Why Is Everyone Turning On Heupel?

[DWright39]

The only thing I’ve been critical of is that he hired Martinez to begin with.

 

[OldVolMan]

Goes with the territory. What have you done for me lately mentality.

Ever read Alabama message boards and the second guessing of Saban, even after he wins?
Fans be fans.

 

[Stephen Gray]

Goes with the territory. What have you done for me lately mentality.

Ever read Alabama message boards and the second guessing of Saban, even after he wins?
Fans be fans.

They have gotten to the point where they expect to win it all every year and a hiccup along the way starts a vocal minority (but much bigger minority than the handful of crazies we have right now) claiming the good days are over. He’s actually been slipping they say but now he’s showing and the dynasty is dead. I hope one of these times those loons are right.

 

[luthervol]

I cannot believe the comments I’m reading in some of the threads. This season has been a success and not one logical person thought we’d beat Bama and be ranked in the Top 10 at this point in the season. Remember the god awful mess Heupel inherited with all the drama surrounded with the NCAA and numerous players transferring? I don’t know about you but I don’t miss having a boring offense who struggled to score against Vandy and Georgia St. Whoever is complaining about Heupel at this point should just stop watching sports all together.

This was NOT going to be an easy rebuild.

It's just a statistical inevitability that with 5 million fans you will have 50 thousand who are irrationally hyper negative and 5 thousand who are borderline insane.

 

[BigALWiLson]

My response was more to those that believe because they buy a ticket the need answers on why Banks was not dressed at SC. Coaching issues take care of themselves at the end of the year, especially one that is 9-2, not 2-9.

The defense is atrocious no matter 9-2 or 2-9... However no need to do it now, but I do expect a change at DC in the off season.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Ah yes.... The keyboard tough guy

You clearly don’t know me then

 

[sjt18]

I think some people confuse being upset with a performance and angry with it as mutiny against the head coach. Similarly when calls for firing coordinators and position coaches happen some feel the boss is being attacked.

I mean it’s not 100% crazy as those things happen after something appears to have been screwed up. Since ultimately the head coach is responsible for the team’s performance people being angry and criticizing things makes some think people are barely a step away from the fire Heupel posts.

Add to that some minority of crazy people actually think the current body of work Heupel has presented looks anything like the last several coaches and you get some of those comments tossed in, which just confirms to the first group they are their concerns are valid. I mean I guess his year one looks a lot like Kiffin, but he didn’t bail on us after that and has given us a significant season 2.

I said it wasn’t completely crazy, but it is wrong or at least way premature. Every single coach is going to have bad things occur, sometimes really bad things that shouldn’t. Criticism is completely fine and even good. Doesn’t mean you hate a coach. One can get to a point where a large number of fans feel a coach is a failure only after they have a number of troubling things happen that were not dealt with in a way that lessened concerns.

I don't think we're anywhere close to being able to make a judgment to fire Heupel. Not even the right universe close.

I think they have to take a look at Banks. I'm not sure about the other D coaches but Banks for sure. I'm not calling for him to be fired. I am saying he has not performed at the level Heupel and UT needs since being hired. Heupel has to make a call there... and it has to be the right call. That's what he will ultimately be judged on.

I would strongly prefer that Banks be "the guy" on D. I don't like those kinds of staff changes either. He has recruiting relationships. He has contributed in some way to the culture Heupel is building. There are a lot of things we can't see or know that may support keeping him. But there comes a time when that has to show up on the field.

 

[BARknox bouncer]

Because he looked more like Butch Jones than General Neyland on Saturday.

Na as always he looks like Bobby Hill

 

[JMSqb11]

You clearly don’t know me then

For good reason.... You are very easily swayed and flip flop constantly and too emotional on any given day..... Not good for the mental

 

[clarencepeabody]

Because, as one Douglas Adair Dickey remarked to yours truly, "The two most popular men on campus are the backup quarterback and the next head coach."

If Vol fans held themselves to the same standards they hold coaches, Tennessee would boast more millionaires and billionaires than the rest of the country combined.

Fantastic comment

 

[Stephen Gray]

I don't think we're anywhere close to being able to make a judgment to fire Heupel. Not even the right universe close.

I think they have to take a look at Banks. I'm not sure about the other D coaches but Banks for sure. I'm not calling for him to be fired. I am saying he has not performed at the level Heupel and UT needs since being hired. Heupel has to make a call there... and it has to be the right call. That's what he will ultimately be judged on.

I would strongly prefer that Banks be "the guy" on D. I don't like those kinds of staff changes either. He has recruiting relationships. He has contributed in some way to the culture Heupel is building. There are a lot of things we can't see or know that may support keeping him. But there comes a time when that has to show up on the field.

He definitely has to fix things. How he does it is on him, but things need to improve on that side of the ball. Right now he’s my favorite head coach since I’ve become a fan in 2003. Yes, I like him more than Fulmer. He’s in a great position with an excellent opportunity in front of him, but has an obstacle that he needs to deal with. It hasn’t stopped what he has been building, but it has gotten in the way and slowed it down at times. It’s not a new thing, but it’s recently becoming more clear how it can hurt. I tend to lean more and more the way of making some position adjustments as you suggest. If he can get the guys he has to do the job well enough that’s great too. Either way, I think he’s a smart guy and am optimistic.

 

[508mikey]

No one is turning on CJH. Some have offered some criticism, but I wouldn't call that turning on him.

Dude, you started a thread questioning the hire and now you're on other posters for complaining?

You had a right to start that thread back then just fans now have a right to complain.

He just wants likes

 

[chas]

with all the top players that left he has done a great job. let mam get all his player and see what kind of team he has. AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL VOL COACHES AND PLAYERS AND FANS GO BIG ORANGE AND BEAT VANDY.

 

[sjt18]

He definitely has to fix things. How he does it is on him, but things need to improve on that side of the ball. Right now he’s my favorite head coach since I’ve become a fan in 2003. Yes, I like him more than Fulmer. He’s in a great position with an excellent opportunity in front of him, but has an obstacle that he needs to deal with. It hasn’t stopped what he has been building, but it has gotten in the way and slowed it down at times. It’s not a new thing, but it’s recently becoming more clear how it can hurt. I tend to lean more and more the way of making some position adjustments as you suggest. If he can get the guys he has to do the job well enough that’s great too. Either way, I think he’s a smart guy and am optimistic.

The stakes were higher and USCe's talent is better but this game for me compares to Purdue on D. Banks was just flat out-classed in both games by teams that aren't very talented on O. Talent can make a big difference. Talent can cover a lot of bad coaching. But I'm afraid that the possibility of this kind of collapse will always be there unless there's better, more consistent performance by the DC.

I've been a fan for significantly longer than you. I respect Heupel more than any UT coach going back to Majors.. and as much as most any coach I've seen. He has a great offensive mind and scheme but I'm more impressed with his leadership. If there is truth to the rumors then I'm even more impressed that he made a tough call with one of his best players.

What to do on D will be another challenge to his talent as a coach and leader.

 

[West Vol]

CBJ certainly took too long. I thought CDD was a good dude, and I was on board with giving him that third season, which now I think was a season too much. I appreciate our options were limited when he took over and suspect he is valuable to an organization in many positive ways, as an analyst or maybe offensive position guy, but putting all of the pieces together as HC in the SEC at that time, he could not.

Derek Dooley was most certainly not a “good dude” per any human that ever met him.

Any fan wanting to give him more time after he let a QB-less team break a losing streak dating back to the Paleolithic age is proof we are not too hard on coaches.

 

[vegasvolfan]

I cannot believe the comments I’m reading in some of the threads. This season has been a success and not one logical person thought we’d beat Bama and be ranked in the Top 10 at this point in the season. Remember the god awful mess Heupel inherited with all the drama surrounded with the NCAA and numerous players transferring? I don’t know about you but I don’t miss having a boring offense who struggled to score against Vandy and Georgia St. Whoever is complaining about Heupel at this point should just stop watching sports all together.

This was NOT going to be an easy rebuild.

They are a cancer.

 

[Stephen Gray]

Derek Dooley was most certainly not a “good dude” per any human that ever met him.

Any fan wanting to give him more time after he let a QB-less team break a losing streak dating back to the Paleolithic age is proof we are not too hard on coaches.

Never met him, so maybe you are right. On the other hand maybe not. I admit I was wrong about giving him more time. To be fair it was my first coaching search.

 

[ChattanoogaVol25]

I have not seen a single person “turn on Heupel”. Why start a thread like this?

 

[Tnphil]

I've been on several UT message boards and can't say I've seen fire Huepel posts....Disappointment in him and the teams play yes....fire him no.

I've never understand why some folks get all up in the air if anybody questions bad coaching....bad play....bad game plans etc from someone who makes millions.....Just my opinion but I don't think Heupel makes millions to have USC the 92nd ranked offense put 63 on our butts...Also USC has a coach that many UT fans laughed at and called him Butch 2.0....So when we get destroyed by that same team/coach there's going to be some unhappy people..

When your defense is dead last in pass coverage and your defense is ranked 100th in the country then yes...the fire talk is warranted on defensive coaches IMO. The DC is payed 1.3 million....he's paid to take the heat. Heupel is in charge of both sides....If he doesn't do what it takes to correct either side when things aren't working and just keeps status quo....then yes there will be more fire Heupel talk in the future....I'd say Heupel is too smart to let that happen.

 

[West Vol]

Goes with the territory. What have you done for me lately mentality.

Ever read Alabama message boards and the second guessing of Saban, even after he wins?
Fans be fans.

He gets “outcoached” in all the big games according to them. They hilariously think they have made him great rather than the other way around. Florida fans are equally harsh and are ready to publicly execute Napier.

 

[West Vol]

Never met him, so maybe you are right. On the other hand maybe not. I admit I was wrong about giving him more time. To be fair it was my first coaching search.

There is no maybe about it. He is a legendary dickhead. I thought that was common knowledge. Butch at least pretended to be nice in public. Dooley would berate random minimum wage workers for being morons.

 

[m1al]

Na as always he looks like Bobby Hill

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

I mean, you clicked on it

Right. In order to call you a liar.

 

[The Original Fade]

In defense of the OP, I saw a few asinine posts after the game saying things like “Pruitt wouldn’t have lost that game”.

 

[The Tall Gguy]

I warned him!

Hopefully the cycle will be broken...you know the one...
At first you will see great support here on Volnation. Our fanbase has a tendency to worship our coaches. Don't let this fool you, because it was the EXACT same way with our previous 3 coaches. This fanbase will turn on you, even the coach worshippers. It is a cycle. Coach announced...great support...not much progress...support lost. You can look back over Volnation for the past 3 hires and confirm this. This even happened with the Kiffin hire. These coach worshippers will act like they never liked your hire.