Tennessee A Mess!

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den-the-coach

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Tennessee offers head-coaching job to Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt, sources say
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Following a meandering search, Tennessee has a new head coach after reaching agreement with Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY Sports

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee's circuitous head-coaching search, which has taken on just about every twist imaginable, is nearing an end, as the Volunteers are finalizing a deal with Alabamadefensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, sources told ESPN.

Tennessee expects to announce Pruitt as its football coach on Thursday, and a press conference to introduce him is planned for later in the day. Sources told ESPN that Pruitt plans to stay on as Alabama's defensive coordinator through the College Football Playoff, while pulling double duty as the Vols' head coach and spearheading their recruiting efforts and putting together his staff at Tennessee.

Pruitt, 43, is in his second season as Alabama's defensive coordinator under Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide are ranked first nationally in scoring defense this season and second nationally in total defense. Pruitt also is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the SEC. As an assistant coach, he has been a part of four national championship teams.

Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee's former College Football Hall of Fame coach, replaced John Currie on Friday as the Vols' athletic director; he has spearheaded the coaching search ever since. Fulmer interviewed Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker on Tuesday in New York City. Fulmer notified Tucker on Wednesday that the school was going in a different direction.

Pruitt, a two-time Broyles Award finalist as the top assistant coach in college football, possesses two of the qualities that Fulmer put a premium on in his search for the Vols' next coach: a tough-minded defensive presence and a proven track record as a recruiter.

A former defensive back at Alabama, Pruitt served two different stints on the Crimson Tide staff under Saban. He was initially coached in Tuscaloosa from 2007 to 2012, the last three seasons as defensive backs coach. Pruitt also was the defensive coordinator at Florida State on the Seminoles' 2013 national championship team, and he was the defensive coordinator at Georgia under Mark Richt for the 2014 and 2015 seasons, before returning to his alma mater.

The son of legendary Alabama high school coach Dale Pruitt, he was an assistant coach in the high school ranks before catching on with his alma mater in 2007 as Saban's director of player development. Both of Pruitt's defenses as Alabama's defensive coordinator have led the country in scoring defense. His Florida State defense in 2013 also led the country in scoring defense.

Saban, who hired Pruitt to replace Kirby Smart, called Pruitt a tremendous teacher of the game.

"He knew our defense, knew how we wanted things done, because he'd been with us before and had gone out on his own and done an excellent job at Florida State and Georgia," Saban told ESPN last year. "I'm not into comparisons, but what I will say is that he's made it easier for our guys to play faster, more instinctive, and we've made very few mistakes. So much of coaching is how the kids respond, and they've responded great to Jeremy."

Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Anderson, who was recruited to Alabama by Pruitt, said one of Pruitt's strengths is the way he connects with his players.


"He can relate to anybody, and you see that with the way guys have bought into new roles, and guys have been able to move around and play different spots," Anderson said last year. "But the big thing he does is that he lets his dogs go hunt. There ain't no holding back."

Pruitt would become the fifth different head coach at Tennessee in the past 11 years. He would replace Butch Jones, who was fired after going 34-27 overall and 14-24 in SEC play in five seasons in Knoxville.

Fourth-ranked Alabama plays No. 1 Clemson in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.

It would be the third season in a row that Alabama has dealt with losing a coordinator before playing in the College Football Playoff. Two years ago, Smart was named Georgia's new coach before helping the Crimson Tide win their fourth national title under coach Nick Saban. Last season, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was named Florida Atlantic's coach and then was relieved of his duties by Saban only a week before Alabama lost to Clemson 35-31 in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...-assistant-coach-jeremy-pruitt-new-head-coach
 

den-the-coach

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Well, for the fact they were looking at Pruitt, Auburn DC Kevin Steele & Georgia DC Mel Tucker, it was easy to predict Fulmer would settle on Pruitt. Pruitt great recruiter and has been an assistant on multiple national titles has never been a Head Coach, however, Fulmer trying to capture the magic that Georgia did hiring Kirby Smart.

Overall you never know with guys who have never been a Head Coach before, but Pruitt is young at 43 and has an excellent reputation for recruiting, however, Pruitt's ability to hire a staff especially on the offensive side of the ball will underscore any future success in Knoxville.
 

dieterbrock

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Well, for the fact they were looking at Pruitt, Auburn DC Kevin Steele & Georgia DC Mel Tucker, it was easy to predict Fulmer would settle on Pruitt. Pruitt great recruiter and has been an assistant on multiple national titles has never been a Head Coach, however, Fulmer trying to capture the magic that Georgia did hiring Kirby Smart.

Overall you never know with guys who have never been a Head Coach before, but Pruitt is young at 43 and has an excellent reputation for recruiting, however, Pruitt's ability to hire a staff especially on the offensive side of the ball will underscore any future success in Knoxville.
Cant say I'd be overly enthusiastic with this hire if I'm a Tennessee fan....
Kirby Smart may or may not pan out, we'll see how that turns out. It sure is an advantage to take over the dawgs who had a top 10 recruting class year after year with Richt than to take over that steam pile of doo doo in Tennessee.
I'm just relieved its not a coach that I'd hope was successful and can take pleasure in watching them go 2-10 next year.
 

den-the-coach

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I'm just relieved its not a coach that I'd hope was successful and can take pleasure in watching them go 2-10 next year.

Pruitt a young guy, that's a great recruiter and considering the circumstance a solid hire and he knows the SEC, now will not having HC experiences be an issue. Jones was an offensive coach that had HC experience, so they went opposite and copied Georgia. We shall see how it works out, but IMO, I think Pruitt will do well because I still believe Tennessee can be a great job regardless of that God Awful Orange.
 

dieterbrock

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Pruitt a young guy, that's a great recruiter and considering the circumstance a solid hire and he knows the SEC, now will not having HC experiences be an issue. Jones was an offensive coach that had HC experience, so they went opposite and copied Georgia. We shall see how it works out, but IMO, I think Pruitt will do well because I still believe Tennessee can be a great job regardless of that God Awful Orange.
I think you've got to have offense in order to recruit for perennial loser. Tennesee is a big time program, I get that. Build a D first and hope the offense catches up basically gives you a Wake Forest
 

jrry32

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Pruitt a young guy, that's a great recruiter and considering the circumstance a solid hire and he knows the SEC, now will not having HC experiences be an issue. Jones was an offensive coach that had HC experience, so they went opposite and copied Georgia. We shall see how it works out, but IMO, I think Pruitt will do well because I still believe Tennessee can be a great job regardless of that God Awful Orange.

Pruitt is a great defensive mind, but there are rumors that he's a difficult personality and has trouble staying on good terms with his fellow coaches. IMO, his underwhelming staff hires indicates there are at least elements of truth in those rumors to me.
 

dieterbrock

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Pruitt is a great defensive mind, but there are rumors that he's a difficult personality and has trouble staying on good terms with his fellow coaches. IMO, his underwhelming staff hires indicates there are at least elements of truth in those rumors to me.
Just my .02 but I think this is merely a 2 year hire to get past the disaster. There was no way to get a legit guy after that mess.
He'll be gone and they can re-focus with a new AD in place
 

Elmgrovegnome

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First of all, Emert is a laughingstock. The NCAA is a joke. I doubt Fullmer cared what Emert had to say.

The Tennessee fans have fulfilled every others States impression of of them as the red neck capital of the world. What a bunch of morons. Schiano was not implicated. McQuery claimed that he was told that Schiano saw something. None of it was substantiated. @LACHAMP46 he wasn't watching Sanduskey like some spectator. Embellished srtatements like that are how the Tennessee dopeful end up in this situation.

Schiano is a great coach. He is a carbon copy of Saban. There is no coincidence that Belichick is very good friends with Saban and Schiano both. They all think alike. Schiano put Rutgers into five consecutive bowl games! Ending a 135 year drought. In 2006 they distinguished the season ranked 12th. Their campus sucks, they can't recruit because of the competition with Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, among others. Yet Schiano was consistently putting players in the NFL. One year Belichick drafted his entire defensive backfield. Why? What does Bill like? He likes disciplined team players. Schiano like Saban is a meticulous discipline oriented coach. Neither worked well in the NFL because the rich NFL players, men, resist that approach. Tom Coughlin was constantly being called too strict. Tennessee has a roster of rejects. Butch Jones took all of the highly rated character risks and educationally challenged kids that most teams didn't want. They have an undisciplined lot. Schiano would have turned that program around.

Tennessee fans were never getting Gruden. Nobody will get him out of the booth. Gruden is an attention who're. He throws his hat into the ring on every big gig; Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia....He just loves to hear people buzzing about him. He is never serious.



Well, in fairness he did guide them to a National Championship Game and that was more than others.....Maybe they will hire Jeff Brohm in a couple of years or maybe if Texas A&M hires Jimbo Fisher, the Seminoles hire Kelly and then you will get your wish.


That team didn't deserve to be in the National Championship. They were nowhere near the best competition available to match up against Alabama. We all saw the very predictable result. The media loves Notre Dame and they eked out victories all year on bad calls against weak teams. The media was constantly bringing up Strength of Schedule with that team. They had great pre-season SOS. But most of those top teams that year in preseason ended up not being very good when the games were played. Notre Dame will always get help on reputation alone. The media loves them. They think the country loves them. They yearn for Notre Dame greatness. They jump at the chances to anoint them no matter who the coach is. Kelly won't ever deliver it. They should hire Schiano. They need a proven recruiter with an eye for talent (NFL talent), that will run a tight ship and have his team playing disciplined football. But, they will never do it because of the Sanduskey rumors. Kelly isn't the answer. How he is still there is a mystery. Maybe he is just a tease. Maybe the board of trustees didn't want to be paying another coach for not coaching. Maybe they don't think they can do any better. That job comes with too much pressure and too much scrutiny.

It's funny that Mike Leach was considered at Tennessee. He was fired from Texas Tech for mistreating players. That's a bigger deal to me than an unsubstantiated rumor of something that Schiano might have seen when he was a young coach getting his start. I'd be willing to bet if he saw something like that today he wouldn't hesitate to act.
 

den-the-coach

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It's funny that Mike Leach was considered at Tennessee. He was fired from Texas Tech for mistreating players. That's a bigger deal to me than an unsubstantiated rumor of something that Schiano might have seen when he was a young coach getting his start. I'd be willing to bet if he saw something like that today he wouldn't hesitate to act.

Well, let's hope he or anybody else wouldn't hesitate to act. IMO, what finally put Tennessee Chancellor over the edge, was the fact that Currie wanted Mike Leach. However, Beverly Davenport seemed to get played by likes Fulmer & Radio Jockey Clay Travis...Again I believe Jeff Brohm would have been an outstanding hire after the Schino debacle, but at that point, it appeared that Currie was on his way out and Phil Fulmer was back at Rocky Top. I do believe their fan base is delusional, but they have not had a winner in a long time and when it comes to social media, Facebook is for all the lonely people and twitter is for irrelevant people, who want to be relevant.
 

dieterbrock

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That team didn't deserve to be in the National Championship. They were nowhere near the best competition available to match up against Alabama. We all saw the very predictable result. The media loves Notre Dame and they eked out victories all year on bad calls against weak teams. The media was constantly bringing up Strength of Schedule with that team. They had great pre-season SOS. But most of those top teams that year in preseason ended up not being very good when the games were played. Notre Dame will always get help on reputation alone. The media loves them. They think the country loves them. They yearn for Notre Dame greatness. They jump at the chances to anoint them no matter who the coach is. Kelly won't ever deliver it.
As you know, I am a die hard Notre Dame fan, possibly my favorite team in all sports.
What you said is true.
Kelly's teams are always undisciplined, make loose turnovers, get outcoached in big games, and smoked in games they are out classed.
They should have lost 2-3 games that year, it was a magic carpet ride. Pittsburgh missed a gimme FG and Stanford scored a TD in OT that they called back.
I started to believe this year was different when they destroyed USC but when they couldnt put Wake Forest away, I knew the season was in trouble
 

Elmgrovegnome

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As you know, I am a die hard Notre Dame fan, possibly my favorite team in all sports.
What you said is true.
Kelly's teams are always undisciplined, make loose turnovers, get outcoached in big games, and smoked in games they are out classed.
They should have lost 2-3 games that year, it was a magic carpet ride. Pittsburgh missed a gimme FG and Stanford scored a TD in OT that they called back.
I started to believe this year was different when they destroyed USC but when they couldnt put Wake Forest away, I knew the season was in trouble


My brother and nephews are Norte Dame fans. So I get torn. I want them to be happy about their team. But man, there are a to of pompous arrogant Norte Dame fans in my town. People I really don’t like at all.

That place and it’s following has gotten too big for any coach. The history, the far reaching influence. So many want it to be the way it was, but it is like corrupt business. Too many influences and interests. I am glad my Dad was a Penn State fan at least the stakes aren’t as high.
 

Elmgrovegnome

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Well, let's hope he or anybody else wouldn't hesitate to act. IMO, what finally put Tennessee Chancellor over the edge, was the fact that Currie wanted Mike Leach. However, Beverly Davenport seemed to get played by likes Fulmer & Radio Jockey Clay Travis...Again I believe Jeff Brohm would have been an outstanding hire after the Schino debacle, but at that point, it appeared that Currie was on his way out and Phil Fulmer was back at Rocky Top. I do believe their fan base is delusional, but they have not had a winner in a long time and when it comes to social media, Facebook is for all the lonely people and twitter is for irrelevant people, who want to be relevant.

It’s another team that needs to turn the page. Having Fullmer back is like the strangle hold Paterno had on Penn State. I
Being able to move on and look ahead ended up being refreshing.