Jeremy Pruitt should make time for former defensive coordinator on his staff
John Adams
Some Tennessee fans might be alarmed about a recent tweet from new football coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The tweet: “The secret to success is working half days. And it doesn’t matter which half, the first 12 hours or the last 12 hours.”
I can imagine a Tennessee fan thinking, “How are we going to beat Alabama and Georgia if our coaches work only 12 hours a day?”
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Conspiracy theorists in the crowd might have taken their interpretation of the tweet much further.
“Maybe that’s why running backs coach Robert Gillespie is no longer on the staff,” they could have concluded. “He might have been upset that the staff wouldn’t be working hard enough.”
All of that is conjecture, of course.
But to any fan worried that Pruitt’s staff won’t be working long enough, allow me to reassure you.
First, do you even know if Pruitt really tweeted that or if it was the work of some social media impersonator? Second, have you considered the possibility this is satire?
Satire aside, how can one coaching staff outwork another one? It’s not as though a coach can bargain for more hours in the day before signing his contract.
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Coaches are called many things, especially in defeat. “Idiot” is probably the most common. It’s also frequently applied to sports columnists.
But even in the midst of the most embarrassing defeat, how many times have you heard a coach called “lazy?” Or, more appropriately, "bleeping lazy?"
Compassionate and demanding fans alike can agree that most coaches, whether they succeed or fail, work long hours. So if we conclude that everybody is working long and hard, how can a program that’s behind – I won’t mention any names – gain ground on more successful programs?
It’s not all about working harder. It’s about working smarter.
That should be the hope of Tennessee fans for their new coach.
There are so many ways a coach can get beat, and Tennessee fans are privy to most of them after six losing seasons in the past 10 years.
Inadequate recruiting is probably the surest way to fail. But bad hires will get you beat, too. So will a lack of introspection. Coaches know to “self-scout” their team to uncover tendencies that opponents will use against them. But they also need to be keenly aware of their own strengths and weaknesses.
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Based on Pruitt’s resume, he might know more about defense than any head coach Tennessee has had since Gen. Neyland. He has been a defensive coordinator at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. The four previous coaches – Phillip Fulmer, Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley and Butch Jones – all were offensive assistants before they became head coaches.
Since the number of hours in a day can't be altered to accommodate coaches, I wonder how Pruitt will use his defensive expertise as a head coach.
Kiffin took advantage of his own offensive skills in his one season with the Vols. Not only was he heavily involved in play-calling, but he also worked with quarterback Jonathan Crompton, who improved significantly over the course of the 2009 season.
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As a first-time head coach, Pruitt will have to deal with new responsibilities. But no matter how long his work day is, he still should find time for the former defensive coordinator on his staff.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.
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