This seems like big and important news. I’m just not sure if this is the result of our luring away (another) important cog in the Bama machine, our merely taking the scraps of Saban’s house-cleaning, or some combination of both. But this is an incredibly important acquisition for Tennessee, however it happened. It’s people like this who have the most consistent and frequent contact with players, once on campus, and who typically have some of the strongest personal bonds with each. I can’t recall the name of the older black lady who somewhat served in this same role for Fulmer for so many years (I just recall that many players LOVED her, and many called her “Momma”), and who he always credited as being the true ace recruiter on his staff. She retired several years ago, IIRC. I don’t know if Pruitt will win another game, but damned if I can fault in any of the moves he’s made this off-season, and what he looks to be building.
I was told that CBHS HFC Thomas McDaniel, former HFC at Murfreesboro-Oakland HS, was offered the job but turned it down. It was said to me that he knew he would never have any time to spend with his girls if he took the job.
I don’t know. Who is going to dethrone him? Ed Orgeron? Ha. Jeremy Pruitt? Not anytime soon. Kirby? Feels like he’s fading a lot faster. Jimbo? Can’t see it. Unless Auburn knocks their next hire out of the park it seems like he’s safe for awhile.
I don't think he is dethroned so much as they just run out of gas. Been a hell of a decade, though, perhaps the best decade ever. O personally want to think Butch Jones will be the reason they fall back to earth.
He is still way better than any coach in the conference, is still always signing top 3 classes, and he’s still going to get the benefit of the doubt with the refs. It’s hard for me to imagine them having less than a ten win season. Just looking at next year, if they lost both games I’d wager they are capable of losing, they’d still be at 10 wins with a bowl game to play. Jimbo seems like he can assemble a team that might be able to take him down, but I don’t really trust him to sustain that kind of success. Kirby is in the same boat and he may have missed his window. Pruitt might be in that boat, but he’s at least two years out. Their big OOC games over the next four years are Duke, USC, Miami, and Texas. They could sleepwalk to 3-1 through that.
After the success they have had 10 wins and no playoff birth will be a huge disappointment to Bama fans. They will run Saban out of town.
Clemson scouted bama all year and put in concepts and plays that was giving them issues all year. After the ACC championship they went straight to preparing for Alabama and did very little work for ND. Bama got away from the running game too quick and lost the turnover battle. I think the end is near talk is still a little too soon.
I will say that Saban is like Bryant. He will see what he is doing doesn't work anymore and changes. Unlike most idiot coaches that are married to a single way of playing football.
