Tennessee can't afford to keep Pruitt

#26
#26
DownNDirty said:
That was a good breakdown of the situation. I've argued on here several times that the money is there if we want it to be there. And I done the ticket breakdown. This article went into much more detail. And my biggest argument to not let Pruitt have another year is that thought of bringing in a whole new slew of assistants to help him right the ship. That NEVER works - ever. Who wants to come here to be an assistant to a lame duck coach that will likely be fired sometime next season if things keep going the way they are? You won't be drawing from the pool of assistants you want that way. And giving all new assistants 3 year contracts would just be about the dumbest thing you could do because you would have to pay all of them off when Coach Gomer fails.

The crowds were decent last year after the opening two embarrassments but Pruitt was still just in his second year and the hope of the fanbase hadn't died quite yet. This year the curtain has been pulled back for everyone to see what the story is with this head coach. Pruitt don't just lose games he get's blown out most of the time. The UTAD cannot afford to keep the guy. And I've said it repeatedly and see that it was written in this article that Fulmer won't have anything to do with Pruitt being ousted. And he won't have anything to do with the next head coach. They hit the nail on the head there. Fulmer knows his role right now and will sit back, shut up, and cash those checks because he does in fact like the green stuff quite a bit. And that's not a knock - I don't blame him for that at all.

The only thing I don't 100% agree with is that it has to be Freeze or bust. I'd still pick Matt Campbell if you could lure him away from Iowa State. Or, Fickell from Cinci. While Freeze could bring the excitement I do still have some reservations about his staying power. But, I would not argue at all that Tennessee would immediately be a much better team with him at the helm and we would at least be fun to watch. Just get Coach Gomer out and bring in someone with HEAD coaching experience at the D1 level who has shown they can win - that's all I ask. I don't care if we wind up with Jamey Chadwell or Billy Napier because at least those guys are winning now and have turned programs around.
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Only thing about Campbell is he likes the same type cliche's that Butch was so fond of. It would almost be like Butch 2.0, but with more success.
 
#27
#27
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Ticket revenue is down a few million from Butch's two promising seasons, probably about 1.5-2% of total reported revenue. Not a lot in the grand scheme but enough to cover a year's buyout payment and absolutely a lot for a department that made a big deal over being a little under $900k in the black in 2019. The only reason they got out of the red last year was increased revenue from men's basketball. The big question is how many of those tickets they're selling are tied to donations? They don't like to share those numbers but I think anyone who has been barraged in recent years by advertisements for zero-donation ticket packages can easily surmise what's up on that front. You think Bama and UGA are offering a donation free season tickets? They're not. Instead, minimum donation requirements for season tickets at winning programs typically increase year over year. A smaller, but important question, is how many tickets is UTAD giving away but crediting to the 'sold' column as part of an exchange for some sort of in-kind donation where no actual cash comes in.

The diehards such as yourself will always be there. I think what the article/blog was getting at is that there is a lot of room for increased revenue if they make a hire that gets other people excited.
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Not going to lie didn't read all of this but I liked it👍😃
 
#28
#28
EZE said:
When the current coach continually sucks and underachieves, it is a fair topic IMO. It would die down if UT would hire a competent coach.
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This is reality, UT will not fire Pruitt after a two-year extension in 2020, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. We (fans) should try and hope he comes out in 2021 and has a 9+ winning season.
 
#29
#29
hog88 said:
What has Pruitt done to show he deserves a 4th year let alone a 5th?
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What do you mean deserves? He just received a 2-year extension. It is a contract, a legal document, deserves isn't in the Terms and Conditions......he gets it whether you or I like it or not.
 
#30
#30
Volsfaninva917 said:
What you meant to say is you hope it doesn't happen because Pruitt signed your tshirt
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Whatever, the facts are the facts, he signed a legal document with UT, whether he signed my t-shirt or shared cornbread with me, it doesn't change the legal truth.........he is here for two more years.
 
#32
#32
Volsfaninva917 said:
Good stuff here from Basilio's website today
The Tony Basilio Show

The following are actual numbers from the 2019 fiscal year (football only) and also just absolute random guesses.
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(Primary source - Blake Toppmeyer KNS)

A popular idea being floated around town is that UTAD just doesn’t have the money to fire Pruitt, after all, Pruitts buyout all by himself is more than the UTAD has in reserve. That statement is true, however the context is completely incorrect. Pruitt will not be payed in a single lump sum, therefore what is in reserves is not the primary determining factor.

Let’s look at the numbers ...
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2019 Fiscal Year (football)

Total Revenue: $96.1M
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Total Expenses: $52.7M
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Difference: $43.4M Surplus



Conclusion: Is keeping Pruitt saving money or spending money? It’s beyond obvious, (no offense Roger,) that keeping Pruitt is a disastrous move football wise. Donations will continue to fall, ticket sales will fall, merchandising will fall, etc. Also, no rational argument can be made that hiring a proven winner, even though risky, in Hugh Freeze, who’s already a popular figure with the majority of the fan base, will not swell the coffers.
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Based on WHAT do take the position that Freeze is popular with a majority of the fan base. I see support by a fringe group on the boards but not from the majority I speak with in the real world. There are still deep stains in Oxford and I don't see the money guys ever getting past the risk/reward calculations where he is involved. Kind of like rehiring Bruce conversations..... scrutiny will be at a high level wherever he goes. Offensive genius, probably, But the risk is still there and you do not want to have him around if he fails again. Fool me once...........
 
#33
#33
MBVFL1 said:
Dude I played for coach Fulmer and love UT for all its done for me so I guess I'm guilty
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Hey I respect that as well as your choice to continue going to games. I’ve been a loyal fan since ‘86 but I do not feel obligated to make my family sacrifice money so that I can go to a game when the athletic department proves over and over that their only priority is revenue and they only act when the money slows down enough to scare them. I’m doing being hustled.
 
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#35
#35
FlyFishnVol said:
Whatever, the facts are the facts, he signed a legal document with UT, whether he signed my t-shirt or shared cornbread with me, it doesn't change the legal truth.........he is here for two more years.
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Lol contracts are voided all the time, people are fired with cause and the Jimmy Brumbaugh situation may be the golden ticket
 
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#37
#37
FlyFishnVol said:
Whatever, the facts are the facts, he signed a legal document with UT, whether he signed my t-shirt or shared cornbread with me, it doesn't change the legal truth.........he is here for two more years.
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He probably is because we're stupid, but why are you digging your heals in on this?
 
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#39
#39
tastycar said:
We won't because we're Tennessee. We do everything a** backwards.
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Truth. Also, do we really trust the AD to make another coaching hire? It’s bad at every angle. I’m with Basilio.. a back door deal must be in place with a proven coach prior to firing Jeremy Pruitt. No more coaching searches. We have to take the “idiot” out of the process. Simplification.
 
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#40
#40
bigorangepoppa said:
Only thing about Campbell is he likes the same type cliche's that Butch was so fond of. It would almost be like Butch 2.0, but with more success.
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Campbell is nothing like Jones. The guy that's most like the trumpet blower is PJ Fleck at Minnesota. Campbell actually took over a horrible team - all time horrible - and made it good. Butch took over very good teams that Brian Kelly built at his two stops prior to UT and just kind of got by. Then he come here and ran it completely off the rail once people figured out how full of crap he was.
 
#42
#42
OrangeBeachVol said:
I remember when UT was known as 'wide receiver U'. Now we are just know as 'fire coaches U'. Sad
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Maybe the next time they fire someone, we can be known as 'hired a good coach U'... And I know the chances of that are slim to none
 
#43
#43
Volsfaninva917 said:
Good stuff here from Basilio's website today
The Tony Basilio Show

The following are actual numbers from the 2019 fiscal year (football only) and also just absolute random guesses.
spacer.gif
(Primary source - Blake Toppmeyer KNS)

A popular idea being floated around town is that UTAD just doesn’t have the money to fire Pruitt, after all, Pruitts buyout all by himself is more than the UTAD has in reserve. That statement is true, however the context is completely incorrect. Pruitt will not be payed in a single lump sum, therefore what is in reserves is not the primary determining factor.

Let’s look at the numbers ...
spacer.gif
2019 Fiscal Year (football)

Total Revenue: $96.1M
spacer.gif
Total Expenses: $52.7M
spacer.gif
Difference: $43.4M Surplus



Conclusion: Is keeping Pruitt saving money or spending money? It’s beyond obvious, (no offense Roger,) that keeping Pruitt is a disastrous move football wise. Donations will continue to fall, ticket sales will fall, merchandising will fall, etc. Also, no rational argument can be made that hiring a proven winner, even though risky, in Hugh Freeze, who’s already a popular figure with the majority of the fan base, will not swell the coffers.
Click to expand...

The AD is responsible for me than football. The AD surplus was just over $700k after everything was paid for. This info is public and can be found on the website.
 
#47
#47
FlyFishnVol said:
So, once the "fire the current coach topic" is started, it's a never-ending analysis of salaries and buyout blah blah blah. Let me do the math real quick............CJP is not going anywhere, 2020 is weird altogether, and how a group of you can even contemplate his firing is ridiculous. CJP is not going anywhere in 2020 or 2021. He'll get at least 5 years and rightfully so, he is IN HIS 3rd Year.
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Agree 100%. Once these post get's started, it's like a band wagon of instant haters, dang folks let's be thankful for UT Football period. No body likes loosing, but the constant, ridiculous post and replies, no wonder we're a dumpster fire on steriods
 
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#48
#48
orange parmejohn said:
Hey I respect that as well as your choice to continue going to games. I’ve been a loyal fan since ‘86 but I do not feel obligated to make my family sacrifice money so that I can go to a game when the athletic department proves over and over that their only priority is revenue and they only act when the money slows down enough to scare them. I’m doing being hustled.
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I hear you brother, it's been tough
 
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#50
#50
Volsfaninva917 said:
What you meant to say is you hope it doesn't happen because Pruitt signed your tshirt
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Ahh, I've been thinking this type of thing for several years. I believe a lot of fans like a certain coach because the coach waved at the fan at the mall or airport after the fan yelled the coach's name at least 22 times. Or as you suggest, a coach signed a t-shirt for them at 'fan day'. Lots of possibilities.
 
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