Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

[volfaninpa]

I would not hate to see Phil kick Pruitt to the side and promote Tee as interim for a few games. Give Tee some time in the spotlight and maybe he gets recognized and considered for a lower tier job.

I'm for it especially in light of the assistant coaches contract debacle.

 

[volfaninpa]

Exactly. Pruitt is still young enough and can point to this covid year for having a horrible year and go be a DC for a little and potentially get another P5 job. If he returns next year and is fired after another bad year... he will probably never get another high profile head job. He wouldn’t have to make staff changes and spend all off season vetting assistants in a make or break year either.

And what assistants are going to want to come to a guy likely viewed as a lame duck coach?

 

[HankHill]

Honest question...Freeze was 39-25 over 5 seasons. That’s 8-5 average. Get it was at ole miss and it’s the 5th best job in division. But that was while cheating...I don’t care that he was, in fact, I hope we are. Just curious why everyone thinks he is urban, Dabo or Saban.

Do we expect a Mullen type improvement? Mullen did about that at state and then got to the 2nd best job in his division and has a QB and they are top 5?

Everyone cheats. He just got caught. Doesn’t matter.

 

[HankHill]

And what assistants are going to want to come to a guy likely viewed as a lame duck coach?

Right.

 

[Ron Swanson]

Those discussions should happen. It remains to be seen if it will. I think there is other factors to consider. How is recruiting? How are the young players developing? Which coaches leave? Who gets hired? A lot of what ifs to consider....

He’s shuffled in/out assistants every year he’s been here. That hasn’t worked. Recruiting will always be good at UT, no matter what. Young players developing? How would we know, they don’t play.

It sounds like the expectations bar is pretty low from the admin and boosters. What a joke.

 

[NoogaVol96]

Do we honestly think that Hugh Freeze is coming here? I mean it seems to me that it’s just a lot of wishful thinking.
(I was on a honeymoon last week so I’m out of the loop)

 

[Kingston Vol]

Those discussions should happen. It remains to be seen if it will. I think there is other factors to consider. How is recruiting? How are the young players developing? Which coaches leave? Who gets hired? A lot of what ifs to consider....

I talk to a few folks, much like you do. We're hearing a conflicting message, but there's nothing surprising about that.

I don't think the recruiting class is a factor. We're sitting at 10th right now, and there's no realistic way we move up considering our class is full and we're going to lose a few of our guys.

Development has been atrocious and we know enough about bad seasons around here to know it doesn't get any better when you're losing.

It's my opinion that if you can get a sure hire in the boat before firing Pruitt that you should do it. BUT, once you make a decision Pruitt has no future here, the replacement is kind of irrelevant in that decision-making process.

 

[UTSuave’]

And what assistants are going to want to come to a guy likely viewed as a lame duck coach?

In my opinion like it’s been stated here before!..Pruitt firing the DL coach was eye opening to the staff and made things uneasy for them to actually do their jobs without having to worry of being fired!..

Pruitt screwed himself for any possible great future hire by doing so.he showed just how “green” he was making that move especially against his own AD’s advice!.no big name assistant,DC or OC will work for him that’s the bigger picture here.

no one will come to work for a guy like Pruitt who fires a coach just 4 games in,so moving on from him is the only option.staff changes will not happen to our satisfaction because of Pruitt decisions and inability of not being able to hire anyone worth a flip.

@Smyrna ATL Vol @Bassmaster_Vol @Big Gucci Sosa

 

[MoCo_Vol]

where's the photo shopped TN hat?

 

[FiremedicVOL127]

I've got a $15 check already written for my donation to the AD if they would hire Freeze. WTF are they waiting on???

That’s some true FU money right there.

BIIGGGG Spender. I will call your 15 and raise you 15.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

View attachment 323606

Nice

 

[Girth Brooks]

Those discussions should happen. It remains to be seen if it will. I think there is other factors to consider. How is recruiting? How are the young players developing? Which coaches leave? Who gets hired? A lot of what ifs to consider....

None of that matters if the answer to the following is no......

Has Pruitt shown himself to be a proven winner who will have us in, at minimum, perennial contention for the SEC?

The recruits and finances will ultimately hang on the answer to that question. The rest is just BS to rationalize the inevitable. If you asked me would I sacrifice this class for the right hire, the answer is a resounding yes. We’ve seen what hanging on for too long looks like, and we’ve gotten a cornbread muncher who struggles with vegetable recognition because of it.

We have top-5 facilities, a rich history, a tradition kids would die to be a part of and a hungry fanbase, we just need the right hire to cure all ails.

 

[SSVol]

Pruitt wants the Alabama HC job. That's his dream.

But I don't think he wants to be the first coach post-Saban. If he's smart, he will wait around until they're desperate for an alumnus to come in and repair whatever their first hire screwed up.

+1 for correct use of alumnus

 

[MemphisVol3]

SIAP but this was just discussed on Basilio and I’m a few pages behind. Apparently a USCe mod somewhere said that they aren’t getting Freeze because he’s holding out for Auburn or Tennessee.

So it's a race of who fires who first lol

 

[UTSuave’]

Report: "Hurdles" to Overcome in Vols' Hiring of Hugh Freeze | RTI

 

[UTSuave’]

Tennessee could be the perfect landing spot for Hugh Freeze

 

[HankHill]

He’s shuffled in/out assistants every year he’s been here. That hasn’t worked. Recruiting will always be good at UT, no matter what. Young players developing? How would we know, they don’t play.

It sounds like the expectations bar is pretty low from the admin and boosters. What a joke.

Thank you. People worry way too much about recruiting here. We always have good players. Dooley and butch got plenty of NFL caliber players here. If we want to be a blue blood program we need to act like it. And quit worrying about 1 single class.

 

[Kingston Vol]

I do think there's something to the scenario @HankHill brought up.

What happens if the UTAD has made their mind up they don't have the money for a coaching search, but Pruitt goes to Fulmer and pulls a Dooley and decides to step down? What do they do then?

I know they love Jim Chaney, Jay Graham and Tee Martin. They'll want to keep those guys. The rest are Pruitt guys who would likely find jobs elsewhere.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Jesus @UTSuave’ I know you're late to repeat things to us, but both articles from 2 years ago...

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Thank you. People worry way too much about recruiting here. We always have good players. Dooley and butch got plenty of NFL caliber players here. If we want to be a blue blood program we need to act like it. And quit worrying about 1 single class.

I think some of us like recruiting more than football tbh. It's strange. What good is recruiting top classes if you can't win a la GA, FSU, and Texas. Who cares if you recruit lower top 10-15 if you are winning like Florida is? JUST WIN

 

[engineerVOL]

I'm for it especially in light of the assistant coaches contract debacle.

Would love to see it.

 

[HankHill]

I think some of us like recruiting more than football tbh. It's strange. What good is recruiting top classes if you can't win a la GA, FSU, and Texas. Who cares if you recruit lower top 10-15 if you are winning like Florida is? JUST WIN

Exactly lol. Do you think Georgia or Florida ever worry about getting good players? Lol no. All the top 15-20 programs in the country will always have good players. We’ve always had good players here even at our worst.

 

[HankHill]

I do think there's something to the scenario @HankHill brought up.

What happens if the UTAD has made their mind up they don't have the money for a coaching search, but Pruitt goes to Fulmer and pulls a Dooley and decides to step down? What do they do then?

I know they love Jim Chaney, Jay Graham and Tee Martin. They'll want to keep those guys. The rest are Pruitt guys who would likely find jobs elsewhere.

I just think from a career standpoint, it could make sense for Pruitt to think about it. You could blame this year on covid and get out. You stick around next year and go 5-7 or whatever... your days as a P5 head coach are basically done.

 

[snowvols]

This. I'm kind of surprised he wants to keep going tbh. Negotiate it down, go take another job, live a much less stressful life.

I think he'd be happier as a DC and there isn't anything wrong with that. Venables seems happy as a DC and knows he can stay where he is as long as he wants. Pruitt just doesn't seem cut out for this.

 

[UTSuave’]

Jesus @UTSuave’ I know you're late to repeat things to us, but both articles from 2 years ago...

Just seeing who’s observant and who isn’t