🏈 Tennessee is hiring UCF’s Josh Heupel as its next head football coach,

[mando]

I have read that this guy might be part of the problem for 10RC.....he was at Bama

Brian Niedermeyer - Football Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)

Yeah it is stuff like this that at least makes me think if they have been cutting corners now did they cut corners at Bama? Hard to think they just changed their strips. Maybe they never had to at Bama but hard to think they just started.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Yeah it is stuff like this that at least makes me think if they have been cutting corners now did they cut corners at Bama? Hard to think they just changed their strips. Maybe they never had to at Bama but hard to think they just started.

"desperate times call for desperate measures."

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I have read that this guy might be part of the problem for 10RC.....he was at Bama

Brian Niedermeyer - Football Coach - University of Tennessee Athletics (utsports.com)

 

[Bama News]

Phillip Fulmer suggests Jeremy Pruitt will return in 2021

...

247sports.com

After a tumultuous year for Tennessee football, the school has made a decision on the future of head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The university has announced that it is keeping Pruitt around for the 2021 season.

Pruitt’s third season with Tennessee started on a promising note as the team won its first two games over South Carolina and Missouri. However, the wheels came off from there, and the Vols lost six consecutive games. Still, athletic director Phillip Fulmer and the administration believe he is the right man for the job and have given him at least another year to turn things around.

In Tennessee's statement about playing West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl, Fulmer noted that it will be an excellent opportunity Pruitt before he leads the team into spring practice next year.

“I’m thrilled about our football program’s opportunity to compete in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against a great opponent like West Virginia,” Fulmer said in a press release. “First, it’s an opportunity to connect with our many fans throughout West Tennessee and expand upon the rich historical links between the Memphis area and UT. We have so much Tennessee family in and around Memphis—especially our medical school and fantastic alumni. And secondly, it’s a tremendous development opportunity for our team and should serve as a primer to spring practice for Coach Pruitt and our returners.

“We all know Memphis loves the Tennessee Vols, and it’s an important stronghold for all of our athletic and academic programs.”

Pruitt was hired by Tennessee in 2017 after a chaotic coaching search led to the firing of athletic director John Currie and saw Phillip Fulmer named as his replacement. In his first season with the Volunteers, 2018, Pruitt coached the team to a 5-7 record. In 2019, Pruitt began the year with back-to-back losses against Georgia State and BYU but was able to right the ship as the Vols ended the season with an 8-5 record, including a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win over Indiana. Because of that strong finish, there was a lot of hope coming into the 2020 campaign, and Pruitt was rewarded with a contract extension back in September.

Following his team's loss in the regular season finale against Texas A&M, Pruitt was asked directly whether he felt like he would be back as the head coach in 2021. At the time, he felt like he would be back on the sideline next fall.

“Yeah, I think absolutely,” Pruitt said. “If you look over the first two years we were here, right? Where we were at when we got here. I’ve said it before from personnel, culture, to what we’re building. I get it. 3-7 is not where we want to be, but there’s one thing I can say. I can lay my head down on my pillow every night and know that I’ve done everything I could possibly do to make sure we protected everybody in our program. Wasn’t looking for a competitive edge. There’s lots of things that we didn’t know about. If we were going to have another COVID season again, I would probably be more prepared to handle it. I get the business. I understand it.”

The 2020 season started out well for Pruitt and the Vols. The team won its first two games against South Carolina and Missouri, and it looked like the momentum from the end of the previous season had carried over. After that, though, Tennessee struggled to find wins as it stumbled through the bulk of its conference-only schedule.

 

[bama alum]

If Pruitt is staying at tinersee, then does that mean Freeze is headed to Michigan?

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

If Pruitt is staying at tinersee, then does that mean Freeze is headed to Michigan?

This was brought up on here about a month or so ago? Can't remember the thread, but, IMO no way Freeze goes to Michigan, and no way they'd want him. Would be an awful fit in every possible way for both sides. I think he's pretty content where he is, but sooner or later, that Tennessee job will open.

 

[TerryP]

If Pruitt is staying at tinersee, then does that mean Freeze is headed to Michigan?

I seriously doubt Michigan has the facilities he has at Liberty.

 

[bama alum]

I seriously doubt Michigan has the facilities he has at Liberty.

That's... that's something I have never considered. I guess that's what happens when you ass+u+me.

 

[LeGarrette]

“The information that came out, Jim, you and I have been in the reporting business for a long time and that is not easy information to ascertain. If there’s an internal investigation, those are usually tightly held,” Finebaum said. “Auburn, if I remember correctly, withheld an NCAA investigation letter for months, I’m not even sure they still acknowledged it in basketball, yeah they did because they finally self-imposed. But it seems like someone on the inside was or is out to get Jeremy Pruitt. I can’t tell you who it is, I really don’t, it’s a little fuzzy at the moment.”

Finebaum earlier discussed booster interference at Auburn, and he said Tennessee is similar.

“It’s pretty legendary how deep and how far back it goes,” he said. “So I think the Tennessee situation across the board is very fluid. I felt better about Jeremy Pruitt’s future on Sunday when the bowl was announced, and I felt worst about it yesterday when the bowl was scrapped. I realize why it was scrapped because of COVID issues, but it’s still a very tenuous situation and I don’t know where it’s going. But if that is the case, it really makes me feel sorry for Jeremy Pruitt because that’s a pretty dirty way to do something.”

Finebaum was then asked about Liberty coach Hugh Freeze being an “heir apparent” to Pruitt and whether there is an appetite in the SEC to have the former Ole Miss coach back in the conference.

“I don’t think there’s a great appetite and yes, within Knoxville, Hugh Freeze is the social media king of the Tennessee job,” he said. “But I’m not sure the old-line Tennessee people want him. It’s somewhat similar to what we saw, or have seen at Auburn. Clearly there had to be pushback. I don’t know exactly how that message is being delivered, but there seems to be more pushback for Hugh Freeze in the jobs we’ve seen open and that are imagined to be open than I expected. But I don’t think that’s a slam dunk.”

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

A lot of chatter this week that Pruitt could be punted real soon. May come down to if they can fire him "with cause" to avoid the payout.

 

[UAgrad93]

A lot of chatter this week that Pruitt could be punted real soon. May come down to if they can fire him "with cause" to avoid the payout.

If this does happen, you guys see Pruitt returning to the fold in some capacity for a rehab stint?

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

If this does happen, you guys see Pruitt returning to the fold in some capacity for a rehab stint?

I think there would be a much greater chance of that than Muschamp or some of the others that have been discussed in Internetville. Has Sark hired a DC at Texas yet? I'm sure both would be intrigued with that too.

 

[rick4bama]

If this does happen, you guys see Pruitt returning to the fold in some capacity for a rehab stint?

Why would he need rehab?

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

Why would he need rehab?

because his name and reputation have been sullied by association with the vile urnge and pumpkin guts phil

 

[mando]

because his name and reputation have been sullied by association with the vile urnge and pumpkin guts phil

No doubt. As a litmus test ask yourself do you see Pruitt in a different light? I know I do, no way to be around that program w/o getting crap on you.

 

[TerryP]

 

[planomateo]

The most chicken shit way to get outta a commitment.

 

[rammerjammer]

No doubt. As a litmus test ask yourself do you see Pruitt in a different light? I know I do, no way to be around that program w/o getting crap on you.

Meh......ask yourself. What would I do with lemedy million dollars? I understand loyalty, etc.... but to be a HC at a high profile SEC school. I don't blame the guy. Two things make this world go round for a man. Money and poon-tang.

Do you view Bill Battle as a POS? He coached there in the 70's before going on to become an extremely successful businessman and AD to Alabama. (which I was not really impressed with, but it had nothing to do with his Vile connection)

While I don't like our alum and coaches being on the opposing sideline. I can't fault the guy.

I always found it interesting that Pat Dye a UGA alum was an Auburn man through and through, while Vince Dooley an Auburn alum, was a Georgia man through and through.

 

[mando]

Meh......ask yourself. What would I do with lemedy million dollars? I understand loyalty, etc.... but to be a HC at a high profile SEC school. I don't blame the guy. Two things make this world go round for a man. Money and poon-tang.

Do you view Bill Battle as a POS? He coached there in the 70's before going on to become an extremely successful businessman and AD to Alabama. (which I was not really impressed with, but it had nothing to do with his Vile connection)

While I don't like our alum and coaches being on the opposing sideline. I can't fault the guy.

I always found it interesting that Pat Dye a UGA alum was an Auburn man through and through, while Vince Dooley an Auburn alum, was a Georgia man through and through.

Oh I do not blame him but he has some crap on him from spending time in Vileville. If there are some NCAA issues then he could really be damaged.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

There is a lot about this Tennessee mess that makes no sense at all. If they are trying to get Pruitt ousted by throwing violations in his lap so that they don't have to pay him, I get that part (it's shitty, but I understand the strategy). But are they assuming that the blowback won't also hurt the program? If these violations are serious enough, do they think the NCAA is just going to be ok with only punishing the Pruitt (and some staff members) instead of the program too? Why not just ride it out another year, and fire him when he loses several games again like a normal non-crazy person? Then, if they do accomplish the apparent goal of dumping him without pay, how do they think that's going to look to perspective coaches who they may then try to hire? Fulmer already has a very well earned reputation as a snake, and this would only add venom it. Finally, its been no secret that some Tennessee power players and Hugh Freeze have played footise for years. Unlike many, I firmly believe there is a path for him to return to the SEC. But if the Vol program ends up with NCAA stink on them, I think the Knoxville path becomes a dead end for Freeze. I just don't understand their end game here.