Mark Stoops comments on Tennessee firing assistant following loss to Kentucky
One of the major fallouts from Kentucky’s win at Tennessee on Saturday was Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt fired defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, who also served as co-defensive coordinator.
That hit close to home for Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, both because he was on the opposite sideline as Pruitt and Brumbaugh, and Brumbaugh coached at Kentucky from 2013-16.
“Really disappointed to hear of that,” Stoops said at his Monday press conference. “Caught word of that yesterday and I wasn’t sure whether that was true or not, I didn’t reach out to the friends that I have on that program. I certainly will reach out to Jimmy, though. Jimmy I do consider a friend and know him obviously personally from being with me and his family and wish nothing but the best for him, he’s a quality coach, he’s a good coach and he’ll land on his feet with no problem. I have no idea what goes on there, that’s not my business, but at some point I will reach out to Jimmy, and that’s disappointing.”
Brumbaugh was in his first season at Tennessee after he coached at Colorado in 2019. After he left Kentucky, he coached at Maryland for two seasons. This season is Brumbaugh’s 17th in collegiate coaching. A total of 17 players developed under Brumbaugh have been selected in the NFL Draft, including six first rounders.
The problem wasn’t with the coach. They faced two of the best O-lines they will face this year. I thought they were very impressive in the first half against both Georgia and UK. Maybe the conditioning and strength coach needs to go.
I didn’t know much about UK’s offensive line, but apparently they are good. Tenn held them in check first half, actually shut them down. But Second half wow… I think they started hitting the RPO’s and crossed Tenn up a bit. Eddie Gran from what I’ve seen from him is a decent play caller.
Jeremy Pruitt threw him under-the-bus plus another assistant defensive coach…so the head coach could avoid all of that heat…but the buck stops at the top.
Maybe the QB coach would have been a better choice. Or wait maybe even the guy who decided to stick the starter.
That was disappointing. I will reach out to him that’s disappointing. I don’t know what happened, that’s disappointing. He is a good coach that’s disappointing. He will land on his feet that’s disappointing.
He literally said ‘disappointing’ twice in a long quote. Jesus
There’s information missing here. It doesn’t add up. I’m not buying the take of this being a Pruitt fire-wall action and will never know enough about it. Everyone in these jobs has to be a “preferred” by the Coach and A.D. example in every way. Lot’s of very talented people are not perfect assistant coaches on every staff. This is a “we don’t know as fans and ought to keep our mouth shut” situation. By speculating and blabbering about it we just make it worse for everybody involved. Stoops went for supporting the “now a candidate” Brumbaugh. Everybody who has ever been in this situation needs a lot of support personally and professionally. Pruitt can be fired if he fires anyone or everyone on the staff OR he can be fired for keeping everyone or anyone on the staff. Right or wrong A.D.s and people above them form opinions also. Don’t forget the whole picture here. Prayers that all of us find positions in life that make us feel successful every day. Coaching is often NOT a fair judgement of the personal talent people possess. By it’s nature it rejects a lot of very good and talented people. Last year Missouri fired a very popular assistant turned Head Coach. But I think fans and opponents kept a good opinion of his complete contribution at Missouri. When things work out well after a change of staff, changes then viewed as win/win situations and we should remember that too.
You make good points. I really liked Odom and hated to see him leave MO. But he appears to be excelling in his new role at ARK. Heck of a defensive mind.
None of us is in them locker rooms or on the field to really know what goes on.you know sometimes people can be good at what they do but still not be what you expected we can all guess why but will probly never know the real reason.but we can say for sure whoever he replaces him with next year better be as good or better or even more people will start to doubt jp.