LSA Superstar

December 9th, 2015 at 2:43 PM ^

As for the comparisons with Durkin's defense with respect to advanced stats, well, it's virtually impossible to do better than he did this year.  So that's not a realistic benchmark.  What's a more realistic expectation is to get a guy who performed within the quintile of defensive performance as measured by advanced statistics year after year.

Pruitt fits that bill.  Pruitt's defenses consistently perfomed very well in S&P+/FEI, he's an elite recruiter in the most talent-rich area of the country, and - this is key - he was particularly adept at slowing the spread.

I don't analyze "fit" because I can't measure it.  It doesn't mean it's not important, it just means that I don't factor it in when reaching my own conclusions.  But Pruitt is the best candidate available in my opinion, full stop.

Joined: 10/03/2009

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LJ

December 9th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^

Fair.  I agree that's he's a very good candidate, I just don't see him as head and shoulders above the rest.  His Georgia defenses have been similar in the advanced stats to Michigan's Mattison defenses, yet this place would go ballistic if Mattison got the job.  

Stopping the spread is a legit argument, but I'm doubtful that issue is so tied to the DC, as oppossed to personnel and talent level.

I'd be very happy with Pruitt the same way I'd be very happy with 5 or so other guys on the list.  To each his own, I guess.

Joined: 07/05/2008

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LJ

December 9th, 2015 at 3:18 PM ^

I would love to see that.  My statement is totally speculation -- I've just seen lots of coordinators who sometimes stop the spread and are sometimes killed by it.  Durken stopped plenty of spread in Florida, but got rolled by it this year, for example.  I'm skeptical that he didn't know what to do to stop it any more than most DCs don't know what to do to stop good spread teams.

If data indicate I'm wrong, I'd be happy to change my mind.  Our problems would be much easier solved if they were scheme-based rather than talent- and fundamental-based

Joined: 07/05/2008

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Stringer Bell

December 9th, 2015 at 3:07 PM ^

He did coordinate a national championship winning defense at FSU.  And Jimbo's an offensive guy so Pruitt likely did most of the work with the defense there.  He's really good and probably the most proven from a pure coaching standpoint.  The fact that he's a monster recruiter of the south is just a very nice added bonus.

Joined: 11/06/2014

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LSA Superstar

December 9th, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^

DC Coordinator hiring is, like, the single biggest risk to my monthly billable hours currently.  And, after carefully considering every conceivable factor, Pruitt is my first choice with a big ol' bullet.  So, naturally, I've tracked this rumor backwards and forwards all over the internet, going from Twitter to the deepest corners and back again.

In short, I think there's a possibility that this has legs.  The rumor about the meeting itself appears to come not from Michigan slappies, but from Alabama message board "insider-y" types.  It appeared, if I'm not mistaken, on 247's Alabama board at first, and was "corroborated" by a poster with a long tracker record on CFB reddit.  None of those individual rumor vectors are independently eyebrow raising, but the concert of them is good.  And although I'll always love Sam, I currently trust Steve Lorenz more than anybody in the business.

But more importantly, it seems to harmonize with some background rumors about Pruitt's destination.  There's lots of smoke surrounding him because he's such an elite talent and a hot name in a topsy-turvy SEC coaching situation.  But, to amalgamate and summarize:

  • Almost all Georgia guys say that he's totally and for sure not going to be retained by Smart on the new staff.  Some even say that he's been pulled from the recruiting trail entirely and that his departure is imminent.
  • Of the Alabama guys, there's a split.  Half of the Alabama rumors appear to center on Mel Tucker, with whom Alabama fans have a love hate relationship.  The word on the street is split fifty-fifty between "Tucker is the guy, like it or not" and "Tucker is one of many candidates, including the vastly superior Pruitt."  There's something about the resignation of the former camp that lends it credibility (rightly or wrongly) in my eyes.  But I do think it's safe to say that Pruitt is far from being signed sealed and delivered in Tuscaloosa.
  • Of the Auburn guys, everyone is clamoring for Pruitt.  But it appears less likely that Pruitt is in love with Auburn because - again, this is the rumor - Pruitt is looking for a position that is either upwardly mobile or safe and he doesn't think Malzhan can offer either.  Lots of Auburn insiders also say that Pruitt would never come to Auburn because Pruitt is a former Alabama guy.  I think the analogy might be how Narduzzi was never a real candidate for the Michigan head coaching job.

Also:

  • At least one popular Tennessee insider says that "his Georgia guys" (TAKE SALT HERE) say that Michigan is the spot.
  • There's an LSU commenter who gets lots of cred on CFB reddit who says it's either Michigan or Alabama.  This jibes with (but may be soley based on) the earlier rumor from the national writer.

Joined: 10/03/2009

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Ghost of Hoke

December 9th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^

LSA just did an hours worth of work for free. He's not just giving his uninformed opinion like 99% of other posters on here. The people who bitch and moan about this board going down hill forget about information like this. 

Joined: 12/03/2014

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LSA Superstar

December 9th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^

Final thought that I didn't remember to include above:

Assuming that the information we have is accurate on the whole (and that's a big assumption to make), I think that Pruitt wants the Alabama job, but Saban might prefer to give it to Tucker instead.  And I think if Pruitt needs to go somewhere that isn't Alabama that he recognizes Michigan is probably the second best choice.

Joined: 10/03/2009

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MichiganMan14

December 9th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^

He's passionate and really knows DBs. The only concern is potential personality conflict. He left us at FSU under "weird" terms and made an downward lateral move to Georgia and then had issues there. He coaching is top notch and he can recruit like an animal. If he and Jim get along...it could be magic. He will soon be a head coach and will only be here for a few years at most though unfortunately. We would be in good fortune to get 2 years from him.

Joined: 02/21/2012

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uminks

December 9th, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^

is looking at Harbagh's rapidly growing coaching tree. If Pruitt decides on Michigan he will probably be a HC in 2017 or 18. May be we'll get a good young DC who will stick around for several seasons?

Joined: 11/10/2009

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mbrummer

December 9th, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^

Harbaugh-  "Thanks for coming, we need to discuss things about the fit."

Pruitt-  "Don't bother, I'm just using this meeting to claim you offered 1.2 million so that Bama will give me that."

Harbaugh--" But I.. We didn't..."

Pruitt-  "Doesn't matter, I'll tell Bama they need to match or better and they will.  Worst case I take slightly less and I'm a hero for taking less money."

Harbaugh-- "Get out of my office."

Joined: 07/29/2008

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Gr1mlock

December 9th, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^

Realistic take: Probably a leverage play, almost zero chance he actually comes.

Hopeful take: Yessssss please come and bring Nauta and Hardman with you.

Joined: 12/24/2013

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