TENNESSEE
All things considered, Jeremy Pruitt and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job attracting talent to Rocky Top.
After landing the Tennessee coaching position, Pruitt and his staff took over a program that had seen its 2018 recruiting class essentially destroyed following the firing of Butch Jones and a coaching search that was a national laughingstock at one point.
Adding another level of difficulty, Pruitt and his staff had only a few weeks before the early signing period arrived to fix the class. That class finished rated No. 21 nationally after Tennessee failed to win a single conference game the previous season. The Volunteers improved on the field in 2018 but the team’s record only improved one game as Tennessee finished 5-7 but still, Pruitt landed the nation’s No. 12 recruiting class following his debut season.
Despite all the accomplishments of the program to date, Tennessee fans hoping for a big turnaround season in Pruitt’s second year leading the program may need to brace themselves for some tough love. If one anonymous “opposing coach” is to be believed, Tennessee will turn around under Pruitt but it may take longer than some die-hard Volunteer fans are willing to wait.
One of the more popular sections featured in the 2019 Lindy’s Sports Southeastern Conference football preview magazine is the section with comments from anonymous opposing coaches. The Tennessee page features the following comments, which call out just how long it may take Tennessee to rebuild, thoughts on last season’s disaster of an ending and ends on with some encouraging comments regarding the offseason hire of Jim Chaney.
Here are the anonymous comments regarding Tennessee from the latest 2019 Lindy’s Sports Southeastern Conference football preview magazine:
On the future of the program:
“Tennessee needs a talent upgrade. … It’s going to take five years to get it done. I think Jeremy Pruitt will get it done because he’s a good enough coach and recruiter to get it done. But it will take that long. The reason is, there’s other people in the league already getting it done. And they have no margin for error because they play Alabama, Georgia and Florida every year.”
On last season’s finish:
“The question is, why did they finish so poorly last year? They played like crap down the stretch against Missouri and Vanderbilt. They’ve lost three in a row to Vanderbilt — that’s unacceptable.”
On the hire of Jim Chaney:
“Jeremy lucked out getting rid of Tyson Helton and hiring Jim Chaney. I think he’s the best, most proven offensive coordinator in the league. I think Jim is outstanding. If Jeremy will leave him alone, Jim will be fine.”
What the over/under that these comments came from Butch?
Sounds like a Stoops talking IMO…
That’s exactly what I thought! None of this drivel really matters, we’ll see what happens this fall.
Oh, good point
Interns aren’t allowed to speak to the media.
Sounds like Boom to me.
Also, Tennessee fans are in for an even rider awakening with Chaney. He’s a guy with a definite ceiling, who’s only had success with great talent, especially great talent on the o-line. Without that, he’s done nothing. Even with that, his in-game play-calling mistakes have been cataclysmically bad.
I think your forgetting Chaney was TN’s OC for a longer period of time than he was GA’s OC. We know who he is and what he can do. That is why UT wanted him back. The more important question to you is does Fromm take a step back not having him around?
I don’t think it’s Boom. They put Florida in the same category as Alabama and Georgia. With the Vanderbilt comment and sounding like an offensive minded coach. I would say it’s Mullen.
Whether they are positive or negative, I put no stock in anonymous quotes.
Michael, I know you didn’t get the quotes no no shot at you.
Well I agree with whoever it is. Butch Jones dug a great big hole that we have to climb out of. The pieces are starting to come in but those pieces are mostly freshmen and sophomores. we simply are not close to being there yet. We have to continue to recruit well, build and develop. Keep the coaching staff intact for a few years. To contend for an sec championship you have to have highly talented depth and be able to win in the trenches more often than not. This year shapes up as 6-6 or maybe 7-5. I guess it depends on your definition of what “a big turnaround year” is. To me that’s 8-4 minimum this year. So I don’t see it though some fans are predicting it. As for Chaney I will be surprised if Pruitt does not leave him alone and contrary to the UGA fans I think he is a heck of an OC and will prove that out. What happened at the end of last year is a good question and that is why I say the jury is still out on Pruitt. It seemed the team quit a bit on him. I give him a little bit of slack because of the circumstances with that team… but there will be no such excuses this year. I expect to see a hungry team that can deal with adversity and that will fight every game regardless of the situation. Otherwise I am worried about Coach Pruitt.
I think Pruitt has had enough time to wash out the player stuck in a Butch mentality. His disciplined culture will take hold enough this year to win a few games they lost last year regardless of talent. He’s the kind of coach who can produce above average results with less talent than many other coaches.
But, a bigger question for me around a supposed 5 year timeline, is if Pruitt and Fulmer can get things straightened out in the AD and Presidents offices, as well as with meddling boosters.
Tenn is two years removed from losing to UGA by 41 points. They haven’t had a player drafted in forever. It’ll take 5 years or longer. TN fans need to listen to their coach. Their delusions of getting bowl eligibility are just like their orgasms – premature.
I’m pretty sure UT has won a natty since UGA has….it’s your turn on the pendulum swing and that’s fine, but when you feel like everybody HATES Ga because of it’s vitriol fanbase, and wonder why those same SEC football fans won’t support the Dogs in any type of bowl game, you can only look in the mirror.
Cry me a river. I’ve been on both ends of the pendulum swing with Georgia Football and Tenn fans were terrible or worse throughout that time. You’re either very young or out of touch with reality if you think opinions in comment sections govern the relations of these two fanbases on the whole. Tenn fans have always treated Georgia fans poorly and vis versa. This is regardless of your opinions and comments on a regional blog website.
your posts are stupid fly. We are delusional to think we will be bowl eligible? you are to dumb to come up with intelligent posts so you say something stupid and then follow it up with “I know you are but what am I” kiddy talk. There are no other teams posters as arrogant, insulting and dumb as so many of the UGA posters on here. Thank god for the few rational ones that want to have some sense of reasonable debate/conversation with some occasional jabbing. You, Corch, legends and several others are just arrogant snobby children.
UGA’s pendulum got stuck in 1980
Dang my fist time browsing the UT side and what do I find? The same arrogant and obnoxious puppy fans spouting their manure on another fan base. I too have stopped rooting for the leg humpers in bowl games and OOC games. Used to root for all SEC teams but not them anymore
I don’t doubt that you’ve got lots of experience when it comes to knowing the length of time it takes for men to orgasm, I guess the fly portion of your username refers to pants and not lures. Slick euphemism-quite clever.
ROTFLMAO!!! Now thats funny! and appropriate for the idiot fisherman.
LOL
And only 3 years from Butch beating Kirby. YOUR POINT? Also Numb Nuts, we had 3 players drafted in 2018 draft. No team as done so little with all the talent than GA. IF Ga doesn’t win a NC this year (they won’t by the way) then Kirby is Butch Jones 2. Going to be fun to watch!! PRESSURE is all on GA!
Coach Prune is telling the fans UT sucks
We sucked and still whipped kys butt, and will again. It’s a long time til bball season. Maybe you should crawl back under that rock til then.
Georgia fans love to go on and on about how poorly Tennessee fans treat them yet the conveniently forget about how badly Florida fans treat them at the swamp and how Bama fans routinely trash them on fan sites etc. But yes, let’s focus on Tennessee! Lol
Correction cocktail party
Georgia fans whine, cry and complain about a lot of things. Guess after waiting for 39 years and counting that’s what you do