Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[seaofORANGE22]

A glaring problem to me is that accepting the Tennessee job is seen as risky at this point. A coach held in high regard may not want to come here and risk getting blown out by UGA and Bama year after year. There's a climb here waiting on them.

You can't just step in and start drawing up plays. Which is what Pruitt kinda did imo. He jumped straight into football and recruiting and never looked back or deeper. You've got to get your hands dirty and fix the underlying programs within the program. We need a problem solver willing to do more and loves that side of the job, and talented enough relationally to do it well. AND is also a great coach when it's time to play. Bruce Pearl comes to mind. These coaches light up people's eyes and hearts and wallets. It's part of the job to manage players, assistants, admin, fans etc... When you do it well you can get a whole community and program bought in and pulling in the same direction. Tennessee is the definition of a sleeping giant. We just lack the right leader.

I don't know who the right person is for the this job. Doesn't seem to be Pruitt unless he changes, which could happen. But I'm not holding my breath. He represents and advocates for our football team to the absolute minimum degree possible for him to remain employed. It's mainly just a bummer.

Freeze is a risk in his own way (hey us too!). Which is why he hasn't been hired by anybody yet. He would bring the necessary skills to do both sides of the job and do it well. He would have the motivation and drive to come in and climb back to prominence alongside us. He may get us in trouble someday, but Pruitt might too. He's not perfect but he would be a clear upgrade. This is big boy ball, you've got to go upgrade when you can. This business is cutthroat. Recruiting sure is. Why not with coaches? I've decided to keep believing in joy. Anything could happen over the next few weeks or even months. But I think hiring Freeze is the best path out of the bottom. Maybe they make us wait another year to try it maybe not. Either way I'll be around.

 

[SugarCC]

I am convinced Fulmer would love to name Steele HC in a heartbeat, and if everyone gets their wish and Pruitt is sent packing, that very well could be what happens. Steele is 9-36 as HC. Fulmer does not need to hire the next UT head football coach.

Why didn't he whenever he hired Pruitt? Steele was one of his 3 finalist.

 

[Volfanatic_20]

Honestly the people I’ve spoken to today have insinuated hires can be made. Take it fwiw

-AP

 

[SpringBokVol]

I wish opt outs were not a thing. Gotta figure out a way to limit those.

 

[Weezer]

I'm convinced that the people in power just don't give a damn. Neither do our boosters. If they did, they'd get together and fix this, but their unwillingness to work together to do just that tells me they're just "meh" and give no ***** as to whether we suck or not. They're okay with us being horrible at football.

 

[Weezer]

Even VFLs like Peyton don't seem to give a damn. He's got money and a voice but stays silent on our suckitude. The people with the power to effect change are content to do nothing. Until or unless that changes, we're screwed.

 

[seaofORANGE22]

I'm convinced that the people in power just don't give a damn. Neither do our boosters. If they did, they'd get together and fix this, but their unwillingness to work together to do just that tells me they're just "meh" and give no ***** as to whether we suck or not. They're okay with us being horrible at football.

I hope this isn't true but you're not crazy for thinking it based on recent events.

 

[SweetasSoda]

A few boosters. It was said the other day by AP or Hubbs.

Wait...I remember reading somewhere that PF was impressed by JP knowing who the majority of his coaches were going to be and was willing to take a lower salary so he could get them so that's why he was chosen. Are AP and BH truly the mouthpiece of the university, or is my memory even worse than I thought?

 

[volbeast33]

I wish opt outs were not a thing. Gotta figure out a way to limit those.

With the playoff system now...... bowl games have become absolutely meaningless..... kids opt out and the ones that do play..... some compete like it means something and some don’t...... it reminds me of the baseball all -star game...... in the 70’s each league hated the other one..... it was almost as fierce and competitive as the World Series..... nowadays.....it’s like watching grass go.

 

[Weezer]

I hope this isn't true but you're not crazy for thinking it based on recent events.

If it weren't true, we would see the issue being addressed, and we haven't seen that. We embarrassed ourselves in our last search and ended up with a first timer obviously not ready. Have we fixed anything? Nope. They don't care. Their actions, or should I say inaction, proves it.

 

[volbeast33]

Even VFLs like Peyton don't seem to give a damn. He's got money and a voice but stays silent on our suckitude. The people with the power to effect change are content to do nothing. Until or unless that changes, we're screwed.

Rumor has it he really likes gase..... if that is true we need him to stay far away.....people claim he gives a lot of input behind the scenes..... I, honestly, believe they care a lot about winning but is just very bad at it.... kinda like Jerry Jones in the nfl..... no one wants to win more than him but he just really sucks at getting it done.

 

[HankHill]

Few people back home pretty adamant that Pruitt cannot offer any assistants rn.

 

[seaofORANGE22]

If it weren't true, we would see the issue being addressed, and we haven't seen that. We embarrassed ourselves in our last search and ended up with a first timer obviously not ready. Have we fixed anything? Nope. They don't care. Their actions, or should I say inaction, proves it.

Well we still don't know the results of the investigation. There is still time for new information to come to light that could change things one way or the other.

 

[Weezer]

Rumor has it he really likes gase..... if that is true we need him to stay far away.....people claim he gives a lot of input behind the scenes..... I, honestly, believe they care a lot about winning but is just very bad at it.... kinda like Jerry Jones in the nfl..... no one wants to win more than him but he just really sucks at getting it done.

Point being, none of them are working together to make a positive change. Hell, any change. In spite of who he wants, Peyton could speak up and acknowledge the need for change, but he hasn't even done that. Everyone of consequence acts like everything is hunkey-dorey, A-OK. There are no prominent voices speaking for fixing this obvious mess.

 

[volbeast33]

Point being, none of them are working together to make a positive change. Hell, any change. In spite of who he wants, Peyton could speak up and acknowledge the need for change, but he hasn't even done that. Everyone of consequence acts like everything is hunkey-dorey, A-OK. There are no prominent voices speaking for fixing this obvious mess.

They are not going to speak publicly nor should they..... I am sure they have expressed their feelings in private.

 

[Weezer]

If I were a betting man, my money would be on Pruitt being back next year. Otherwise, why wait this long? Several teams have pulled the trigger and hired replacements, yet here we sit with our thumbs up our butt, arguing whether or not our HC is allowed to hire new assistants. Hell, by the time he is, the assistant market will have probably been picked over. And if we keep Pruitt, which I fully expect we will, we're basically saying next year is another throw away year. We are so damn dysfunctional and no one with the clout to do so has the balls to take action.

Bass may be depressed, but I'm pissed off. I'm madder than hell that no one cares enough to fix the crappy mess our program has become.

 

[Weezer]

They are not going to speak publicly nor should they..... I am sure they have expressed their feelings in private.

I don't think they care.

 

[volbeast33]

I don't think they care.

That’s bc you are not around them and are just listening to message board tumors.... Now their opinion may be different than yours..... they may feel with support Pruitt can turn it around this next year..... they have actually seen the plan, the work, and the challenges he faced this past year..... I don’t think he will get it done but I’m going off the same very limited info that you have.

 

[Weezer]

That’s bc you are not around them and are just listening to message board tumors.... Now their opinion may be different than yours..... they may feel with support Pruitt can turn it around this next year..... they have actually seen the plan, the work, and the challenges he faced this past year..... I don’t think he will get it done but I’m going off the same very limited info that you have.

The last decade is what fuels my opinion. They don't care.

 

[volbeast33]

The last decade is what fuels my opinion. They don't care.

They have tried but just really screwed things up..... They obviously want to win..... look at all the buyouts they have absorbed to try and win..... we also have one of the highest recruiting coaches and assistant coaches salaries in the country.... that shows they care but they need better decision makers.

 

[UTProf]

That was dumb of TX.

Lot of Gumps saw Sark as their coach in waiting after Pruitt flamed out here. I don't know if he will succeed at Texas (their politics are every bit as messed up as ours) but I'd be thrilled with a Sark hire.

 

[UTProf]

I am shocked he was canned. He lost to TCU, ISU, and Oklahoma this year by a combined 13 points. The OU loss was by 8 in 4OT. And Texas fires him! The contrast is shocking

If you're shocked (general you) it's because you're not factoring in Texas A&M's success this year. The same thing happened last year when State hired Leach and OM suddenly fired their coach and hired Kiffin. UT-Austin and TAMU may not be playing each other right now but they're still competing against each other in every way. No way in hell Texas sits back and allows lil bro to have his moment any more than Ole Miss sat back and let State get praised over Leach.

ETA: @seaofORANGE22 corrects my point on the timing of the State/OM hirings.

 

[seaofORANGE22]

If you're shocked (general you) it's because you're not factoring in Texas A&M's success this year. The same thing happened last year when State hired Leach and OM suddenly fired their coach and hired Kiffin. UT-Austin and TAMU may not be playing each other right now but they're still competing against each other in every way. No way in hell Texas sits back and allows lil bro to have his moment any more than Ole Miss sat back and let State get praised over Leach.

Your point still stands but Kiffin was hired first in early December. State reacted later and hired Leach after the new year. Moorehead only got 2 years there. Which is wild.

 

[seaofORANGE22]

Thought this was interesting on Wikipedia.

According to ESPN, Mississippi State officials intended to fire Moorhead if he didn't defeat Ole Miss in the 2019 Egg Bowl.[11] However, the Bulldogs won that game 21-20 to become bowl-eligible, making Moorhead only the third Bulldog coach to win his first two Egg Bowls. At an emotional press conference the following day, Moorhead tried to knock down the rumors about his job security, saying, "This is my school, this is my team, this is my program," and that anyone who thought otherwise could "pound sand and kick rocks." He added, "You'll have to drag my Yankee ass out of here."[12][13][

 

[Weezer]

If you're shocked (general you) it's because you're not factoring in Texas A&M's success this year. The same thing happened last year when State hired Leach and OM suddenly fired their coach and hired Kiffin. UT-Austin and TAMU may not be playing each other right now but they're still competing against each other in every way. No way in hell Texas sits back and allows lil bro to have his moment any more than Ole Miss sat back and let State get praised over Leach.

Well, Vandy fired Mason, why aren't we trying to keep up?