Tennessee Vols: Tee Martin's recruiting message should have fans fired up
For the last decade, the recruiting pitch by Tennessee Vols football coaches has been "we're going to take UT back to where it used to be". But as everyone knows, Tennessee, in the last ten years, hasn't come anywhere close to returning to their late 90's/early 2000's form. The message to recruits under Jeremy Pruitt […]
For the last decade, the recruiting pitch by Tennessee Vols football coaches has been "we're going to take UT back to where it used to be".
But as everyone knows, Tennessee, in the last ten years, hasn't come anywhere close to returning to their late 90's/early 2000's form.
The message to recruits under Jeremy Pruitt is obviously the same — he's promising that Tennessee will return to prominence on his watch.
After hearing that same message for years, however, it's understandable if recruits are cautious about going all in on Pruitt.
That's why the hire of Tee Martin was so important.
Martin, who was hired in January by Pruitt to coach UT's wide receivers, led Tennessee to their last national championship in 1998. Not many folks know better than him what it takes to make the Vols great.
So when Martin says UT is going to get back to where they were, I tend to believe him.
And that's the message he's spreading to recruits.
Former LSU commit Kris Draine, a three-star wide receiver from Spanish Fort, Alabama, recently told VolQuest that Martin told him how "crazy" things were at Tennessee in the late 90's. Draine added "he (Martin) says the school is going to turn back to how it was".
If you're a Vols fan, that should give you chills. The person directly responsible for one of the greatest seasons in UT history has full confidence that Tennessee will get there again.
When Martin says those kinds of things, it means more than when Pruitt or any of the other assistants make the same comments. Martin has been there and done it. He's seen the work and the dedication it takes to make UT great.
I think a lot of fans were optimistic with past coaches because they wanted to believe things were finally going to get better. When Butch Jones was Tennessee's head coach, I believe most fans knew deep down something wasn't right from the start. But they desperately wanted the Vols to turn things around so they were willing, for a while, to buy in to Jones and his "vision".
Under Pruitt, however, I think it's a bit different. And it's because of decisions like bringing Martin back. Those are the kinds of moves that didn't happen under Jones (perhaps due to Butch's insecurity issues). I think fans can feel that better times are on the horizon for the Volunteers.
Pruitt is willing to admit he's not the smartest man in the room. And that could end up being his greatest asset in his attempt to return Tennessee to the top of the college football landscape.
Well, that and Tee Martin.
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
