Coachery

#426
#426
Stoerner Fumbles said:
A couple of quick updates from inadmissible hearsay from a very unreliable source who speaks very little English and wishes he never met me: Search firm is moving in overdrive. My friend says they are doing background checks and character interviews on AD candidates already. While it seems to be the journalists’ opinion that an AD won’t be hired until mid February, my friend says he can’t see it going more than a week. He says that there is the most organized group behind how to hire that there has been on any search. There is also the most money prepared to hire someone. He guessed that there is over 40mm to hire a coach on a five plus year contract. He said that the university has the be careful in how they handle the hire. It needs to be perceived as a thoughtful response to the past infractions, or it won’t play well with the NCAA or SEC. Right now, we’re in hot water with both. On Pruitt, my friend said there is a real sadness for the damage done. Some of those fired in compliance were kids following orders. Many of them were told what to say, and then fired for saying it. Players and signees were assured by Pruitt and Fulmer that things would be ok, and he would not be fired. Phil resigned as much for that as he did for Pruitt’s failure. For all Phil’s mistakes, I think he may regret the last few weeks of fighting for Pruitt the most. People who know him say he’s crushed and in a daze. To be clear, Pruitt’s failure was epic, and began on day one. In the early days Pruitt treated AD staff, compliance and even professors like they served the team. Prior to Plowman, more than one person elevated concerns that Pruitt and Nieds practices were too egregious and would be caught. Those concerns were ignored. Many were rooting for him to fail, and many expected it. Pruitt’s style is to use his allegiance of players, and threats to micromanage others. Many of our on the field failures were him making a point. Friend pushed back on cross-training all linemen like high schoolers, and Pruitt tripled cross-training them. Look at West Virginia game for results. This year, Chaney designed three core plays for Shrout without discussing with Pruitt. He used them in a scrimmage, and blew away the D. While it’s a common thing for OC and DC to try things in a scrimmage, Pruitt threw a public fit, and said we’d never see those plays in a game. Pruitt changed starting DL lineup before KY game, and humiliated Brumbaugh in front of team and fired him. Look at the score for the results. This is the kind of thing he was willing to do just to make a point. In the conference people perceive that Nieds and Pruitt created an “arms race” on player payment. (More hearsay) Big signees families typically were given a standard payment in many tens of thousands. There are even instances of players receiving money and signing elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how much of this the NCAA wants to face. UT is on the record after the investigation. Many other coaches know who else plays dirty. The money and power will not want a light shined or Georgia or Bama. Given that Georgia is where some paid players landed, it will be harder for them to hide. The NCAA will be very cautious in how they handle us given the possibility of opening more wounds by digging too deep. That said, our list of level one and two violations is a long one. As for current coaches, they aren’t being given much communication or support for understanding what’s next. Frankly they don’t even know who to listen to. Steele is the key communication point for players. He’s doing a good job. Pruitt spoke highly of him in his message to players. They see Steele as trustworthy. Look for the university to hire an AD quickly, and to make a big offer to a coach with a good reputation and long track record. If you can imagine a candidate selling glitter-coated bibles at a strip club, he probably isn’t getting hired. We probably won’t be hiring Joey Freshwater, Jamey Jet Ski or Reverend Blindside. I’m not judging the quality of those guys as coaches, but no one expects the Chancellor to ride with the devil on this one. Consensus seems to be they are going to pay serious money for a very experienced candidate who will sign a long term deal. Some of the names being discussed are very impressive. I have no idea how realistic they are. If they succeed with that tier, we’ll all be very happy. If they move down a level, expect stability over glitz. Strange times on the hill.
Click to expand...

Speaks very little English?
 
#427
#427
05_never_again said:
With hindsight I have this question now...I wonder why Fulmer saw Pruitt as a superior candidate to Kevin Steele or Mel Tucker? I can't imagine Pruitt interviewed all that well.

Did Phil perhaps see some of himself in Pruitt? It's interesting he didn't choose Steele given that Steele is an alum and an old friend.
Click to expand...
I think Steele's name always gets floated so fans will feel relieved about the actual hire.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigOrangeFanatic
#428
#428
Unconditional Surrender said:
I think Steele's name always gets floated so fans will feel relieved about the actual hire.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree, but if the plan was to hire Pruitt all along, you think Steele's name was floated only so we'd be relieved about Pruitt? It isn't like Steele's resume at the time was all that inferior to Pruitt's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Carson11 and volkayaker
#429
#429
05_never_again said:
I don't disagree, but if the plan was to hire Pruitt all along, you think Steele's name was floated only so we'd be relieved about Pruitt? It isn't like Steele's resume at the time was all that inferior to Pruitt's.
Click to expand...
Steele's resume as a head coach is the as bad as it gets. Much rather have a blank slate.
 
#431
#431
Stoerner Fumbles said:
It’s just a joke. I’m comically masking my friend’s identity. He’s getting sick of me calling him four times a day.
Click to expand...

I know a PI in Knoxville who drinks a lot. He could be considered as someone who speaks very little English if you’ve heard him talk. But he’s connected in some way. He has told me things about this program after a few before that makes you wonder. But then they inevitably happen, and I have no idea what to make of him. He either knows somebody or he becomes clairvoyant when knockered. But anyway, thought you might be talking about him.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stoerner Fumbles
#434
#434
Stoerner Fumbles said:
A couple of quick updates from inadmissible hearsay from a very unreliable source who speaks very little English ...

Unconditional Surrender said:
I was just assuming your friend was Pruitt
Click to expand...

aec0445c6b1673136db065b176d1e888.gif

tenor.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tennessee Cowboy, GoodmanVol, jmay8 and 5 others
#436
#436
Stoerner, has your friend heard if there has been anybody hired by Steele and if so how can they do this without even having an announced HC. If this is true how would any coach come into a situation in which part of his staff was hired without his input and without a AD in place as well. If this is true, as it has been reported by some in the media, how will we ever be taken seriously by anybody in the football world again. It makes just another punchline in the stand-up comic routine that has become UT football.
 
  • Like
Reactions: INDEFENSE
#437
#437
So here's a question I don't expect anybody to answer: Where did they get the money?

What I mean is, if you're a rich guy who wants to play bag man, and a new staff comes to town, but this staff is extremely stupid and uses complete morons to do all the money drops. They may even be trying to get caught to damage the whole program deliberately. Based on their payment schedule, these compete morons tell you that they need twice the money you used to provide. Half the boosters chicken out, so then they tell you they need 4 times the money. What do you do?

PS you observe that they make double payments to mediocre players. Now what do you do?
 
Last edited:
#440
#440
Latest I’ve heard. Boyd/Plowman met with AD candidate. This candidate has been targeted for a few days. It seems the meeting was a final step. MOU is out. Apparently Steele is trying hard to add Garner, director of recruiting, and Simon to stabilize things. Fulmer had advocated for Steele being able to hire D staff, but Administration is reluctant to make moves without an AD or coach. Yesterday’s players from the portal were all Nieds recruits. Coaches are reluctant to say bad things about those kids or specifically say they were paid. The best I can get is that they were “mentioned in the report”. Read that as you will. I continue to hear that there is a substantial committed sum to hire an experienced coach. They will test interest among those candidates after hiring an AD. My friend thinks that names were discussed in AD meeting yesterday given some signals and activity. There are more players who are on the fence regarding the portal, but most have agreed to see who the next coach is. Players are hearing (through players on other teams) that Tennessee will not recover, and are being told they have options. Apparently this is the channel for talking to a player before they’re in the portal. My friend says he reads Steele as a decent human who cares about the players and the school, but can’t deny that the more people he hires, the more control he has. Final cryptic message: My friend said Plowman has a strong network of friends in the Big 12. He said it would be easier to get her enthusiasm behind someone who comes recommended from that group. Simple deduction says Stoops or Campbell. When I mentioned those two, my friend said coaches perceive Stoops as no longer connected to the right circles of young assistants, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. Campbell is a dream coach, but it’s hard to imagine this being his dream job. O’Brien has connections to Boyd and the Haslam family. As of yesterday, he was not officially on the Tide website after negotiating a deal for ten days. He has been in touch with Ty Simpson and family more than once. I can’t imagine that situation dangling much longer. The list of possible coaches that fit the bill is short. Sadly, my friend said that missing on a few might lead us back to Steele. The boosters and Boyd have made it clear they’ll do anything to keep that from happening. This is seen as our last shot at getting this right. Apologies in advance— This is the vaguest update I’ve given, but things are getting quieter as they get closer to making moves. I’ll keep trying to get more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AllVolinGA, Tennessee Cowboy, guevara and 23 others
#441
#441
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Latest I’ve heard. Boyd/Plowman met with AD candidate. This candidate has been targeted for a few days. It seems the meeting was a final step. MOU is out. Apparently Steele is trying hard to add Garner, director of recruiting, and Simon to stabilize things. Fulmer had advocated for Steele being able to hire D staff, but Administration is reluctant to make moves without an AD or coach. Yesterday’s players from the portal were all Nieds recruits. Coaches are reluctant to say bad things about those kids or specifically say they were paid. The best I can get is that they were “mentioned in the report”. Read that as you will. I continue to hear that there is a substantial committed sum to hire an experienced coach. They will test interest among those candidates after hiring an AD. My friend thinks that names were discussed in AD meeting yesterday given some signals and activity. There are more players who are on the fence regarding the portal, but most have agreed to see who the next coach is. Players are hearing (through players on other teams) that Tennessee will not recover, and are being told they have options. Apparently this is the channel for talking to a player before they’re in the portal. My friend says he reads Steele as a decent human who cares about the players and the school, but can’t deny that the more people he hires, the more control he has. Final cryptic message: My friend said Plowman has a strong network of friends in the Big 12. He said it would be easier to get her enthusiasm behind someone who comes recommended from that group. Simple deduction says Stoops or Campbell. When I mentioned those two, my friend said coaches perceive Stoops as no longer connected to the right circles of young assistants, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. Campbell is a dream coach, but it’s hard to imagine this being his dream job. O’Brien has connections to Boyd and the Haslam family. As of yesterday, he was not officially on the Tide website after negotiating a deal for ten days. He has been in touch with Ty Simpson and family more than once. I can’t imagine that situation dangling much longer. The list of possible coaches that fit the bill is short. Sadly, my friend said that missing on a few might lead us back to Steele. The boosters and Boyd have made it clear they’ll do anything to keep that from happening. This is seen as our last shot at getting this right. Apologies in advance— This is the vaguest update I’ve given, but things are getting quieter as they get closer to making moves. I’ll keep trying to get more.
Click to expand...

“MOU is out”... I’m dumb, what does that mean? Swing and a miss?

And thank you for all this!
 
#443
#443
De La Cloobs said:
“MOU is out”... I’m dumb, what does that mean? Swing and a miss?

And thank you for all this!
Click to expand...
Memorandum of Understanding. Think of it as a pre-cursor to a contract being signed. It lays out the details of the deal and gets the hired party on board, so to speak, until a final contract is drawn up and signed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: De La Cloobs
#444
#444
It'll end up being BOB or Steele. That's where this ends up.

I may end up being wrong, but I doubt Stoops ever coaches again unless a better opportunity comes along. He ain't taking this job without 100% total control and insane amout of money. I think that would all be worth it. But even then he may not would take it.

Campbell probably hasn't even given the first thought to our opening. He'll wait for a better opportunity, which he should.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kcvols1, 05_never_again and De La Cloobs
#445
#445
Stoerner Fumbles said:
Latest I’ve heard. Boyd/Plowman met with AD candidate. This candidate has been targeted for a few days. It seems the meeting was a final step. MOU is out. Apparently Steele is trying hard to add Garner, director of recruiting, and Simon to stabilize things. Fulmer had advocated for Steele being able to hire D staff, but Administration is reluctant to make moves without an AD or coach. Yesterday’s players from the portal were all Nieds recruits. Coaches are reluctant to say bad things about those kids or specifically say they were paid. The best I can get is that they were “mentioned in the report”. Read that as you will. I continue to hear that there is a substantial committed sum to hire an experienced coach. They will test interest among those candidates after hiring an AD. My friend thinks that names were discussed in AD meeting yesterday given some signals and activity. There are more players who are on the fence regarding the portal, but most have agreed to see who the next coach is. Players are hearing (through players on other teams) that Tennessee will not recover, and are being told they have options. Apparently this is the channel for talking to a player before they’re in the portal. My friend says he reads Steele as a decent human who cares about the players and the school, but can’t deny that the more people he hires, the more control he has. Final cryptic message: My friend said Plowman has a strong network of friends in the Big 12. He said it would be easier to get her enthusiasm behind someone who comes recommended from that group. Simple deduction says Stoops or Campbell. When I mentioned those two, my friend said coaches perceive Stoops as no longer connected to the right circles of young assistants, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. Campbell is a dream coach, but it’s hard to imagine this being his dream job. O’Brien has connections to Boyd and the Haslam family. As of yesterday, he was not officially on the Tide website after negotiating a deal for ten days. He has been in touch with Ty Simpson and family more than once. I can’t imagine that situation dangling much longer. The list of possible coaches that fit the bill is short. Sadly, my friend said that missing on a few might lead us back to Steele. The boosters and Boyd have made it clear they’ll do anything to keep that from happening. This is seen as our last shot at getting this right. Apologies in advance— This is the vaguest update I’ve given, but things are getting quieter as they get closer to making moves. I’ll keep trying to get more.
Click to expand...
Man of this is your vaguest update, then I’d hate to see the spot-on updates from other insiders. This is pretty legit stuff! Again, thank you!

Only question, if you know/can answer: with a MOU out, when do you (or your source) believe we will start hearing something? Possibly tomorrow or early next week?

And the speed of the AD hire makes me think we’re doing this right and had been communicating with people all along! This post is also getting me overly optimistic for Campbell, but I would be perfectly happy with O’Brian.
 
  • Like
Reactions: unfrozencvmanvol, volkayaker, ABINGDON VOL FAN and 1 other person
#448
#448
If it is Steele it will be nothing more than a retread of Fulmer's wish list. We have got to do better. "If you keep doing what you've been doing, then you'll keep getting what you've been getting." The powers that be need to take that saying to heart and think long and hard about what this hire could mean for DECADES.
 
#450
#450
Big 12 still makes me think Herman, Campbell probably isn't going to leave. Maybe Gary Patterson needs a change, maybe Gundy needs another raise.
Bill O'Brien is still a legit option I assume. Maybe he can get Marrone to follow him here.

I'd feel great about either O'Brien or Herman.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top