Would Pruitt replace Saban?

#51
#51
Look at from your personal perspective. If another employer came to you and offered you more money to do the same job that you currently have plus a whole lot of other factors, would you take the job? I would think you would at least listen to the offer.

Tennessee doesn't have state income tax, Alabama does. With the salaries that they are making that's a lot of money. There are many more thing to consider, like the article says, it's a thankless job.
 
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#52
#52
He can become the man that resurrected a SEC Blue Blood program or he can be the guy that followed the greatest CFB to ever live. Ask Roy Sanford, Frank Solich or Holly Warlick how fun it was to follow a legend.

If Pruitt starts winning SEC and CFB titles here the only real worry I'd have is him getting a NFL itch. We can match the money and resources of any program. So many are quick to forget just how big the Power T is in the world of College Football.
 
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#53
#53
#54
#54
Following a legend is pretty much a guarantee you will be run out of town after a few years unless you win a NC the first year.
 
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#55
#55
If offered the job, of course he'd accept it. I don't even think that's a debatable point.

It is 100% debateable. Neither you nor anyone else (besides Pruitt) has any concrete info that indicates this. Everything Pruitt has ever said is contrary to that. Does he have to say he's not interested while the coach of Tennessee? Of course he does, but assuming every coach would turn on us like Lane did is not reality.
 
#59
#59
I think the issue with this view is Pruitt has no intention of failing miserably. He seems genuinely driven to make whatever program hes at the best it can possibly be. If you're in his shoes, would you rather win a championship at Bama where they will always compare you to Saban or win one at Tennessee where you would be a legend forever?
Don’t think he is interested in following in Saban & Bears football steps. Wants to build his own legacy. Feel sorry for coach that follows Saban.
 
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#61
#61
Pruitt would have to win the SEC and go to a playoff game for him to be a contender at Bama.

I wouldn't worry about that happening any time soon.
Look over the last 3 years & see what coaches got their teams to the playoffs. Who’s leaving? 9M to get them interested.
 
#62
#62
He can become the man that resurrected a SEC Blue Blood program or he can be the guy that followed the greatest CFB to ever live. Ask Roy Sanford, Frank Solich or Holly Warlick how fun it was to follow a legend.

If Pruitt starts winning SEC and CFB titles here the only real worry I'd have is him getting a NFL itch. We can match the money and resources of any program. So many are quick to forget just how big the Power T is in the world of College Football.
Following a legend is pretty much a guarantee you will be run out of town after a few years unless you win a NC the first year.

Ask a whole slew of coaches - you never want to be the man that follows THE MAN.
 
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#64
#64
What is it with some of you people? If a coach here has the slightest bit of success in recruiting, some of you turn into clingy little girls. Some of you absolutely had your bowels tore up that Dooley was leaving for UGA when he had accomplished absolutely nothing. When Butch was running around peddling his dog and pony show and hadn't accomplished enough to get Vandy interested, some of you were scared to death he was going to Michigan. Can we at least let our coach win some trophies before you all start worrying about losing him?
 
#65
#65
Here's an angle. Could Pruitt have any measure of success VS Alabama while here that would make him an unpalatable option for Bama's boosters & fan base?

Allow me to dream. 2021 we give them their 2nd loss after they've lost to aTm, allowing 7-1 LSU who they beat to backdoor them in the West. Then 2022 we knock them out of the SECCG. Effectively two years in a row Pruitt knocked bama out of playoff contention.

10 years from now if Pruitt's riding the coattails of a dynasty in a slight decline. Say Tee Martin's career has soared and he's the hotshot 4th/5th year HC that recently foiled us a few times. Pruitt retires..... If Tee foiled us from a different conference I'm all in. But if he had left us for bama (I just threw up in my mouth) and foiled us? Would we want him to come home and pick up the dynasty?
 
#68
#68
If offered the job, of course he'd accept it. I don't even think that's a debatable point. He could go to Alabama, fail miserably, and still be paid handsomely for the time spent plus a buyout. Then could slide into a top assistant job again after that.

The real question is how good does Pruitt have to perform at Tennessee for Alabama to seriously consider him. I still maintain he'd probably need to win the SEC at least once for them to truly consider him. Maybe he'd still get consideration if he won the East at least once, but either way, he still would need to win something beyond just some games. I can't imagine their admin and boosters turning the keys to their program over to a guy who was just "pretty good" at another school.

If by the time Saban retires the best Pruitt has done is 8-9 regular season victories but no championships, I think he'd be way down their list.
I agree, but who do they take? Most of those guys winning pretty entrenched. Not much after Dabo. Mullen possibly? Kiffin?
 
#69
#69
Do you think guys not coaching that have won Nattys like Meyer, Bob Stoops, etc would be in the conversation?
If Bama locked down Meyer or Stoops to follow Saban, that changes the conversation. If that happened, I could see Bama continue to roll. I don’t see someone leaving an established title contending program to follow Saban’s footsteps at Bama.
 
#70
#70
Here's an angle. Could Pruitt have any measure of success VS Alabama while here that would make him an unpalatable option for Bama's boosters & fan base?

Allow me to dream. 2021 we give them their 2nd loss after they've lost to aTm, allowing 7-1 LSU who they beat to backdoor them in the West. Then 2022 we knock them out of the SECCG. Effectively two years in a row Pruitt knocked bama out of playoff contention.

10 years from now if Pruitt's riding the coattails of a dynasty in a slight decline. Say Tee Martin's career has soared and he's the hotshot 4th/5th year HC that recently foiled us a few times. Pruitt retires..... If Tee foiled us from a different conference I'm all in. But if he had left us for bama (I just threw up in my mouth) and foiled us? Would we want him to come home and pick up the dynasty?
Isn’t Tee from Alabama?

I think most coaches are confident enough to believe they could go into any circumstance and succeed.

If you can’t go and win at Alabama, you probably would have a tough time anywhere. Same goes for UT, Georgia,Florida, Auburn and LSU. The rest of the SEC is more like, if you could win there you could probably win anywhere.

Only 4 teams make the playoffs and only 1 wins it all. Fans get tired of coaches that don’t get it done. Winning it all is getting it done.

Saban is old enough to retire without winnings another NC without getting fired.

How long would Saban have to go without another NC to get him fired?
 
#72
#72
Wasted words, already been heard.
yesterday: some MZ drama queen puts out a coaching list
today: when will Pruitt leave for Bama
Tomorrow: Coach Jumper takes over the Lady Vols
Future: my grandson becomes the next Steve Kiner, Hacksaw, Jackie Walker all rolled into one. And I finally earn my nickname of "The Legend"
 
#73
#73
My 2 cents. We all want Pruitt to fix Tennessee. It's been broken a long time. If he does, and does it well enough - we should be pleased.

I don't want y'all to mistake me as WoodsmanVol, who pines so eloquently on such matters, but one deep thought has come to mind.
Think about it: There is a leisure class at each end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Along that lines, there is a pipeline for UT head coaches to end up at Bama (Battle, Kiffin, Jones). So which end would Pruitt end up on? The glory end, (head coach) or the fetch coffee for the coach end (Jones)?

One other thing to consider - Pruitt has small children. I can see the Pruitt family becoming entrenched in the community. If the kids have good friends, and they develop some social relationships around Knoxville and begin to feel at home, I'd think it would influence them. Also, as pointed out in the article, the guy who follows Saban will be monetarily wealthy, but will face some tremendous heat if and when a mediocre season comes around. There have been some really good coaches that have suffered that. Currie and Stallings comes to mind. Both were shown the door after a couple of seasons of Mark Richt type success. Stallings exit came just a few years after a Natty. Go figure.

So with me, if Pruitt rebuilds the program enough to where he is wanted that bad in Tuscaloosa, that means UT must be competing. And, whatever Pruitt builds here, he'll have to compete against his own body of work if he goes to Bama. I like him enough to hope he succeeds regardless.
 

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