Recruiting Forum Football Talk II

[Memphisvol87]

Or we could hire Freeze and get the same results. Freeze is not a guaranteed success. I know people have it in their heads that he is, but expectations rarely meet reality. He could struggle here just like anyone else, especially with the added scrutiny that would come with a return to the SEC. There are still rumors that the SEC is actively discouraging teams from hiring him.

He has dominated every coaching stop he’s been at. Without bama and the sec getting upset he’d probably have made the playoffs with ole miss for goodness sake!

 

[beachmaster]

Two ways this could go down

1. Pruitt is fired and Freeze gets hired very quickly. Vols offense is exciting again and Neyland stadium is rocking again

2. Pruitt is fired and Fulmer announces a search committee and administration goes cheap. Starts off promising but same old story.

.
This is the UT way since '08

 

[butchna]

There's one thing that MAY keep Pruitt where he is longer than most of us want.

Since he is a first time HC he has far more potential to "figure things out" and rebound faster from failure. The biggest problem Butch had was when things went south he had already buried himself a decade's worth of doing things "his way" and was so flabbergasted that 3 straight bowl games & winning seasons wasn't "enough" for UT, because anywhere else he had been that was all ya needed to do. So when things fell apart, they really fell apart.

I think Pruitt's number 1 priority is to win, period. So my assumption is he's less set in his ways, as long as changing them leads to winning. The question is when will that happen, and will it happen while still here at UT or at his next stop?

This season has been a clinic of “set in his ways.” It is mildly shocking, considering his influences. His dad, Rush Propst, Jimbo Fisher and especially Saban don’t appear to be examples of backing a losing hand too long. Maybe the worst thing that happened to his coaching mindset was that 8 game winning streak. He refused to pull up stakes on JG last season...doubling down could only be better?

 

[05_never_again]

This season has been a clinic of “set in his ways.” It is mildly shocking, considering his influences. His dad, Rush Propst, Jimbo Fisher and especially Saban don’t appear to be examples of backing a losing hand too long. Maybe the worst thing that happened to his coaching mindset was that 8 game winning streak. He refused to pull up stakes on JG last season...doubling down could only be better?

"Set in his ways" might not describe Saban but it does describe many of his disciples. Kirby, McElwain, Muschamp, Pruitt. Saban likes to hire guys that are great at operating the machines that he has designed and built, but might not necessarily be good at designing and building a machine themselves.

Unfortunately the record of Saban's assistants as HCs is decidedly mixed, and we probably got one of the duds.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I didn't say that he wasn't an AD...I said in some ways he isn't thought of as an AD. Fulmer has absolutely had to make decisions outside of the football program and has operated like an AD. However, I think there are some people who don't view him that way because he was hired in what was essentially an emergency situation to hire a football coach, and he'll always be so tied to that. And you have to remember, there are a lot of people who didn't want him to be the AD anyway, either after Hart's retirement or after Currie was fired.

It'd be different if he was hired as AD during a period of stability, and he didn't have to make a big hiring decision until he was 3 years in or something like that.

I think that just proves stronger trust in Fulmer as AD. His name was floated around when Hart was hired, and Currie too. It wasn't a quick-fix hire situation, despite the shitshow that was the coaching search at the time.

 

[Weezer]

He has dominated every coaching stop he’s been at. Without bama and the sec getting upset he’d probably have made the playoffs with ole miss for goodness sake!

He did not dominate at Ole Miss. He had some really good wins, but your over-hyping him. And part of those wins was having talent he cheated to get. And I have no problem with the cheating part, it's the cheating so carelessly part that concerns me. He didn't get busted because "Bama got pissed". He got busted because he was careless. If you're gonna cheat, be discreet.

 

[IN Jed]

I don't know him personally but Fulmer doesn't seem like the type of guy to make a major financial investment (buyouts plus new staff) on a guy with a checkered past. Do we have any credible evidence it's even an option?

 

[05_never_again]

I think that just proves stronger trust in Fulmer as AD. His name was floated around when Hart was hired, and Currie too. It wasn't a quick-fix hire situation, despite the shitshow that was the coaching search at the time.

Perhaps, but it could also prove that Fulmer was the only person willing to take the job at the time. Someone with admin experience, particularly from outside UT, would have had to be insane to step into that mess.

I don't know...given that he was hired in an emergency situation and immediately had to hire a football coach, there are people who didn't want him to be AD anyway...it just feels like he and Pruitt are tied together.

 

[Smyrna ATL Vol]

all i'm saying is it wasn't all that long ago that pruitt had support from an overwhelming majority of TN fans.....

things change.

doens't mean things are gonna change...lol...especially here.

I don’t think it was overwhelming. We beat bad teams and lost to bad teams. I think most fans have wanted him to be successful but still had plenty of doubts.

 

[Geronimo]

As exciting as this all is, NO coach is a sure thing. Saban wasn’t a sure thing when LSU hires him based on his MSU record. He had zero success with Dolphins. And if he landed anywhere but Bama we may barely know his name.
The unfortunate truth is that it takes more than a good coach to have a winning program. Pruitt was right in his speech after being hired: it takes Everyone rolling up their sleeves and working with same goal in mind. According to all we’ve heard from LWS and AV and others associated with the program, that’s not the case here. Donors fighting for power, Academics apathy toward sports, etc. Most of us know what the glory days looked like and are having a hard time admitting that we aren’t getting back there by just hiring a great coach. I don’t know what the fix is but it isn’t (and won’t be) a quick one. And I’m scared to say it may never happen.

 

[05_never_again]

I don’t think it was overwhelming. We beat bad teams and lost to bad teams. I think most fans have wanted him to be successful but still had plenty of doubts.

I think that people were more sold on him than Dooley or Butch, but that isn't saying much. It's all relative.

Honestly, the post-Fulmer hire that I was the most excited about and was the most "sold" on is still Kiffin.

 

[Memphisvol87]

He did not dominate at Ole Miss. He had some really good wins, but your over-hyping him. And part of those wins was having talent he cheated to get. And I have no problem with the cheating part, it's the cheating so carelessly part that concerns me. He didn't get busted because "Bama got pissed". He got busted because he was careless. If you're gonna cheat, be discreet.

Well my definition of dominate is relative to the vols. And in the regard he was light years ahead of us, at OLE MISS. I played for him, he’s an incredible coach.

 

[Orange Studs]

Swain via Blake Toppmeyer - Fulmer received a 2-year contract extension last May (through 2023); wasn't previously publicized

Why keep it quite? Cause of all this salary cut mess that been happening? These back rooms deals make things look so suspicious. I don't care that he got a two year extension, I just wonder why the secrecy.

 

[volsfan_17]

So, this extension for CPF solidifies the thought that he's locked in with Boyd and Plowman in regards to the leadership of UT. Which is a positive in my opinion. It also, for the time being, keeps the Haslams from filling any sort of power vacuum and having their henchman fill the AD position. But bigger than that it gives CPF time to do exactly what he's been tasked to do, and that's fix the football program.

Consider the fact that even though the results on the field are not what we desire, the program has had an influx of money, and resources in regards to the support staff and apparently most everything that CJP has requested. Which is to say that we've continued to build the program with the necessary tools for the coach, no matter who it would be, to succeed.

I don't but that CPF is tied to anyone, my recollection of the man is someone who's always been able to get what he wants, ask Johnny Majors, or the Haslams, he understands the political landscape behind things, and he's successfully navigated this world better than most of us will ever understand. Look at the time CPF had away from the game, he didn't sit idle, he worked in finance, helped ETSU reestablish their football program, and again worked his way into a position to fill the empty AD seat when the opportunity presented itself. I remember the stories when he was coach of how well he interacted with boosters and fans alike, and I have no doubt that he wants this program to success far beyond any limitation of ego.

I don't know if he'll make a move this year or not, but I trust that if he doesn't it won't be because he couldn't get the funds, or because he's viewing this situation from a coaches perspective, or that he's willing to sit upon memories of grandeur in what he accomplished decades before. It'll be because he believes CJP has the potential to turn this thing around. Personally, the attributes I see in CPF lead me to believe he'll recognize the potential of the situation and pounce on it, and we'll have a new football coach next season. IMO.

 

[rekinhavoc]

I think we see a team that fights for Pruitt

if we do does that change anyone’s mind?

It would be nice to see some fight.

 

[BigOrangeGoose]

We definitely need to go after this guy. Would be immediate help on DL

 

[butchna]

"Set in his ways" might not describe Saban but it does describe many of his disciples. Kirby, McElwain, Muschamp, Pruitt. Saban likes to hire guys that are great at operating the machines that he has designed and built, but might not necessarily be good at designing and building a machine themselves.

Unfortunately the record of Saban's assistants as HCs is decidedly mixed, and we probably got one of the duds.

McElwain has been coaching for 35 years and worked for Saban 4 seasons, so I don’t place him in that disciple category. The rest of your examples are mostly incomplete. Smart may mishandle some quarterback situations but he doesn’t dwell on a player who can’t get it done. Muschamp has failed as a HC due to not building a whole team. His quarterbacks don’t seem to have been the weak point tho. This is a particular Pruitt jam.

 

[SpringBokVol]

No way Haslam let’s feeeze hire happen.

 

[Weezer]

Well my definition of dominate is relative to the vols. And in the regard he was light years ahead of us, at OLE MISS. I played for him, he’s an incredible coach.

Lots of Pruitt's kids consider him an incredible coach. My point is, everyone is hyping Freeze as a guarantee. He's not. He's a roll of the dice, just like everyone else. If we hired him, I would hope beyond hope he succeeded, but I've done that for every coach we've hired. There are no guarantees, especially with UT football.

 

[volsfan_17]

No way Haslam let’s feeeze hire happen.

Or CPF take the AD spot?

 

[jakez4ut]

Pruitt has to go, we'll deal with the new hire once we get to that point.

that's the problem. we have SUCKED at that....big time. deciding on whether or not pruitt needs to go is not my issue.

it's the hiring of hte next guy.

 

[butchna]

Lots of Pruitt's kids consider him an incredible coach. My point is, everyone is hyping Freeze as a guarantee. He's not. He's a roll of the dice, just like everyone else. If we hired him, I would hope beyond hope he succeeded, but I've done that for every coach we've hired. There are no guarantees, especially with UT football.

Roll of loaded dice. If anything, this stint at Liberty proves he coaches above his talent level. That’s a rare commodity.

 

[jakez4ut]

I don’t think it was overwhelming. We beat bad teams and lost to bad teams. I think most fans have wanted him to be successful but still had plenty of doubts.

yeah, it was overwhelming....or pick an adective you want to use....either way....it was a definite minorty that were "out" on pruitt after last season.... and they didn't gain steam headed in to half time of the UGA game.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Could be wrong, but I actually think Napier is the stronger candidate for UT.

If we make a move to hire it'll likely be because USCjr & Auburn have already made hires this year. I feel like how Pruitt is handled depends more on WHO other schools hire. I think unlike previous ADs Fulmer likely has a few names on a list already that he's reached out to or will (when season/ESD passes).

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

Could be wrong, but I actually think Napier is the stronger candidate for UT.

If we make a move to hire it'll likely be because USCjr & Auburn have already made hires this year. I feel like how Pruitt is handled depends more on WHO other schools hire. I think unlike previous ADs Fulmer likely has a few names on a list already that he's reached out to or will (when season/ESD passes).

1 name. Hugh Freeze. That's the list. This could not be easier.