Following Tennessee's latest implosion, Paul Finebaum weighs in on Jeremy Pruitt's future
Tennessee has been in a downward spiral for several weeks as the Vols have lost five straight games by double digits, most recently against Auburn on Saturday, 30-17.
SEC Network host Paul Finebaum weighed in on the state of the Vols, and where the program is headed the rest of the season and beyond. Finebaum shared his thoughts on his regular appearance on “The Roundtable” on WJOX 94.5 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Finebaum was asked which fan base has more reason to be concerned, Penn State or Tennessee.
“I think it’s Tennessee for this reason. As terrible as the season has gone for James Franklin, and the collection of calls that he has made that have backfired, he has at least shown that he’s capable of winning in big-time college football. Jeremy Pruitt can’t make that claim,” Finebaum said. “I think there’s at least a little bit in the pocket of Penn State fans but Tennessee fans have to be in an absolute state of bewilderment right now because two months ago the season was under way they had won a game or two, I think they got as high as the top 10 or somewhere near the top 10 and there was genuine enthusiasm and optimism going to Athens and since then, this has been a free fall with five straight losses, double digits and still Florida and Texas A&M remaining. I don’t know where you go to Tennessee to try to find a security blanket.”
Finebaum and the WJOX co-hosts then discussed Pruitt’s post-game press conference on Saturday when he was asked about the direction of the program, and he deflected his answer. Then he was asked about the offense, and said that Tennessee had more yards than Auburn.
“For all the things that Jeremy Pruitt has done well at Tennessee, and I’ll have to get back to you on what those are, his public relations has been abysmal, and that’s from the beginning,” Finebaum said. “I know people up in Tennessee who have offered to help him and counsel him and give him opportunities and I’ve been on the set with him in Knoxville and asked him just an underhanded layup on Phil Fulmer and he couldn’t even answer that correctly. He is still a high school football coach when it comes to public relations and I know that sounds like an insult to the great high school football coaches out there who are great communicators. What I mean by that is he will not communicate in an appropriate way, he doesn’t understand that the fan base until recently was rooting for him and wants him to succeed, and his press conferences are usually a disaster as a result, going back to the Alabama game, this game, countless other times.
Finally, the co-hosts asked Finebaum if Pruitt had the support of Athletics Director Phil Fulmer.
“Back to Fulmer, I suppose Fulmer is supporting him because he has to,” Finebaum said. “Phil Fulmer has dug in and this was his guy and we all remember the circumstances a couple years ago with (Greg) Schiano and then Fulmer took over and then (Mike) Leach was passed on and then it was ultimately going to be Jeremy Pruitt. He also gave him the extension, the administration at Tennessee has done everything to support Jeremy Pruitt and I mean everything. They’ve gotten in line, they stood up for him, they gave him the extension, they rallied around him, and what are they going to do now as we head into the offseason, I have no earthly idea.”
I’m not sure what TN is expecting in 3 years time. I mean if they really think they need to compete with Bama, GA, or FLA in a snap of a finger then they better have Urban Meyer on quick dial. Otherwise they need to give a guy a legitimate chance to build a program.
Booches are you serious. Most of us were not expecting to compete with bama and uga/florida for a championship and certainly not at the snap of a finger. Come on and give the fans a little more credit. What we do expect is by year 3 to be competitive against most all others and be competitive against 1-2 of the big boyz. If you think fans being upset over the 5 straight losses is not justified then I have to take back any cred I gave you previously. Come on man!
He needs a QB. I just honestly think the streak last year and winning a bowl game gave both the media and fans a false sense of how good TN really was. They’re not a horrible team, they’re better than they were before Pruitt got there, especially talent wise. Now, if you want to compete for SEC Titles then like I said, it’s more than just firing Pruitt, they better have a Meyer-like coach ready to take over. Else at some point they’re just going to have to give the vast majority of coaches out there a legitimate timeline to build a winner, not just poof and have one.
He has a qb-Bailey
Yeah Bailey should be good down the road, he’s just not SEC ready right out of H.S. But yeah, that’s the kind of talent Pruitt is bringing in and he deserves a legitimate chance to bring it along and work with it.
He’s the best qb and it’s not even close. This showing why Pruitt is in over his head and floundering. Defense has mailed it in on at least 2 games solely due to JG handing the other team two+ scores and then Pruitt trots him out like it’s no big deal.
My bad oskie, I had no idea you were the QB coach there.
He shown he has pocket awareness, can lead receivers, protects the football, and throws slant routes. Also, his fellow players’ social media accounts are supportive of him and not JG.
My bad-I thought you could make an argument with logic and not rely on fallacious insults when you don’t have a valid opinion….
oskie, bouchewolfman knows everything. No sense arguing with him.
You are right. I went back and watched those games. We could have lost them all. We are a mediocre team right now. But like Trey Smith said, we are getting better, but it takes time to change the culture. Butch Jones really screwed up Tenn football. Pruitt knows what he is doing. Finebama should stick to being a TV entertainer. He knows nothing about football.
Exactly, most of us true Vol fans know when Pruitt came in ,, 0 wins in SEC play previous season we have a long ways to go.. Last year streak was slot of close wins against average teams… QB is so important now(Georgia) that you need a playmaker at the helm and G is far from that. The media always wants to project Tennessee as back… Next season is huge for Pruitt in reality
I will say that last year I saw UT playing harder, better. I really thought Pruitt was building a winning culture. One thing that he has to do is keep the team. If the players lose faith in him, he is done whether now or in the future.
While I don’t agree with Saban frequently being an a$$ to the reporters (talking to reporters and answering their often repetitive or uninformed questions is a part of his job description), he wins a lot of games against the highest level of competition. Pruitt doesn’t have the credibility to act like Saban and try to avoid those questions.
Absolutely. Trey Smith is from Jackson, where I live. Went to school with my daughter. He’s a good guy. He says culture is changing and we are headed in right direction. I believe him. He’ll be home Xmas and I’ll learn more when my daughter sees him. Butch really screwed up Vols’ culture. Vandy kept beating us, for God’s sake. Can’t get lower.
QB play is holding them back…and the offensive line to an extent, but the last 2 games offensive line has been better in the running game..but still gave up sacks. They just don’t have a field general right now.
Phil Fulmer is a perfect example of someone who is loving something to death.
Under-rated comment here. I think I’m going to use that line.
I’ll tell you what Tennessee fans are expecting…improvement from year to year, ability to finish a game and score points in the second half, a coach who doesn’t get his feelings hurt when asked about his on the field product and results. We take one step forward and 5 steps back.
Basically this right here.
Lots of us UT fans got a glimmer of hope in the loss to Alabama last year. Yes the 3rd stringers for Bama are better than our starters but we played hard, didn’t quit and showed heart. Then the streak started(yes lesser quality opponents) and it built on the hope started with Bama loss. Then we played decent for the 1st half of the GA game this year, then yeah everything else. The slow ascent that we were seeing and getting excited about is no longer there. Now we have a coach getting butt hurt during media interviews?
Bama has 83% blue chippers. Vols have 43%. Do the math.
I rented a boom truck and a bull dozer for DEC 5th. I simply cannot wait till the Gators come up there and totally demolish that poop hole of a stadium. I will being using the rented equipment to turn the Swamp @ Knoxville into a trailer park. Anyone interested in renting a spot for your mobile home, please contact me at 867-5309.
Nice,Jenny.
That sounded nice and tough and macho until you left poor Jenny’s number at the end. Lame-o.
Pruitt has seemed to just throw his hands up in the air and wants a restart to the year. That’s not happening. It’s a proven fact without a Solid QB you just can’t win with an all SEC schedule. Pruitt better change quarterbacks this week or the fire will get out of control.
I think what’s especially painful to see is UT was a 4 win team in 2017. So was UF. Both programs received new head coaches and Mullen has outperformed, immediately taking the same Franks led team that struggled in 2017 to a 10 win team with a beat down of Michigan in 2018 (while also defeating top 5 ranked LSU). Then an 11 win season in 2019 while going toe to toe with the defending champs for most of the game. In 2020, he has dethrowed UGA as top dog of the East (no pun intended) and developed a 2 star QB into a heisman frontrunner. UT has been stagnant with Eric Gray being the sole bright spot. And fan expectations are different. Last years win streak was definitely fools gold because those teams all weren’t good.
Exactly right.
Good grief. The “next year is a huge year for Pruitt”, has already started. This was supposed to be a huge year. THIS was supposed to be the year that he HAD to beat one of the big 3. Georgia, with a walk on at QB was not close. Alabama could have named the score and Florida awaits.
Still waiting for what Pruitt does well. Don’t say recruiting because most, if not all, UT coaches recruit well.
I think UT is on the cusp of really being good. Bailey looks like the guy of the future. Just like LSU, I think you just have to throw 2020 out the window, because I think 2021 will be a turnaround.