VTTW Board Index

I'm good with him if he is the one

I'll take him over Steele or Tucker in a heartbeat, if those are the three finalists. It makes me nervous, and there are other coordinators I would rather have, but at least it's a hire I could get excited about. No one can convince me that Tucker could succeed as the head coach at Tennessee, and I just can't support a Steele hire. There's a big difference in a young up-and-comer vs. a career coordinator who's pushing 60 and had a dismal record as a head coach 20 years ago.

With the right staff, I can see Pruitt being successful. If he brings Lupoi with him, all the better. It disappoints me, though, that Fulmer went this route. By not going after a proven head coach, we're playing directly into the national narrative that this job isn't what it once was and that no one wants it. If this hire fails, that narrative is cemented, and perception becomes reality.

I really feel like Tennessee football is at a breaking point.

I have no idea how successful he would be as a head coach, but he is both an excellent defensive coordinator and recruiter. I'm sure his toughness would match what Fulmer is looking for. Jeremy P. has a lot of confidence in himself and isn't afraid to disagree with Saban when he thinks he's right. He's style is both a mixture of Saban's and Bill Oliver's. He particularly likes to bring a lot of blitzes, and very much like Oliver, likes quicker players at LB etc. over larger players that Saban in the past preferred.



BG

I think it is in the back of everybody's mind... The breaking point, but let's step back from the cliff. We can and should be in the mix. We have a history of being in the mix. I'm confident will return to said mix!  :naughty:

Can we poach some kroots?  :naughty:

It's going to be Pruitt.  Anticipate a presser tomorrow.  This is a big recruiting weekend.  Got to have a head coach and possibly word on coordinators in place by then. 

As far as recruits, I sure hope not, but if Pruitt, Tosh and Wright are suddenly at UT there is of course a chance.

Everyone knew Jeremy P. would eventually get a head coaching position so this is no surprise. However, if Tosh leaves that is unexpected as most thought he would take over for JP since he is the co-defensive coordinator.

BG

Of the 3.....give me Pruitt.

Not excited at all, but hope I'm wrong.

Well, this has been fun.  Can't wait to do it again in three years.  In the meantime, I'm going to start scouting the local middle school teams.  By 2020, those coaches should be prime candidates for the UT job.  I'll keep ya'll posted on my findings.

Here's an update:

http://gridironnow.com/tennessee-jeremy-pruitt-continue-moving-toward-hiring-head-coach/

BG

fizzle  :banghead:

Curious. Who did you expect? Who did you want?



BG

FWIW, informative read with very positive review of Pruitt's ability.

http://gridironnow.com/alabamas-jeremy-pruitt-second-call-fsu-makes-replace-fisher/

BG

You bunch of Negative Nellies. (Said with love.)

For years people have been talking about how Pruitt is going to get a head coaching job and how someone would be getting a great coach. Now it looks like we might get him and all of sudden he ain't so hot?

I have no idea how he will do but I can definitely say this: It could be a lot worse. I also say: Get in here and start recruiting. Depending on the assistants this could be good for us. If it isn't it isn't but I'm not going to lay a blanket of pessimism on this guy just as he gets started.

I'm also not laying out pie in the sky here but if he's it, then he's it and we should and have no choice but to back him up.

Love ya, mean it.

(http://home.mindspring.com/~wbalford/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/stud-vttw.jpg)

We've been through this ritual before.  Probably sometime tomorrow, we're all going to sit down at the dinner table and be served a shizzle sandwich.  Now many in the media will try to convince us that it's really filet mignon- but we can see with our own eyes, and it looks for all the world like a shizzle sandwich.  They'll get guys like Saban, Richt, and Fisher to go on the record and say that it's the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth cut of meat they've ever tried.  VFL films will make a bitchin' hype video.  Then our meal will look up at us from the dinner plate and say how much he LOVES Rocky Top and how he's always wanted to run through the T.  "Why, he GETS it!", many will say.  "He's not a shizzle sandwich at all!  He's one of US!  This is the man to lead us back to the promised land!".

Don't be that guy.  You're only setting yourself up for disappointment.  Again.

Don't get me wrong.  If Pruitt's our coach, I'll stand behind him until he gives me reason not to.  But I fully expect him to give me reason.  My eyes are wide open this time. 

Until proven otherwise, he's a shizzle sandwich in my book.  He can begin to prove otherwise next fall, and not a minute before.

Pruitt would be a really good hire, and especially given what has happened here the last couple of weeks.  Don't really know what some folks expect at this point.  Just proves that some fans really don't have much of a clue. 

Oh I agree that given all that's happened, he's probably the best we can get.  As for what I expect?  I expected our administration not to screw up the search in the first place, so we don't have to resort to Plan JJJ. Clearly, that was asking too much.

Based on the boards I've been on today of the 3 being mentioned Pruitt gets the nod by a good margin and Steele a distant 3rd. So I fully expect UT to go UT and hire Steele.

The most UT thing ever would be that we hire Pruitt, he succeeds beyond anyone's wildest dreams in year one, then Saban retires and bammer hires him away after one season.

That isn't far fetched and would have to be considered in the deal if hired which could be a hold up.......And, JMO but I fully expect Bama to give him a good raise and tell him he's the next man up. Whether he is or not.

I'm sure their top choice would be Dabo.  But if he says no, and Pruitt does well in Knoxville, he may be plan B.

Not sure Dabo will be their next coach.....He's getting close to the same talent....winning championships and playing for it all dang near every year. He has a down year at Clemson he's earned the right to rebound. At Bama they will burn him if he doesn't carry on what Saban left. The ole saying don't be the man that followed the man.

I agree he'd be crazy to leave behind what he's built at Clemson.  But he's a bammer alum.  And if they want him bad enough, they'll throw 20 million a year his way.  Their administration, unlike some I can name, actually cares about winning.

Many, if not most, Tide fans know it's very questionable whether Dabo would leave Clemson. He's apparently very happy and he has family to think of. It's something even he probably doesn't yet know. They've put a lot of money into their facilities and into his contract, and that shows they will do most whatever it takes to keep him.

While I know he takes great pride in being part of the '92 national championship team (he came back to this year's 25th  year celebration), this is a business and he has to do what's right for he and his family. No one will know until that time comes.

BG

I, for one, prefer not to wallow in the current doom and gloom that seems to be permeating the current perception, from the media, the naysayers and most of all some of the fans who think that Tennessee is a lost cause.  Gruden was a pipe dream, Kelley was never coming, Frost went home, Mullen made sense going to Florida. We almost got Schiano for God's sake!  Yes, so we have struck out so far, but seriously, no one that Currie reached out to would have satisfied the "prerequisite" of hiring a proven winner guaranteed to get us back to the glory days in year one. There are only a handful of coaches that could have met that standard and they ain't going nowhere.  

Coach Pruitt, if we are fortunate to hire him, shows a lot of promise.  I agree with the approach of defense first and he has been part of the best.  With a good defense, at least we will be in the ball game.  Bring in Tee Martin, the offense will be improved and recruiting should be a given (maybe even salvage this year's class).  I look at this as a new beginning no matter who we get.

As for this past season, it was the worst I have ever witnessed as I am sure everyone would agree.  There were games we should have won, games we could have lost.  The stars lined up against us with a tough schedule and we were decimated by unprecedented injuries, not to mention a terrible coaching performance.

Having said all this, I am optimistic that we're going to be fine.  We have good talent coming back, we have great facilities, a passionate fan base and we play in the best conference in the country.  Butch was right about one thing, Tennessee has all the pieces in place to compete and produce a championship program. I trust in Coach Fulmer to make the right decision on the coaching hire.  

Next year's schedule will be brutal and we may still take some hard losses.  It's not going to be easy but what's new.  It's the SEC.

But chin up ya'll.  See you in Charlotte.  

Go Vols! Go big orange!    
 

If I could take any college coach in the country without considering if they would come, it would be Petersen.  If I include coaches not currently coaching college but active, Carroll.  Either will do.

Of active coaches we might actually get, Fuentes (15 M buyout is the obstacle).

Of coaches that are affordable that we could get, I'd take Leach over Pruitt.

Elsewhere Droner says that "for years" people have been saying Pruitt would make a great HC.  No disrespect Droner, but Pruitt has only been the DC at bammer for two years.  I think the talk of him being an HC is very recent, actually.  As in only for this season that I am aware of.

And what I suspect is that it was fueled in part by Smart's success at Uga this year.  But just because Smart made the transition doesn't mean Pruitt will.   

I agree with BDV...he's a shizzle sandwich until proven otherwise.   :naughty:

Well it seems like years. The point is, if he's hired as the coach, why not give him a chance? Shizzle sandwich or not.

Well said.

Good to see you, you egg stomper.

Our golf course has about 100 Canada geese we need you to eliminate.

Maybe i am alone in this opinion but i was actually excited about Leach. He is one of the few coaches that could have been transformative to our program. Not many coaches would have struck fear in the hearts of SEC Defensive coordinators, but Leach would have.  I like pirates too!!! I know he is a bit querky but he would have put 40+ on the board every game.  Oh well...doesn't matter any way. Maybe we can find Randy Sanders right?  :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

HOLLER!! Good to see ya brother!

Come on...I am an eternal optimist.  I will get behind any coach we hire, even if reluctantly.

Just not excited by Pruitt.  At all.  Will of course give him a chance if it's him.

Are you setting down? I'm fine with Pruitt. He's an SEC guy. Good recruiter. Defensive minded. Give him the assistants he needs and he could do great. Of course he could end up worse than Jones. But I think he is a better gameday, X's and O's coach than Jones. We will see. If he can recruit as advertised hopefully he can get us back to 2 deep talent. I'm on board.

That is a very low bar  :naughty: