A Bright Spot

[murfvol]

Things are suboptimal, but IMHO Pruitt has constructed the best roster we've had in >10 years. If, and that's a big if, he can let go of the offense and get enough help coaching defense, we can lurch toward mediocrity.

Add a decent QB, and we can be more. He's just got to work out the coaching balance. There's too much dead weight on the offensive staff, and not enough full time guys on defense.

If that issue completely his fault? Yes. Rocker didn't recruit, but he did develop.

[BanditVol]

Things are suboptimal, but IMHO Pruitt has constructed the best roster we've had in >10 years. If, and that's a big if, he can let go of the offense and get enough help coaching defense, we can lurch toward mediocrity.

Add a decent QB, and we can be more. He's just got to work out the coaching balance. There's too much dead weight on the offensive staff, and not enough full time guys on defense.

If that issue completely his fault? Yes. Rocker didn't recruit, but he did develop.

I liked Rocker and was impressed with the play of the DL last year.  Too bad we lost him.

[HerbTarlekVol]

I liked Rocker and was impressed with the play of the DL last year.  Too bad we lost him.

Pruitt didn't lose him.  He ran him.  

Rocker was lazy, terrible recruiter.  

But that said, most of our staff aren't very good recruiters, and most of them aren't very good at developing.  Just a terrible staff. 

[Tnphil]

Probably the worst staff overall in the SEC.

[Cobbvol]

Things are suboptimal, but IMHO Pruitt has constructed the best roster we've had in >10 years. If, and that's a big if, he can let go of the offense and get enough help coaching defense, we can lurch toward mediocrity.

Add a decent QB, and we can be more. He's just got to work out the coaching balance. There's too much dead weight on the offensive staff, and not enough full time guys on defense.

If that issue completely his fault? Yes. Rocker didn't recruit, but he did develop.

I agree. With CJP being a defensive coach, the notion was the rise of team would come from the defense. Against SEC offenses in Butch's last season our defense averaged giving up over 440 yds/game. Last season, we gave up 361/game against SEC offenses and this year so far it is 408. So the base is there for the defense to move forward, it is the offense that is the anchor holding this team back. Specifically the QB. With decent QB play I think we would be 4-2. The defense would have been complimented in our games versus long stretches of 3 and outs that has become our M.O.

The talk of firing him this season generating buyouts of approximately $15M given the current financial situation in the Ath. Dept is not going to happen in my opinion. He does however need to make changes on his staff which i do think he will do because he probably knows this is his last chance to get the offense right which will in turn get the team right.

[Hollerboy]

I agree. With CJP being a defensive coach, the notion was the rise of team would come from the defense. Against SEC offenses in Butch's last season our defense averaged giving up over 440 yds/game. Last season, we gave up 361/game against SEC offenses and this year so far it is 408. So the base is there for the defense to move forward, it is the offense that is the anchor holding this team back. Specifically the QB. With decent QB play I think we would be 4-2. The defense would have been complimented in our games versus long stretches of 3 and outs that has become our M.O.

The talk of firing him this season generating buyouts of approximately $15M given the current financial situation in the Ath. Dept is not going to happen in my opinion. He does however need to make changes on his staff which i do think he will do because he probably knows this is his last chance to get the offense right which will in turn get the team right.

And considering that Fulmer will not admit a mistake, along with the pricetag, we are stuck with Randy Sanders...errrr...I mean Pruitt for a couple more years. I am not a fan of the guy.  Again we sit here staring at less than mediocrity...I am beginning to wonder if we will ever return to being a top 10-15 program.  Oh well.....I give up. I'll watch...but I doubt I will ever be able to drink the koolaid again.

[BanditVol]

And considering that Fulmer will not admit a mistake, along with the pricetag, we are stuck with Randy Sanders...errrr...I mean Pruitt for a couple more years. I am not a fan of the guy.  Again we sit here staring at less than mediocrity...I am beginning to wonder if we will ever return to being a top 10-15 program.  Oh well.....I give up. I'll watch...but I doubt I will ever be able to drink the koolaid again.

Hate to say it, but I'm with you on that.  I was a so-called "negavol" definitely in the Majors day (no one screamed louder for him to be gone than me), and as long-time posters probably remember, I was about the most negative Vol on the internet towards Sanders, but after Fulmer fired I switched sides.  The reason being, is I thought fans had unrealistic expectations of Fulmer vs a "fill in the blank" Fulmer replacement in 2008.  I suspected that no matter how much Fulmer had slipped, and he unquestionably had by a considerable amount, likely we would still be worse off without him.  Unfortunately I was right.  So ever since Year 2 of Dooley I've pushed back against what I perceived to be undeserved criticism of the Vol program.  By which I mean idjuts that are ready to fire a new coach after two games. I believe a coach should get 2-3 years to show what they can do.  Thus this latest drop or fall or whatever you call it by Pruitt is very disappointing, because it had looked as if he had turned things around and was on the right track.

It's been long enough since Fulmer was removed (though ironically he is back as AD!) now that it's pretty much irrelevant now, so I may revert back to my pre-2010 behavior.     One thing is for sure, if Pruitt is 2-8 this season he will be under tremendous pressure next year and likely won't survive (or he may somehow make it into 2023, but that's it).  Even if he's 3-7, which currently seems very likely, he's going to be on the hot seat.  If on the other hand we somehow pull out another win or three anything can happen.

But Pruitt has had enough time.  It's time to stop having this team embarrass itself in the 3rd quarter, that's just been ridiculous.