Would Pruitt replace Saban?

[tennrich1]

The two hardest jobs to replace after a long time, well loved, and successful person retires are coaches and pastors. Both are ALMOST impossible to pull off with the save level of respect and appreciation as the former head was. And no matter what they do - WELL THEY JUST AREN'T LIKE THE OLD COACH/PASTOR...seen it happen dozens of times....and its a very tragic thing!

 

[peaygolf]

IF CJP is ever offered the Bama job, it only means he has taken UT to the top. Personally, I’ll deal with that when it happens. Not worried right now, and ain’t losing any sleep over it.

 

[Other_Guy]

Not as meaty as I would have liked. But it's something we've all wondered a time or two.

How Jeremy Pruitt reportedly feels about replacing Nick Saban down the road

If they are wanting him to fill the shoes of arguably the greatest coach ever, he must be doing pretty good at UT. I would rather him make UT really good again and leave than the alternative.

 

[Nasavol]

only one currently coaching.

I am aware of this.

 

[onthehill71]

It’s not whether or not Dabo or Pruitt would go coach at Alabama, the question is how high will Alabama need to stack $100 bills to get them there.

Can Alabama afford to? Are they willing to pay?

Both have plenty of money.

Got a hunch the days of massive college football coach contracts is behind us. The future will not be the same as the past and college adminstration/state legislators have been looking for a way out.... they now have it.

 

[Volintheswamp]

Ask Holly how hard it is to replace a legend. There would be only a handful of qualified coaches that could fill Saban's shoes when he leaves. Pruitt isn't on the list. Not yet anyways.

 

[Vollymall]

I didn’t read the whole thread, but whoever replaces Saban will be a well paid failure. At this point expectations are so high there I think there will be zero patience for a new guy to put his stamp on the program.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Got a hunch the days of massive college football coach contracts is behind us. The future will not be the same as the past and college adminstration/state legislators have been looking for a way out.... they now have it.

Forever? That’s a long time.

I don’t expect The Alabama State legislators to pass a law that would put Alabama football at a disadvantage. The folks in politics like getting re-elected too much.

We are still talking about Alabama Administrators? I would bet good money they will keep funding football.

 

[Boca Vol]

I remember when Butch was going to Michigan....

 

[Iam4utalways]

I didn’t read the whole thread, but whoever replaces Saban will be a well paid failure. At this point expectations are so high there I think there will be zero patience for a new guy to put his stamp on the program.

I figure Saban will endorse his replacement, might even be part of the hiring and possibly the training.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I think he could be the guy that replaces the guy that replaced Saban. We’ll see though . When mama calls you to come home you listen , especially when it’s 8 figures.

 

[VolFreakJosh]

Dabo and his wife were both born and raised in Alabama. I doubt the boosters at Bama are going to settle for an assistant hoping they’ll turn out to be a great hire. They’ll throw the bank at Dabo and match whatever Clemson’s offer is to get him to stay.

He’s already won a National Championship at Clemson in the ACC. What’s there left to prove? If he’s as good of a coach people think he is, then he shouldn’t have a problem winning the SEC west with similar talent he had at Clemson.

I’m certainly hoping that it doesn’t happen but Dabo doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’s afraid of a challenge replacing one of the best CFB coaches of all time.

 

[jarnol32]

If Pruitt doesn’t want to go to ‘Bama because the standard is too high, then (a) we need to reassess the standard here, and (b) he isn’t as competitive as I thought.

If the year was 2005 I’d agree with you... Being humbled by the last 15 years kind of changes the expectations of our program. You’ve got to climb the hill before you can expect to sit on top of it. As bad as I hate Alabama they have dominated for more than a decade, hence their standard for success is much higher than ours. I’m 36 years old so I remember being part of a fan base that pretty much expected to win the sec and compete for a natty each year for that year to be considered successful. That being said the pendulum is swinging , Saban grows closer to retirement, and bama is slipping. I can’t wait to see Alabama go back to their 90s era mediocrity. Hopefully we can fill the void when they tumble, and return to the top of college football. I think this season will be remembered as the year Alabama crumbles and the year Tennessee wakes up from a decade and a half slumber.

 

[jarnol32]

Dabo and his wife were both born and raised in Alabama. I doubt the boosters at Bama are going to settle for an assistant hoping they’ll turn out to be a great hire. They’ll throw the bank at Dabo and match whatever Clemson’s offer is to get him to stay.

He’s already won a National Championship at Clemson in the ACC. What’s there left to prove? If he’s as good of a coach people think he is, then he shouldn’t have a problem winning the SEC west with similar talent he had at Clemson.

I’m certainly hoping that it doesn’t happen but Dabo doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’s afraid of a challenge replacing one of the best CFB coaches of all time.

If he stays at Clemson they will have his statue in front of the stadium. If he leaves for Bama he will always be the guy that followed Saban. Win or lose he will be they guy that followed the best to ever do it. I don’t see him leaving Clemson...

 

[PulaskiVolFan]

ANybody know what the big boosters at alabama think of CP?

I think he's pretty well liked by the Alabama faithful. My boss is pretty big with Bama for 30+ years. He worked with I think it was coach Perkins in the recruiting of Pierre Goode from Town Creek, Al who was a great player for them years ago. His son has won 150+ HS games in Al and both are popular in coaching circles and both are big on Pruitt. I think he'll be their 1st offer, I don't think the Bama faithful care that much for Dabo and not sure Dabo would leave.

 

[Remy]

The two hardest jobs to replace after a long time, well loved, and successful person retires are coaches and pastors. Both are ALMOST impossible to pull off with the save level of respect and appreciation as the former head was. And no matter what they do - WELL THEY JUST AREN'T LIKE THE OLD COACH/PASTOR...seen it happen dozens of times....and its a very tragic thing!

You've been around as have I. Seen it a million times, there's just no way the person following a legend does as well or better than the legend. CJP knows that as well. someone else will follow Saban at Bama besides Dabo and CJP.

 

[Nasavol]

I will say this, if a coach doesn’t want to follow a legend because he is afraid of failing, you have the wrong coach to start with.

 

[Carl Pickens]

I'm not so sure he would be considered or if he would go back. I don't know that he would want to be in the shadows of Saban. If he does, I would hope that he leaves a loaded roster so we can turn around and hire the best.

Definitely big shoes to fill...

 

[BigBadVol]

If Pruitt doesn’t want to go to ‘Bama because the standard is too high, then (a) we need to reassess the standard here, and (b) he isn’t as competitive as I thought.

How effing stupid! You've never competed at anything and it's obvious!

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

My 2 cents. We all want Pruitt to fix Tennessee. It's been broken a long time.

We appear to be on upward trajectory but the bottom line is if we don't get it fixed soon there will be generations of people who think broken is our natural state.

 

[WBO]

While I think we're a few years away from having to worry about this, I remember as a 16 year old being crushed when Doug Dickey left UT to return to his alma mater, Florida. He had it all in Knoxville including having relegated Bear Bryant to also-ran status and a loaded roster that was ready to compete for National Championships. I mean LOADED, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We were Linebacker U, All American after All American including Hacksaw Reynolds, Steve Kiner and Jackie Walker at the same time. The offense had Bobby Scott at QB and eventual Blue Angel, Curt Watson at RB.

But the call to his alma mater was too great and he left to go home where he failed. I've never forgiven him.

Then, of course AD Bob Woodruff, another Florida grad, who was terrified that Johnny Majors would eventually push him aside, passed over Johnny for head coach ( Majors was building a winning program at then moribund Iowa State and was begging to come home) and hired 30 year old defensive line coach, and Alabama grad, Bill Battle as head coach. Battle proceeded to destroy the Tennessee program. Majors then goes to Pittsburgh, that went 1-9 the season before his arrival, and within 6 years was National Champions (was at that Sugar Bowl since my best friend in flight training in Pensacola was a Pitt grad).

Majors then leaves Pitt to return to Knoxville. Trust me when I say Pitt fans couldn't believe he left them.

Bottom line is you never know what someone is going to do when it comes to coaching the college they graduated from.

 

[Sara Clark]

I generally try not to worry about hypothetical events, they'll drive you crazy. Just going to enjoy the moment....GBO!

 

[05_never_again]

Just no to all of this. Why would Jeremy Pruitt be ok with failing miserably and sliding into an assistant job. You talk like the Tennessee job isn't quite the prize in its own right.

Several people have told me/posted that Pruitt wants to build his own program. How is following in Saban's footsteps a no-brainer?

Of course the Tennessee job is quite a prize. However Pruitt is from Alabama, an alum of the school, and if he got a chance to coach that program you know he'd take it. I'd be stunned if he turned it down if offered.

 

[05_never_again]

Na, you dont follow the guy. Plus, has he really won enough for them?

At this point, no, Pruitt has won nowhere near enough for them. If Saban retired tomorrow, Pruitt would be waaaaay down their list. However, if Saban retires a few years from now and Tennessee has won an SEC title, he's probably their coach (assuming both Dabo and Kirby tell Alabama no, which I think they would). I think Alabama would still seriously consider Pruitt with only an East title.

 

[05_never_again]

I think there's probably some validity to this, but don't agree about Saban being ready to bolt after 2012 to TX...I mean, the pressure is so bad at Bama, he decided to stick it out an additional 8 years with no sign of retiring any time soon.

Saban wanting to bolt after 2012, after that 3rd title, is pretty much confirmed. He was irritated at how nobody there seemed to appreciate and recognize just how impressive what he was doing was. When he came back to campus after that title he even said somebody came up to him and said "Hey coach we're winning one again next year, right?" Texas boosters came to him, told him they'd make money no object, and wanted him to come to Texas. Their AD never got on board and actually offered Saban, so it fell through:

The Pursuit of Nick Saban: Alabama vs. Texas