I've watched recruiting for a longtime...and anytime I see a just average team....or a team that has been down..... rise to the tops In recruiting It gets me wondering.
I'm not just talking about Tennessee...I've seen teams explode In recruiting over the years...and even win NCs...and sometimes their probation followed.
I'm not saying at all that this might happen at Tennessee...they're a great program and I have respect for their school.
Tennessee has at least one recruiter, Tommy Thigpen, that has been Rivals Recruiter of the Year and won several other recruiting awards ever since he's been In coaching.
Thigpen didn't join Tennessee until the class of 2013 was near signing date but still got two recruits.
In only Thigpen's first year with Tennessee...he was credited with being the primary or secondary recruiter of 17 of the 31 recruits In the '14 class ( 55%).
Class of '14 :https://tennessee.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Coach=485&Team=80&Sport=1&Year=2014
In the five years before Butch Jones arrived, In '13, Tennessee was 40-47.
https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1607994
When you look a little closer at the schools and coaches that Thigpen has been associated with...questions arise...at least with me.
Thigpen was at Auburn, '09-'12,...and even though Gus Malzahn coached along side of Thigpen for two years at Auburn...Malzahn didn't retain him.
When Urban Meyer was at Bowling Green he hired Thigpen...and when Meyer took the Utah job...Thigpen didn't join him.
When Ron Zook took the Illinois job...Thigpen was on staff there but left to take the same position at North Carolina.
Thigpen played college ball for Mack Brown at North Carolina...and I don't know If Mack Brown ever considered hiring him.
I'm not just talking about Tennessee...I've seen teams explode In recruiting over the years...and even win NCs...and sometimes their probation followed.
I'm not saying at all that this might happen at Tennessee...they're a great program and I have respect for their school.
Tennessee has at least one recruiter, Tommy Thigpen, that has been Rivals Recruiter of the Year and won several other recruiting awards ever since he's been In coaching.
Thigpen didn't join Tennessee until the class of 2013 was near signing date but still got two recruits.
In only Thigpen's first year with Tennessee...he was credited with being the primary or secondary recruiter of 17 of the 31 recruits In the '14 class ( 55%).
Class of '14 :https://tennessee.rivals.com/viewcoach.asp?Coach=485&Team=80&Sport=1&Year=2014
In the five years before Butch Jones arrived, In '13, Tennessee was 40-47.
https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1607994
When you look a little closer at the schools and coaches that Thigpen has been associated with...questions arise...at least with me.
Thigpen was at Auburn, '09-'12,...and even though Gus Malzahn coached along side of Thigpen for two years at Auburn...Malzahn didn't retain him.
When Urban Meyer was at Bowling Green he hired Thigpen...and when Meyer took the Utah job...Thigpen didn't join him.
When Ron Zook took the Illinois job...Thigpen was on staff there but left to take the same position at North Carolina.
Thigpen played college ball for Mack Brown at North Carolina...and I don't know If Mack Brown ever considered hiring him.
