Who goes to Bama-Smartt or Pruitt?

[volfanhill]

Yep. And I stand by that. He's a top tier coach. Always will be. Smart will never be on his level as a complete coach.

Smart has pushed Saban more then any coach besides Dabo. He is no joke. He’s only even a few years in as a head coach, and achieved more then both Saban and Dabo, at the same points in their career. You are just wishfully thinking .

 

[bamawriter]

It took saban more than 10 years to win his first championship. Kirby got there in year 2, a year which no one had UGA making it. Kirby is 2-2 in his biggest games. Won a playoff and a SECC, lost the natty and a SECC. It’s too early to make any sweeping judgements about smart. He’s had more success than Saban and Dabo thus far into his career.

He also took over a much better situation that Saban and Dabo. For all that can be said of Mark Richt, he did not leave the cupboard bare.

 

[bamawriter]

Smart money says the smartest of the top 5 coaches stay away from Bama when Saban retires. Man, if they don't come in and win a Natty by years two, they will be run out of town! Look at all they did with Curry and Perkins. Not bad coaches but not able to replicate the Bear. If you guys think some of our fans are crazy, they are completely nuts down there!

Neither Perkins nor Curry were run out of town.

 

[Atlanta917]

He also took over a much better situation that Saban and Dabo. For all that can be said of Mark Richt, he did not leave the cupboard bare.

Smart took over a team with a true freshman QB, best player coming off a gruesome knee injury, and mediocre offensive line. While Richt was able to recruit skill positions he was inept at recruiting the o-line. Smart has signed more 4-5* o-lineman in his 3 years as headcoach than Richt did his entire career. I'm not saying Smart is better than Saban or Dabo right now. My point is that it is illogical to call Smart bad because he lost in OT in the NC to the best college coach of all time. Saban and Dabo both had to get experience before they won big. Acting like Smart is bad because he didn't win a championship in year 2 is ridiculous.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

Neither Perkins nor Curry were run out of town.

Oh yeah, they were too! One is not going to leave Bama and go coach Kentucky.

 

[wmcovol]

I don't see Pruitt on the radar for the Alabama job. He was Tennessee's 7th choice. Alabama will have a short list of no more than one.

7th on a list developed by a band of idiots. Only until Fulmer got control did the coaching search make any sense at all. Going with Schiano, then Gundy, etc. was like the UT administration wanted to tear down the program.

 

[BeecherVol]

He also took over a much better situation that Saban and Dabo. For all that can be said of Mark Richt, he did not leave the cupboard bare.

Exactly. That wasnt a build or even rebuild situation.

 

[Atlanta917]

Exactly. That wasnt a build or even rebuild situation.

According to 247, the previous 4 recruiting classes prior to smart were 8.75 ( 9th, 12th, 8th, and 6th). The previous 4 classes before Pruitt averaged 10.5 ( 7, 4, 14, and 17). I agree that Smart walked into a better situation, but the roster was far from perfect. He had a true freshman QB, the starting RB just came off a massive knee injury, a bad offensive line, and a defensive line that lacked depth.

 

[bamawriter]

Oh yeah, they were too! One is not going to leave Bama and go coach Kentucky.

Curry had a contract extension on the table when he left. He didn't like the pressure cooker.

Perkins got an offer to go back to the NFL, which is where he spent the bulk of his career.

 

[bamawriter]

Smart took over a team with a true freshman QB, best player coming off a gruesome knee injury, and mediocre offensive line. While Richt was able to recruit skill positions he was inept at recruiting the o-line. Smart has signed more 4-5* o-lineman in his 3 years as headcoach than Richt did his entire career. I'm not saying Smart is better than Saban or Dabo right now. My point is that it is illogical to call Smart bad because he lost in OT in the NC to the best college coach of all time. Saban and Dabo both had to get experience before they won big. Acting like Smart is bad because he didn't win a championship in year 2 is ridiculous.

Oh, I'm not saying that at all. There's two extremes to the argument, and they are equally dumb. One is "Kirby is a choker and is never going to suceed," and the other is "Kirby did more than Saban and Dabo in less time." Both ignore the circumstances.

 

[Atlanta917]

Oh, I'm not saying that at all. There's two extremes to the argument, and they are equally dumb. One is "Kirby is a choker and is never going to suceed," and the other is "Kirby did more than Saban and Dabo in less time." Both ignore the circumstances.

Saying smart has done more in 3 years than Dabo and Saban did in their first 3 years is true. Granted, Saban was initially at MSU, so that situation is different. I don’t believe he won a championship in his first 3 years at LSU though. Until recently Clemson was at the same level as UGA as a program, so I believe that’s fair to say. My point is that it’s illogical to expect a championship in a coach’s first 3 years as a headcoach. It took the best coach’s in today’s game longer than that to see their first championship win. The two extremes would be Kirby will never win and Kirby will be like Saban. It’s fair to say it’s improbable for either to happen. Rational people see Kirby has done well in his first 3 seasons. Irrational people write him off because he didn’t win a championship in his first 3 seasons.

 

[bamawriter]

Granted, Saban was initially at MSU, so that situation is different. I don’t believe he won a championship in his first 3 years at LSU though.

Saban did everything Smart did during his first 3 years at LSU: won the SEC in year two, lost in the SECCG in year three.

Irrational people write him off because he didn’t win a championship in his first 3 seasons.

Saban won a national title in year 3 at Bama, and he took over a worse team than Smart did at UGA.

 

[BeecherVol]

According to 247, the previous 4 recruiting classes prior to smart were 8.75 ( 9th, 12th, 8th, and 6th). The previous 4 classes before Pruitt averaged 10.5 ( 7, 4, 14, and 17). I agree that Smart walked into a better situation, but the roster was far from perfect. He had a true freshman QB, the starting RB just came off a massive knee injury, a bad offensive line, and a defensive line that lacked depth.

Yeah and some on here tried to sell the idea that the Trumpet blower left Pruitt a good roster based on those rankings which was utterly false.

Richt's departure (or circumstances that change what the next guy is walking in to) from UGA and Jones from UT are not very similar at all.

Nobody said it was perfect for Smart but trying to compare the 2 based off recruiting rankings (that would look very different after the fact) is silly.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

Curry had a contract extension on the table when he left. He didn't like the pressure cooker.

Perkins got an offer to go back to the NFL, which is where he spent the bulk of his career.

Curry Got Caught in a Rip-Tide : Football: After years of second-guessing, despite success at Alabama, coach feels that he belongs in Lexington.

Question: What was the deal with Bill Curry??

The following article is very compelling.

Bill Curry recalls the brick

Why was Ray Perkins disliked so much when he was head coach?

The Kick Lives On

There are more articles and things written about each coach and their time at Bama including why each left.

 

[05_never_again]

Smart money says the smartest of the top 5 coaches stay away from Bama when Saban retires. Man, if they don't come in and win a Natty by years two, they will be run out of town! Look at all they did with Curry and Perkins. Not bad coaches but not able to replicate the Bear. If you guys think some of our fans are crazy, they are completely nuts down there!

Our fans would be just as nuts if we had the same run of success they've had.

 

[05_never_again]

According to 247, the previous 4 recruiting classes prior to smart were 8.75 ( 9th, 12th, 8th, and 6th). The previous 4 classes before Pruitt averaged 10.5 ( 7, 4, 14, and 17). I agree that Smart walked into a better situation, but the roster was far from perfect. He had a true freshman QB, the starting RB just came off a massive knee injury, a bad offensive line, and a defensive line that lacked depth.

I think you're underselling the quality of Georgia's roster, top to bottom, when Smart arrived. Georgia post-Richt was absolutely not a rebuilding job, it was a re-tooling, at most. It was totally reasonable for Georgia fans to come in an expect him to be good immediately, which he has been. In 2016, I actually thought Georgia underachieved, if anything. I know it was Kirby's first year but they were destroyed by an Ole Miss team who finished 5-7, blew a big lead to Tennessee at home, lost to Vandy, and lost to Tech. It wasn't exactly a great first year considering the circumstances, but he built up some equity by winning the SEC and losing the CFP title game in OT the next.

 

[bamawriter]

Curry Got Caught in a Rip-Tide : Football: After years of second-guessing, despite success at Alabama, coach feels that he belongs in Lexington.

Question: What was the deal with Bill Curry??

The following article is very compelling.

Bill Curry recalls the brick

Why was Ray Perkins disliked so much when he was head coach?

The Kick Lives On

There are more articles and things written about each coach and their time at Bama including why each left.

None of those articles suggest that either was fired or "run off." Neither was terribly well liked, and both had personal trouble dealing with Bryant's long shadow. But both chose to leave rather than try to get over the hump.

Stallings dealt with the exact same issues.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

None of those articles suggest that either was fired or "run off." Neither was terribly well liked, and both had personal trouble dealing with Bryant's long shadow. But both chose to leave rather than try to get over the hump.

Stallings dealt with the exact same issues.

Okay

 

[GVF]

Smart has pushed Saban more then any coach besides Dabo. He is no joke. He’s only even a few years in as a head coach, and achieved more then both Saban and Dabo, at the same points in their career. You are just wishfully thinking .

Nope. Just older and wiser. Smart is a blow hard and will always under achieve. He just had the luxury of riding Richts coattails. Another coach he will never measure up to.

 

[Atlanta917]

Nope. Just older and wiser. Smart is a blow hard and will always under achieve. He just had the luxury of riding Richts coattails. Another coach he will never measure up to.

This is a joke right? He did more in 2 years than Richt did in 15. If he always underachieves, what happened in 2017? I can understand bias, but this is a bit ridiculous. It’s not riding Richt’s coattails when he takes a team to a place Richt’s never been.

 

[Atlanta917]

I think you're underselling the quality of Georgia's roster, top to bottom, when Smart arrived. Georgia post-Richt was absolutely not a rebuilding job, it was a re-tooling, at most. It was totally reasonable for Georgia fans to come in an expect him to be good immediately, which he has been. In 2016, I actually thought Georgia underachieved, if anything. I know it was Kirby's first year but they were destroyed by an Ole Miss team who finished 5-7, blew a big lead to Tennessee at home, lost to Vandy, and lost to Tech. It wasn't exactly a great first year considering the circumstances, but he built up some equity by winning the SEC and losing the CFP title game in OT the next.

It’s not uncommon for coaches to have first year struggles. Saban lost to ULM and I’m sure I can find a bad loss for Dabo. Richt’s teams were weak on the lines and he got a frost QB. That’s not exactly the recipe for success. Lincoln Riley is considered one of the best offensive minds in college football and Smart shut his offense down in the second half after half time adjustments. I’d also say he bought himself some equity considering he had UGA’s best season in 30+ years. Too early to tell if he’ll be elite or not, but I’d say he’s good considering he’s one of the few active coaches to take a team to a national championship.

 

[volfanhill]

Nope. Just older and wiser. Smart is a blow hard and will always under achieve. He just had the luxury of riding Richts coattails. Another coach he will never measure up to.

Can’t find the year Richt played for a National Championship. Care to point me in the right direction?

 

[onevol74]

It took saban more than 10 years to win his first championship. Kirby got there in year 2, a year which no one had UGA making it. Kirby is 2-2 in his biggest games. Won a playoff and a SECC, lost the natty and a SECC. It’s too early to make any sweeping judgements about smart. He’s had more success than Saban and Dabo thus far into his career.

Yes, and so did Bill Battle after his first two years. All we heard about in Fulmer’s first 6-7 years was about how he led the nation in winning percentage. Does not mean you can sustain a program over a period of time.

 

[onevol74]

Neither Perkins nor Curry were run out of town.

You are correct. Curry felt like he had to get out of town to keep from getting struck by a brick.

 

[bamawriter]

You are correct. Curry felt like he had to get out of town to keep from getting struck by a brick.

Ah yes, that oh so intimidating brick thru his window. That brick that scared him so much that he got out of town over a year later.