Recruiting Forum Football Talk III

[vol4092]

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[HalfullVol]

Two key assistant coaches for this rebuild are Garner and Elarbee. Football begins at line of scrimmage. Develop 3 stars and put them in league and then 4 & 5 stars will come.
Pruitt was stupid to neglect the line of scrimmage with subpar coaching

That was all you needed to say honestly

 

[VolGee4]

Two key assistant coaches for this rebuild are Garner and Elarbee. Football begins at line of scrimmage. Develop 3 stars and put them in league and then 4 & 5 stars will come.
Pruitt was stupid to neglect the line of scrimmage with subpar coaching

I agree. I think coaching was much better in year one and two under Rocker and Rumph, but Rocker couldn't recruit, and our best teachers left.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

We should have focused on a coach that could do more with less for a long time now. From ‘08 until about ‘13, we could still recruit top 10 based purely on brand. Get a guy that could win, and it would have taken off like a rocket. Big reason why I wanted Petersen going back to ‘08.

I'd give anything if we could go back in time and hire Gary Patterson instead of Kiffin. Where would we be today?

 

[LA Vol]

I only expect us to win at, or above, our talent level. As long as that is what we are doing, and the trajectory is up, patience isn't a problem. The problem is that we've been performing well below our talent level, and the trajectory wasn't up. There will always be the vocal minority who think that if we aren't beating Bama we're failing, but Neyland will be full if we are beating the teams we should beat with the talent we have. There is zero reason that we can't win 8 to 9 with good coaching, evaluation, and development.

And honestly, this whole NIL thing should make it possible to (legally) compete with the teams that get us to 10+ wins. The Tennessee fan base is massive and will readily spend money if there is optimism that we have a coach who can coach footbaw and recognize asparagus.

Yes, we have talent. But we've also lost a lot of talent-- and with it went productivity and experience. We have roster holes and depth issues, and injuries in the two-deep would be very costly. But we have no choice but to be patient and see what the coaches can do with what we have and the transfers they bring in.

We've had a lot of guys portal in and out and some players missed spring ball, so this team hasn't even practiced yet. We haven't seen what we have or how the pieces will come together. We don't know for sure how the QB scenarios will play out. I think that makes it difficult to predict outcomes. It does give us something to look forward to, now that baseball is over.

 

[Blake25p]

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[yourstruly23]

I'd give anything if we could go back in time and hire Gary Patterson instead of Kiffin. Where would we be today?

7-6
5-7
6-4 the past 3 years.. We'd be in the same position we're in now minus the investigation, with a new coach

 

[Tyler865]

Pretty much the current model. Harder to do in SEC fb-- and harder for fans to be patient when our rivals are so far ahead. Developing project recruits and building from the bottom isn't the fastest way to say "Hello, win column." The program is damaged. We'll see how much they can fix with what we have.

Yeah, it will be a very interesting experiment to watch unfold. There is some clear strategy behind building the foundation slowly and securely.

But like you said, people care about Tennessee football more than Tennessee basketball. The microscope will be on them in a way Barnes didn't have to deal with. And the margin for error far less in SEC basketball vs. SEC football.

We've seen it multiple times - people will expect us to be competing for the East by Year 3. I'm not sure that's fair, but it will happen.

 

[Devo182]

I'm sorry, how did Keon's team do in March? How did the team do overall? How did the team of 3* do?

Literally as well, and mostly better, than other teams relying on freshman 5*s during a pandemic season. Remember how UK, Duke, UNC, etc did. This was the worst possible season to have 5* freshmen as your most talented players.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

7-6
5-7
6-4 the past 3 years.. We'd be in the same position we're in now minus the investigation, with a new coach

Maybe today. But Patterson had a run there with a bunch of 3 stars at TCU. What would he have done with our resources? Certainly better than Kiffin, Dools, Butch, and Pruitt.

 

[ChrisVFL]

?

 

[MrVolton]

It should have been Patterson. He wanted it. Wasn’t good enough for Hambone.

Would’ve been great. Petersen has been my number one since they forced Fulmer out though.

 

[yourstruly23]

Maybe today. But Patterson had a run there with a bunch of 3 stars at TCU. What would he have done with our resources? Certainly better than Kiffin, Dools, Butch, and Pruitt.

agreed.. i don't think he would have taken us to the promise land, but the game is passing him up now.. would have been another Fulmer situation just 13 years later.. no doubt we'd look better in the eyes of everyone else..

 

[GoBigOrange86]

7-6
5-7
6-4 the past 3 years.. We'd be in the same position we're in now minus the investigation, with a new coach

Same position? Since 2008 Patterson has multiple top 5 finishes, multiple NY6 bowl wins, and a P5 conference championship. If he could have even remotely replicated that here we wouldn’t be close to the same position because our brand wouldn’t be in the damn toilet. We aren’t talking about the last 3 years, we’re talking about the last 13.

 

[Bassmaster_Vol]

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Great point, Matt

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

We have 3 point shots in football now? LOL

Yessir, field goals…

 

[butchna]

It should have been Patterson. He wanted it. Wasn’t good enough for Hambone.

Mid-major coach (at the time). “Wasn’t good enough” for a lot of us.

 

[butchna]

This year they’re better than us is all I am saying.

And you’re wrong…not a new occurrence.

 

[butchna]

Would’ve been great. Petersen has been my number one since the forced Fulmer out though.

Ensuing years have proven that he wasn’t a possibility.

 

[itsme]

We’re a much more patient fanbase than we’re credited…we’ve had to be. Fact is we haven’t had a technically proficient offensive HC mind since Kiffin and going back to Dickey before that. There’s always going to be motley mindless screaming to fire the HC yesterday…they’re background noise. The majority VFL fanbase want to see things building towards something. They’re patient as long as there’s no significant backwards regression or downright implosion…see last 3 HC’s career arcs. Heupel has the best available talent he’s had in his HC career (yeah I said it). It’s his baby and he has the backing of every sane mind. We dramatize our situation as if a literal nuclear bomb’s been dropped on our program. We hired the wrong guys. When that changes (if it already hasn’t), recovery will be swift. We’re built to win with all the resources.

We are sunshine pumpers until we ain't and once we turn, it's like turning off a cliff but typically for good reason to get someone gone. Much of our problem comes from social media, truly we have some buffoons on there.

 

[Johnny Majors' Ghost]

Two key assistant coaches for this rebuild are Garner and Elarbee. Football begins at line of scrimmage. Develop 3 stars and put them in league and then 4 & 5 stars will come.
Pruitt was stupid to neglect the line of scrimmage with subpar coaching

Pruitt should've tried his best to keep Rocker. Also evening out the staff on both sides of the ball with 5 assistants each would've helped. Could've hired an extra dl/lb coach to help with recruiting. Although it wouldn't have mattered when the ace on staff was Ronald McDonald.

 

[butchna]

We are sunshine pumper until we ain't and once we turn, it's like turning off a cliff but typically for good reason to get someone gone. Much of our problem comes from social media, truly we have some buffoons on there.

There’s another level below pumper where most of us reside.

 

[RikidyBones]

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[MrVolton]

Mid-major coach (at the time). “Wasn’t good enough” for a lot of us.

Kiffin was a home run on paper, especially with him bringing O and his hall of fame daddy as DC. The way things played out there is plain Big Orange bad luck.

Dooley is the one that didn’t have the resume to even make the short list.

 

[ACvol3]

idk what universe you think we're 3rd in the east in. We're better than USCe by a hair, and Vanderbilt.

He said 3rd most talented in the East. That is accurate