Coach Banks.....😡

[Sudden Impact]

I believe UT has an open checkbook right now if they choose to bring in a top flight DC. This is a critical juncture though. Heupel has to make a decision and it needs to be the right one. He has more info. He knows whether Banks is aligned or not. I don't think money will hold him back.

PS- Banks seems to collapse in games. Purdue comes to mind as a game somewhat similar to USCe. He was just flat out coached in both games and beaten by inferior talent.

so back to the replacement thread we go...

Derek Mason
DJ Durkin
Kevin Steele
Barry Odom
Jesse Minter

 

[Alto1]

2021
Pitt 397
Fl 505
Missouri 396
SC 370
Miss 510
Bama 574
KY 612
Ga 487
South B 285
Vandy 321
Purdue 627

2022:
Ball ST 322
Pitt 415
Akron 276
FL 594
LSU 355
Bama 569
Martin 392
Ga 387
Missouri 389
SC 606

I’ve tried to rationalize it and made excuses for nearly 2 seasons. I’m done. The defense is NOT good, there need to be a DC change.

Tennessee HAS the Jimmy’s & Joe’s to keep Martin from gaining almost 400 on them. They have the personnel to not let Ball ST gain 322. They have the players to not let an anemic Richardson throw for 450+. I could go on all day about how bad it’s been. Tennessee’s offense has simply covered up how bad the D is.


You cannot keep allowing bad teams to gain 300-400 & decent teams to gain 400-600 and think everything will be OK………..this team in moving in the right direction. This team is having an amazing season. They CANNOT get over the hump with THIS D!!!

Great post with FACTS!
NOW, let’s see if there is a rebuttal argument..
I have nothing…….

 

[Sudden Impact]

Great post with FACTS!
NOW, let’s see if there is a rebuttal argument..
I have nothing…….

Only game missing is the 2022 KY game (205 Yards). That's about it.

 

[Stownterry]

I don’t have any room to reply after that book

 

[LTVol]

You've confused Jeremy Pruitt with Josh Heupel. Pruitt took the job after the Schiano meltdown tarnished the position. Fulmer even called a few people on this board to see if they were interested.

When I saw his name on my caller ID, I didnt pick up.

 

[Alto1]

Only game missing is the 2022 KY game (205 Yards). That's about it.

Good catch.
So the talent is there to do that. KY proves that. Not saying the talent is there for a top ten defensive but dang, Saturday was ridiculous.
Besides, hard to get to #1 in the CFP beating alabama and lsu without decent talent on D.

 

[SouthKnoxVol70]

Seeing a post this long makes my head hurt . I’ll be honest , I read the first two sentences and stopped . My attention span just wasn’t there for this one

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

But you posted. Could have saved some attention span for later and then read the whole post first.

 

[lexkyvol]

FIRST POST......and it's all about Coach Banks.

I know it's always fun to sit incognito on message boards and hurl vitriol all over the chosen target for the day, month, season or year.

Coach Banks has been CHOSEN. The coach that had the GUTS to step in and take over when others turned us down. Do you know why others turned us down? Because COACHES do not want to tarnish or ruin their reputation, nor do they want to deal with the public scrutiny and backlash of taking over and running an OFFENSE or DEFENSE that's BAD!! They don't want to deal with the RISK of being associated with a DUMPSTER FIRE! And on top of that, coaches know, even though fans don't, that being a DC of a team that runs an offense like the one Coach Heupel runs, can be coaching suicide. The offense puts a strain on the defense, so you need speed, depth and play-makers, NONE of which TENNESSEE had at the time Coach Heupel took over.

TENNESSEE was a DUMPSTER FIRE before Coach Heupel took the job......remember that? Other Head Coaches wanted no parts of this job, we kept getting turned down. These (HC) were ESTABLISHED Brands and they were not willing to risk ruining their reputation as a HC to take over a program that was in COMPLETE shambles!! NO ESTABLISHED HC wanted any parts of the SANCTIONS, TRANSFER PORTAL EXODUS or the TARNISHED name of UT football attached to them. Coach Heupel had the GUTS to accept the challenge head on!!

He had his OC, but offered the DC job to lots of "named" coaches.......coaches that everyone was excited about. What happened? They ALL used us to get raises, but NO ONE was willing to take the chance......NO GUTS!!

Coach Heupel "SETTLES" for Coach Tim Banks as DC.....a "NO NAMER" in the eyes of the fan base, but a well respected coach in the profession known for improving defenses, getting the most out of "no name players" and sending them to the NFL (as he did at CENTRAL MICHIGAN, CINCINNATI, ILLINOIS and PENN STATE), as well as finding a way to WIN when rosters don't have the caliber of kids that are play makers on game day.....all of which we NEEDED at TENNESSEE!!

When Coach Banks took over the DEFENSE, he and his staff had NO one to work with, which is why everyone believed we'd only win 3-4 games in year one. He played with walk-ons, he moved players to different positions, he tried different schemes. He basically found a way to get the most out of what we had left on the roster, and it wasn't always pretty, what happened? We won more games than expected! I don't care how you slice it, the defense helped to stop another team from scoring more than us on 7 occasions last year!!

Fast forward to this season. Who's our PLAY-MAKERS on DEFENSE? I'm talking legitimate PLAY-MAKERS that are difference makers......like we have on OFFENSE. If I asked that same question about the offense, we could all rattle off SEVERAL names and even a few 2 deep playmakers.

Coach Banks and the defensive staff have done a great job of FINDING a way to help WIN games, even though they have a limited roster......but because it DOESN'T LOOK right to the arm chair coaches, every WEEKEND, even when we WIN, we NEED to FIRE COACH Banks!! We need to find an experienced DC that's called plays before! We need to find a DC that can help us WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS!! We need to find a DC that can improve the PASS DEFENSE which sucks (even though there are 100s of statistical metrics that are more important)!!

We've won 9 games already this season and yes, I believe we should have wooped SC..... That game still stings as much today as it did on Saturday. But the fact that we have SEVERAL THREADS about getting RID of Coach Banks at the end of the season makes my BLOOD BOIL!!

Are there better DC's than Coach Banks?......absolutely! But are they better for what we need right now? I don't know. But why in the WORLD would you get rid of a Coach when we are WAY ahead of schedule in our rebuild and HE is a part of the pieces of the puzzle that has made that happen. What sense does it make to GAMBLE on bringing in another DC in the middle of a REBUILD that's almost REBUILT??!!!

Coach Heupel is a smart guy. He didn't just SETTLE for BANKS or ANY other coach on this staff. He was strategic in his hires and it's the reason we are WAY AHEAD of schedule today!!

If you think we need to get RID of Coach Banks, you're entitled to your opinion. THIS is MY OPINION based on what I KNOW about Coach Banks body of work as a DC. He has won Conference Championships at 2 out of 3 places where he was the PLAY-CALLING DC and 1 where he was the Co-DC. He said when he came to TENNESSEE that he wanted to be a part of a team that WON the National Championship.......and because he had the GUTS to come here and had the confidence to BELIEVE that we could WIN a National Championship.........I'm TEAM Coach Banks.......I'm TEAM current coaching staff......all day!!

I will ride or die with this STAFF! While the SC game was awful to watch, I refuse to jump on the national bandwagon of spewing HATE towards our FOOTBALL PROGRAM or ANY person on this STAFF!! We want to be RESPECTED nationally, yet our own fan base has little RESPECT for what's really been accomplished in with our Football Program.

GBO!!!!

FACTS about Coach BANKS (which can all be found in his BIO) for all of those who said he NO experience calling plays before he came to TENNESSEE:
- PLAY-CALLER at Central Michigan for 3 seasons and 2 of those seasons, they were MAC CHAMPIONS. Defense dominated!
- PLAY-CALLER at University of Cincinnati for 2 years. One season they were ACC CHAMPIONS. Coach Banks for the first time, was NOMINATED for the BROYLES AWARD because he had one of the youngest, but most improved and dominant defenses in college football. Defense dominated!
-PLAY-CALLER at ILLINOIS for 4 seasons. The team struggled....didn't win much, but defense continued to improve and by Coach Banks last season, it was considered one of most STATISTICALLY improved defenses in college football.
-NOT the PLAY-CALLER, but Co-DC at Penn State for 5 seasons. TOP 35 recruiter there and instrumental in developing several "no name players" into draft picks and free agents that are still currently playing in the NFL. During his time there, Penn State had three 11 win seasons, Played in 4 NY6 bowls and was BIG TEN CHAMPIONS his first year (2016)

Pretty silly OPINION after watching this guy's defense the last 2 years in the biggest games vs similar or lesser opponents get torched for 50 or more points. time for Bnaks to go!

them other conferences aren't the SEC and them other schools aint ROCKY TOP! u just joined and already you can go with him elsewhere!

 

[lexkyvol]

A valid point can be made in the first post about play makers.

How many of our guys could start at Bama or Georgia. We as a fan base often compare our team to those teams as a measuring stick.

So which of our guys start there?

How many start at another top 10 program?

We do lack elite talent on defense.

Half our offense could play anywhere in the country. But that defense…

bad post because we gave up less to bama than we did sc. any point in favor of banks or against those players is mute. banks IS the issue

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

The coach firers are gonna be positively negative around here. Good times for all. Giving thanks for that.

 

[JoAllan]

Only game missing is the 2022 KY game (205 Yards). That's about it.

Yea I stated in 2 different posts the KY game was the one game you could see vast improvement from last year.

However we have also witnessed major declines in other games……and overall non improvement in most.

 

[supersmo18]

Willie Martinez isn’t the one responsible for the scheme on defense

No but he is responsible for coaching man coverage and we are terrible at that. He was bad when he was here last time, and I still don’t like him

 

[DaddyChad]

In all seriousness, I don't think anyone wants anyone fired. Saturday night was full of emotional knee jerk reactions, beat Vandy and that's a start to righting the ship. Lose to Vandy and the clock will start on this staff.

In all seriousness, evaluations should be made after the season is completed. In all seriousness, some changes should be made imho. In all seriousness that’s the worst defensive performance I’ve seen in forty five years of watching Vol football by one of the worst offenses in the conference.

 

[WesternNCVol]

bad post because we gave up less to bama than we did sc. any point in favor of banks or against those players is mute. banks IS the issue

You saying my post was bad? Your opinion.

I’m not saying banks isn’t part of the problem because he is. However, these guys playing as a whole are not elite by any stretch and some are barely serviceable at times.

Being uninspired as a player at this point in the season is on the player. They know what’s at stake. As a unit they’ve shown they can play solid. They shut down Kentucky and LSU.

And I know many folks want banks fired today. That would do far more harm than good today.

The fans might feel good but the players would likely not and what would happen to the recruiting ? I do t follow that too heavily because having a teen if my own I know they are wishy washy on making long term decisions.

I say let the season play out. We have to maintain consistency for two games then in the offseason there are decisions to be made.

I suspect there is a plan.

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

I agree with the OP. We over achieved all year. The talent on this defense is lacking. Give it 2 more years and then evaluate.

 

[FollowTheLeader]

My OP was long, but some of y'all are long winded too....ijs!

For those saying that the defense has NOT improved, I respect your OPINION, but it's NOT based on facts! Its based on your own selective eye test and we're all entitled to that. FACTS may not be for you and that's ok. So this post is NOT for you. JUST SCROLL AWAY...

Someone posted this before, but I'm gonna repost a few quick stats. Last year, it was that we gotta get better at 3rd DOWN, we were almost dead LAST, ranked at 103. Prior to SC this year, we were ranked 26.

Last year, RED ZONE defense was an issue. If teams got in the red zone, it's likely they would score. We were ranked 120 in RED ZONE D last year. This year we ranked 21 before SC.

RUSH D last year 59. This year, before SC, we were 11.

SCORING D last year 90. This year before SC, we were ranked 37

PASSING D last year was 120 (I believe), this year 64.

AND one of the most important improvements has been we had NOT been giving up as many points to team.

So.....can we move on to something other than the DEFENSE hasn't improved under BANKS.

And before you say something about how many yards we gave up, let me ask you a question.....BUT DID WE WIN?

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

You've changed my mind. Give Banks and Martinez raises.

 

[Rockytopvol86]

Mrs. Banks has a lot of free time

That’s why the defense stunk so bad….. lol

 

[tdd]

No it isn't. Not even close. It isn't fun to see UT give up 63 points to a terrible O or have to face the inadequacy of the DC.

I have absolutely nothing against Banks except the simple fact that over the last two seasons he's been outclassed by SEC level coaches... and some that weren't. Heupel has a call to make. It won't be about Banks' resume. It will be about his performance and the direction of the team. I'll respect that and root for the Vols.

Not sure why you have such an emotional attachment to Banks. I'm not angry. I don't wish him ill. He just hasn't coached to the necessary level. UT has covered that by scoring lots of points.

FWIW, Heupel isn't in a position to have a 2nd tier DC much less worse. He is an elite HC and offensive mind. He needs someone on his level to coach the D. If he deems Banks to be that guy then we'll have to trust his judgment... and judge his results.

I certainly agree. I have nothing against Coach Banks but I do not think he is the guy to get us where we need to be. I do not see any improvement from year to year.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Yea I stated in 2 different posts the KY game was the one game you could see vast improvement from last year.

However we have also witnessed major declines in other games……and overall non improvement in most.

Were you just too lazy to edit your original post.

 

[Tigervol]

Welcome to Volnation, but as others stated summarize your thoughts and key points. Now, this was a historic failure for a UT defense with a top ranking. Go back to the last years Pitt game, Ole Miss, or Music City Bowl (add others at your pleasure) and Banks hasn’t been able to figure out how to stop the competition in key games. Something has to change and I think at least Martinez needs to be shown the door.

 

[Volsfaninva917]

In all seriousness, evaluations should be made after the season is completed. In all seriousness, some changes should be made imho. In all seriousness that’s the worst defensive performance I’ve seen in forty five years of watching Vol football by one of the worst offenses in the conference.

I'm not defending Banks defensive performance Saturday night, it was all time bad. However Tennessee doesn't have any players on defense, our secondary is worst in the country. Do I think that will improve? Maybe but I will agree that Martinez needs to go

 

[airvols]

OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit
Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire
That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed,
In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth
Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill
Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd
Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song,
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues
Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime.
And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer
Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure,
Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first
Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread
Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss
And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark
Illumin, what is low raise and support;
That to the highth of this great Argument
I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justifie the wayes of God to men.

Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view
Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause
Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State,
Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off
From thir Creator, and transgress his Will
For one restraint, Lords of the World besides?
Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt?
Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd
The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride
Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal'd the most High,
If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim
Against the Throne and Monarchy of God
Rais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proud
With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power
Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie
With hideous ruine and combustion down
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,
Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.
Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of lost happiness and lasting pain
Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:
At once as far as Angels kenn he views
The dismal Situation waste and wilde,
A Dungeon horrible, on all sides round
As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Serv'd onely to discover sights of woe,
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed
With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum'd:
Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd
For those rebellious, here thir Prison ordain'd
In utter darkness, and thir portion set
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n
As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell!
There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'd
With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,
He soon discerns, and weltring by his side
One next himself in power, and next in crime,
Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words
Breaking the horrid silence thus began.

If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how chang'd
From him, who in the happy Realms of Light
Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst out-shine
Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize,
Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd
In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest
From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd
He with his Thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those,
Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,
Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mind
And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit,
That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,
And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?
That Glory never shall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deifie his power,
Who from the terrour of this Arm so late
Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Gods
And this Empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal Warr
Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.

So spake th' Apostate Angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but rackt with deep despare:
And him thus answer'd soon his bold Compeer.


Still shorter than the original post.

Oh I’m sorry Lit class is down the hall.

 

[JoAllan]

Were you just too lazy to edit your original post.

I didn’t need to edit my original post. Are you to lazy to look up stats yourself? Or to make a rebuttal post yourself?

My posts showing the KY games were about improvement. I showed the good and the bad. I didn’t need to do that with the post in question.

Th post was about porous defense. I don’t need to include every game or all defensive stats. My post speaks for itself.

Google is your friend if “you” need more try doing more yourself.