Butch Jones: It takes six or seven years

[GatorTAG]

With the exception of the better Coaching, doesn't Foley get credit for the facility and staff upgrades also?

Foley has been openly resistant to that until McElwain got here.

 

[AugustaGator]

Foley has been openly resistant to that until McElwain got here.

Personally, I would have resisted WM making those decisions too.

 

[alcoholica]

With the exception of the better Coaching, doesn't Foley get credit for the facility and staff upgrades also?

I'm not one of the Foley bashers, but Mac is the one that pushed for things. My feeling is that it was addressed during contract negotiations.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Well I guess it might take that long for some coaches like Butch. Others like Meyer, Saban x2, SOS X2, Sumlin and Mac(at least it appears so far) have been able to do it in less than half that time. I guess that would make Butch half a good coach.....In all fairness though UT and Arky's program were decimated by mismanagement to a level that the others did not have to deal with....BTW Butch, nobody and I mean nobody gets 6 or 7 years these days regardless of the circumstances.

 

[soflagator]

Mac also completely overhauled, rebuilt and added staff to the football dept. Muschamp didn't do any of that.

Correct. What Mac has done with the OL, the additions like Calloway via recruiting which have played a major role in our success this year--not to mention the changes in culture, turning career losers into career winners--is almost the definition of (re)building a program. The IPF and upgrades elsewhere are just further icing on the cake. I mentioned this after the ECU game, the 2013 class(Taylor, VH3,etc) had a career losing record until the final whistle that night. Those same players, are now in the CFB Playoff's discussion. That's a build/rebuild all day.

The funny thing with Jones' approach, and what I keep hearing from many of their fans, is that when you recruit top athletes you're not likely to have them for even a full 4 years. This isn't the NFL where you build something that lasts like the mid-90s Cowboys. Tabor made his first big play in the 2014 ut game, and will probably make his last in what ever bowl game we play in next season. It's that fast. So at some point, you have to coach up and motivate Freshmen or the in-between players. By the time he "realizes" his dream, he'll have wasted 3-4 recruiting classes. If he honestly thinks kids will continue to line up to play for a 4-5 loss team each season because they haven't built this magical, utopian squad yet, he's kidding himself. The thing is, I don't think he does. He's just found perhaps the most gullible, and desperate to believe, fanbase in the country and they're too stupid to figure it out. In the meantime, Mac will continue beating him with Freshman players stepping up and winning in the clutch.


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[gatormandan]

Sounds like he needs a raise and a long contract extension...

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Malzahn took a team that barely won a game the previous season, and put them in the title game his first year. And I think at this point a lot of people would argue he's not much more than an above average coach. Botch Jones carries around a trashbag full of excuses; everytime he doesnt fullfill some sort of promise or expectation, he reaches in and pulls one out. Surprise!

 

[dubster1]

Sounds like he needs a raise and a long contract extension...

 

[MidwestChomp]

@SECfootball: Butch Jones: It takes six or seven years in the SEC to build a program https://t.co/9kxwTW8ycq

 

[Gatordiddy]

At least some of the Vols are having some fun with it:

 

[NavetG8r]

At least some of the Vols are having some fun with it:

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Bitch obviously isnt too optimistic about them winning in the next two years either. Poor Alvie. Even the coach says maybe in 3 years.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

 

[TheDouglas78]

Read this thread on VolNation, comedy gold... gold Jerry

 

[Swamp Donkey]

The hilarious thing is thise morons dont realize that even if we were somehow stripped of the wins, THEIR RECORD DOESNT CHANGE. The loser still gets the loss.

 

[aka]

Hilarious.

 

[TN G8tr]

Watching them revel in mediocrity is terrific. Listening to them talk about it is just hilarious. They say "well it really might take Botch that long". And with a somewhat smartazz laugh, "yeah it only took Mac about 7 months."

 

[CU-UF]

It fits well within their annual "end of the season" run of 4 crappy teams and an also-ran bowl win to validate their idiocy that they are back and NEXT year will be the year!

Gotta give Butch credit, he is playing the slight of hand game.

 

[Theologator]

In all fairness, Winning 8 games isn't the same thing as building a program.

It's really too early to say Mac has built a program..... He did get the IPF built but most of his players were recruited by mischamp.

I think it is obvious that Mac is a better game day coach and can put players in position to be successful. But to say "He's built a program", no, not yet.

Agreed, not yet. But things are very clearly pointing in the right direction. A few of those:

Winning immediately
Winning close games (the difference between good and great is often a play, or even an inch or two.)
Upgrading the staff structure and facilities immediately
Closing hard and fast on recruiting - is transitional class is already contributing and not lost as is common despite just weeks of contact.
Recruiting momentum - it is early, of course, but it appears Mac is identifying and attracting elite talent. We will see how this class closes but it looks to me like a slew of 4 & 5 star players are coming his way.
Winning press conferences - he's not defensive/combative with the media
Winning back The Swamp - his PR is excellent. He comes off as thankful, unassuming, brilliant masked under his aw-shucks persona
His care for the players in a very detailed, practically applied way is apparent.

Last night on his call-in show he had one of his operations staff - the name escapes me. As he talked about the ways he builds relationships with the players that continue long after they've gone and his banter with Mac went on it was clear they are building on a strong foundation. This guy is a holdover from Muschamp, so not everything was wrong obviously, but the importance of the quality and style of leadership at the top is clear.

So, not yet. But I like what I'm seeing. A lot.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

It fits well within their annual "end of the season" run of 4 crappy teams and an also-ran bowl win to validate their idiocy that they are back and NEXT year will be the year!

CUUF!!!!!

Welcome aboard!