are rolling. Not to mention Florida has gotten better, Texas A&M is picking up momentum, LSU is still strong, etc. I just want us to get back to respectability.

LSU was garbage in the 90's too, so was Clemson, it was unquestionably an easier environment in which to thrive, on the field and on the trail.

 

[Remy]

When you see the UT product that is put on the field week in and week out does not beat themselves, then we should be close to turning it around IMO. Few penalties, turnovers of any type or in any phase of the game become rare, game time coaching decisions are solid meaning no goofy clock management problems or others we've seen by an array of UT coaches, strength and conditioning are not an issue, just anything where we eliminate self inflicted problems. If we do all that will wil win 100% of our games? No. But we'll win our fair share, beat some people we shouldn't, and appear to up and comers that we are a solid football program again.

 

[Rooster1]

Probably JH rebuilds the program to a sustainable 8 win per year level and has it teed up for the next guy to take it to a higher level.