Will Tennessee ever return to national contender status?

#1
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VOL720

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#1
I just want to say there is no hate and please forgive me if there has been a similar thread posted. This is just a conversation, but I am concerned that Tennessee will never be amongst the elites again. I remember there were times I couldn't wait to get in front of the big screen in my house to watch the Lady Vols play, to see the new recruits and what they will bring to the team or will the team make a deep post season run possibly finally getting to the Final Four. These last five or more years have been hard to watch. It's like Tennessee never shows up in the big games or rarely win games that they aren't the favorites. The Sweet 16 has become the new norm. Third place in the conference has been accepted as good. There has been loaded rosters during these times but the play on the court has been just good and not great. My expectations have dropped significantly. I don't watch their games anymore. I only check score tracker when I know they are playing because it has become hard to watch a team play with little passion and sloppy basketball. I understand NIL, but Tennessee's recruiting wasn't great prior to NIL. The coaching, the offensive and defensive schemes makes you just shake your head. As a fan base, do you all think Tennessee will ever be amongst the elites again and considered a national contender?
 
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#3
#3
VOL720 said:
I just want to say there is no hate and please forgive me if there has been a similar thread posted. This is just a conversation, but I am concerned that Tennessee will never be amongst the elites again. I remember there were times I couldn't wait to get in front of the big screen in my house to watch the Lady Vols play, to see the new recruits and what they will bring to the team or will the team make a deep post season run possibly finally getting to the Final Four. These last five or more years have been hard to watch. It's like Tennessee never shows up in the big games or rarely win games that they aren't the favorites. The Sweet 16 has become the new norm. Third place in the conference has been accepted as good. There has been loaded rosters during these times but the play on the court has been just good and not great. My expectations have dropped significantly. I don't watch their games anymore. I only check score tracker when I know they are playing because it has become hard to watch a team play with little passion and sloppy basketball. I understand NIL, but Tennessee's recruiting wasn't great prior to NIL. The coaching, the offensive and defensive schemes makes you just shake your head. As a fan base, do you all think Tennessee will ever be amongst the elites again and considered a national contender?
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Not anytime soon. Too much parity in the game now that was not there when we had our championship banner years. We will always be considered a Blue Blood program but time is slipping away and more teams are pulling up or leaving us.
 
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#5
#5
volfan__18 said:
i see it like this. Basketball goes through eras. It’s all about the coach. You have a good coach you can win championships. Right now we don’t have that. We have the talent on our team to be rlly good, they simply aren’t getting coached to their potential.
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Get the leadership right the rest takes care of itself. Coker at Miami is the only Championship team I can recall, that had NC roster and not a good coach.
 
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#6
#6
VOL720 said:
I just want to say there is no hate and please forgive me if there has been a similar thread posted. This is just a conversation, but I am concerned that Tennessee will never be amongst the elites again. I remember there were times I couldn't wait to get in front of the big screen in my house to watch the Lady Vols play, to see the new recruits and what they will bring to the team or will the team make a deep post season run possibly finally getting to the Final Four. These last five or more years have been hard to watch. It's like Tennessee never shows up in the big games or rarely win games that they aren't the favorites. The Sweet 16 has become the new norm. Third place in the conference has been accepted as good. There has been loaded rosters during these times but the play on the court has been just good and not great. My expectations have dropped significantly. I don't watch their games anymore. I only check score tracker when I know they are playing because it has become hard to watch a team play with little passion and sloppy basketball. I understand NIL, but Tennessee's recruiting wasn't great prior to NIL. The coaching, the offensive and defensive schemes makes you just shake your head. As a fan base, do you all think Tennessee will ever be amongst the elites again and considered a national contender?
Click to expand...
They already have.
 
#9
#9
VOL720 said:
I just want to say there is no hate and please forgive me if there has been a similar thread posted. This is just a conversation, but I am concerned that Tennessee will never be amongst the elites again. I remember there were times I couldn't wait to get in front of the big screen in my house to watch the Lady Vols play, to see the new recruits and what they will bring to the team or will the team make a deep post season run possibly finally getting to the Final Four. These last five or more years have been hard to watch. It's like Tennessee never shows up in the big games or rarely win games that they aren't the favorites. The Sweet 16 has become the new norm. Third place in the conference has been accepted as good. There has been loaded rosters during these times but the play on the court has been just good and not great. My expectations have dropped significantly. I don't watch their games anymore. I only check score tracker when I know they are playing because it has become hard to watch a team play with little passion and sloppy basketball. I understand NIL, but Tennessee's recruiting wasn't great prior to NIL. The coaching, the offensive and defensive schemes makes you just shake your head. As a fan base, do you all think Tennessee will ever be amongst the elites again and considered a national contender?
Click to expand...
No. Not with current staff
 
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#10
#10
Illinoisvolfan2 said:
It was Pat. Pure and simple. We will never see another Pat.
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It's natural to view our beloved departed thru gauzey rose colored glasses. And Pat is the GOAT for sure.

But the truth is the LV program was in decline well before Pat even got sick. And for the same reasons Kellie struggles; far more good players and far more programs for them to choose from, plus a limited, outdated offensive system overdependant on rebounds and put backs. Pat admitted to that, to her great credit, and was seeking outside help to fix it when she got sick.

Remember when one of Pat's teams lost in the first round of the NCAAs? At home? That happened.
 
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#11
#11
mcannon1 said:
If Vic Shafer had been hired after Warlick we'd be there now. We need a better coach.
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I have always supported Kellie, but things are not happening. With all due respect to Winnercircle, Tennessee must start getting High School recruits, and it starts with a staff that knows how to recruit. This team needs a coach like Geno, or Vic, or Jeff. A coach that can recruit, train, and not take any bull..it. It bothers me, even though I am a UConn fan, that this program is getting nowhere with this staff. Playing you every year was a good test, something we want to do with our OOC schedule. We want Tennessee to be a force again, believe it or not. Clean house and get a HC with balls (literally and figuratively) who wants to make a name for himself. This is a good job and I think it can be done if the AD can look past former players. Sorry if I am offending anyone, but that's my take.
 
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#13
#13
glv98 said:
It's natural to view our beloved departed thru gauzey rose colored glasses. And Pat is the GOAT for sure.

But the truth is the LV program was in decline well before Pat even got sick. And for the same reasons Kellie struggles; far more good players and far more programs for them to choose from, plus a limited, outdated offensive system overdependant on rebounds and put backs. Pat admitted to that, to her great credit, and was seeking outside help to fix it when she got sick.

Remember when one of Pat's teams lost in the first round of the NCAAs? At home? That happened.
Click to expand...
Yes, parity now is bigger than just UConn, Stanford, Notre Dame and LA Tech.
 
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#14
#14
Illinoisvolfan2 said:
It was Pat. Pure and simple. We will never see another Pat.
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And it is unfair to try to compare anyone to her. She set the standard for the whole sport. No denying that.
So we can have “We Back Pat” and all that, because it’s good. But Holly wasn’t it, Kellie isn’t it, and we don’t need to keep comparing whoever coaches to Pat.
I just want somebody with some fire and tenacity. Somebody who is an in-game coach instead of just standing there looking like she’s about to cry (Kellie).
Tennessee’s brand gets them into tournaments and so forth, but at this point I would rather them forego the holiday tournaments with equally ranked or higher ranked teams and just play smaller schools to build up for league play. I don’t see them getting anything positive from these tournaments- just embarrassment.
 
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#15
#15
StorrsCentral said:
...This team needs a coach like Geno, or Vic, or Jeff...
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StorrsCentral said:
Clean house and get a HC with balls (literally and figuratively) who wants to make a name for himself.
Click to expand...

Excerpted these two statements from your post for obvious reasons.

Since 1982, 11 different female coaches have won national championships. The last six were won by women. Only three males have won WCBB D-1 championships (neither named Vic nor Jeff).

I'm not at all opposed to having a male coaching women (or a woman coaching men), but your post seems to imply that you think a male coach is a prerequisite to success. I remember a few years ago when Graves and Rueck were looked upon as top-tier coaches; their stars have waned as rosters have changed.
 
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#17
#17
volfan__18 said:
i see it like this. Basketball goes through eras. It’s all about the coach. You have a good coach you can win championships. Right now we don’t have that. We have the talent on our team to be rlly good, they simply aren’t getting coached to their potential.
Click to expand...
And to accentuate your point in the womens game the coach plays an even more vital role than in the mens game by this measure Kellie and Jon are putting us behind the 8 ball
 
#18
#18
StorrsCentral said:
I have always supported Kellie, but things are not happening. With all due respect to Winnercircle, Tennessee must start getting High School recruits, and it starts with a staff that knows how to recruit. This team needs a coach like Geno, or Vic, or Jeff. A coach that can recruit, train, and not take any bull..it. It bothers me, even though I am a UConn fan, that this program is getting nowhere with this staff. Playing you every year was a good test, something we want to do with our OOC schedule. We want Tennessee to be a force again, believe it or not. Clean house and get a HC with balls (literally and figuratively) who wants to make a name for himself. This is a good job and I think it can be done if the AD can look past former players. Sorry if I am offending anyone, but that's my take.
Click to expand...
and it should be noted that when Geno, Vic and Jeff were hired as Head Coaches tehy all came from jobs as Assistant Coaches. It is my understanding that requirements for our HC were 1. female 2. from Pat Summit tree and 3. Head Coaching experience
 
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#21
#21
creekdipper said:
Excerpted these two statements from your post for obvious reasons.

Since 1982, 11 different female coaches have won national championships. The last six were won by women. Only three males have won WCBB D-1 championships (neither named Vic nor Jeff).

I'm not at all opposed to having a male coaching women (or a woman coaching men), but your post seems to imply that you think a male coach is a prerequisite to success. I remember a few years ago when Graves and Rueck were looked upon as top-tier coaches; their stars have waned as rosters have changed.
Click to expand...
The Lady Volvs have always had a women coach, and I acknowledge that there are superior womens coaches out there, but maybe a change is in order. If not a man, then at least someone with fire in their belly who be not afraid of offending the players. Coach Jumper mentioned that he is an Alpha, and that is exactly what this program needs.
 
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#24
#24
BMvol27 said:
They need to hire a coach. They don’t appear to be willing to do that.
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Tennessee women's basketball has won more championships and was more revelant than the men's program. I wonder why the administration didn't invest in the women's basketball program after the Pat Summit Era?
 
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