By Jimmy Hyams
Expectations for Jeremy Pruitt’s first year at Tennessee vary greatly among the fan base.
One caller to SportsTalk radio WMNL this week said he thinks Pruitt will win seven to eight games in Year One.
Another said the won-loss record doesn’t matter this year or next.
Another said Pruitt should get five years, even if he’s 6-6 in Year Three, as long as he’s showing progress.
But how does a 6-6 record in 2020 demonstrate progress?
Answer: It doesn’t.
Yet another said if Pruitt is 6-6 in Year Three with wins over Alabama, Georgia and Florida, that displays progress.
But if UT is good enough to beat those three and goes 6-6, how do you explain losing to Kentucky and/or Missouri and/or Vanderbilt and/or South Carolina?
I’ve heard several people say Pruitt’s record in his first season should be thrown out the window – that the key is establishing a culture.
Sorry, I don’t buy that either.
If Tennessee, which had far better talent than its 4-8 record last year, goes 4-8 again, then Pruitt and his staff haven’t done a very good job.
And I don’t think the Vol Nation will care about a culture change if UT goes 3-9.
The record matters. It always does.
The key is figuring out a record that is acceptable — and under what circumstances. We all know key injuries can derail a season.
This season, I’ve predicted Tennessee to go 6-6 and make a bowl game. But if the Vols are 5-7, that doesn’t necessarily mean Pruitt has done a poor job, unless five of the losses are by at least 30 points and UT averages 12 penalties a game.
This question keeps coming up: How much time should Pruitt get?
Three years.
By Year Three, we will have an indication if Pruitt is the right man for the job. And, yes, the record in three years matters.
If he’s 6-6 in 2020, he won’t be around for 2021.
He could survive 7-5, depending on how the team plays.
But here’s a thought: For all the Butch Jones bashers who support Pruitt, would you be upset if Pruitt doesn’t win nine games in his third year? Jones did.
It’s not always safe to put a won-loss record as a barometer for measuring success, but you can’t totally ignore it.
Remember, many didn’t think Jones was on the hot seat entering last season before he was fired at 4-7.
For Pruitt to succeed, he must do four things:
- Recruit/evaluate well.
Pruitt has rejected many of the top-rated players in the state of Tennessee and taken several three-star players from outside the state.
While I think it’s important to recruit well within your state’s footprint, it’s more important to recruit well, period. But if you’re going to say no to instate four-star players, you better be right.
You need to build good high school relations within a state that has improved dramatically in producing high-level prospects in recent years.
That’s why Pruitt’s evaluation at this stage is key.
2. Player development.
That’s probably the No. 1 reason Jones was fired. He had consistent top 15 classes but never a top 15 team. Many four and five star players never played to their ratings.
Was that the fault of Jones and his staff? Was it the fault of recruiting analysts, who overrated the talent?
We might soon find out.
If the higher rated players on the UT roster suddenly start playing at an All-SEC level – like Jonathan Kongbo, Drew Richmond, Nigel Warrior — we will know Pruitt and his staff can develop players.
3. Motivate players.
A coach can win a lot of games if he gets good players and gets them to play hard. He doesn’t have to be a brilliant Xs and Os guy.
Examples: Pat Dye, Les Miles.
Pruitt called out some players for flat-out quitting during the UT spring game.
He won’t tolerate anything but maximum effort.
That’s a start in establishing your culture. And motivating players.
4. Game management.
You can expect a few hiccups in Pruitt’s first year. If he doesn’t have any, that would be rare.
Mark Richt had some issues his first year at Georgia. So did Kirby Smart.
Things weren’t always smooth the first season for Mark Stoops at Kentucky or Derek Mason at Vanderbilt or – going back a few decades – Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech.
But Pruitt might be a natural at it.
I know this: If Pruitt recruits well, gets players to play hard, develops talent and manages a game well, he will win at Tennessee.
And it might be obvious before Year Three.
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