GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down some reasons why the Tennessee football team might exceed expectations in its first season under coach Jeremy Pruitt. Media who cover one team on a consistent basis can at times seem a bit jaded and focus so much on a team's weaknesses rather than its strengths, and that's a natural feeling when you really think about it. But with the start of preseason camp less than a month away, we threw all that aside for at least one week to examine some reasons why Tennessee might not be quite to bad, after all. We discussed a few other things in this episode, including former Vols wide receiver Josh Smith opening up about the frustrations he had with coach Butch Jones, one former Tennessee star perhaps trolling Jones a bit on social media and a recruiting update from Callahan, but the bulk of this long episode is spent walking on the sunny side of the street. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest news from another week of Tennessee football. It's been a newsy week for first-year coach Jeremy Pruitt's Vols, who added two commitments — including a quarterback — to their 2019 class. We also break down Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano's performance at the annual Manning Passing Academy, take a look bad at the emotional celebration of life the Vols held for former broadcaster John Ward and debate and discuss Patrick's recent article detailing 10 bold predictions for the 2018 season. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the offseason that's been and the offseason that will be for the Tennessee basketball team — a team that's been ranked in the preseason top-five by several analysts heading into next season. Are the Vols ready for that kind of target? Does having virtually your entire team returning from last season guarantee anything regarding chemistry? Does this team have the point guard play to compete for a national championship? How much does Admiral Schofield's return mean? Which players can and will take big steps forward next season? Will touted big man signee DJ Burns make an impact on an already-deep frontcourt? There are so many interesting offseason storylines for this Tennessee basketball team, and we discuss several of them in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss the career and legacy of iconic former Voice of the Vols John Ward, who passed away this week at the age of 88. Tennessee's four-decade broadcaster was consistently regarded as one of the nation's best for a reason, and he was a beloved figure in the Volunteer State for a reason. This episode is focused mostly on Ward, and it features an interview with his predecessor — current Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling. Other topics are discussed in brief in this episode, but the meat and potatoes is focused on one the greatest broadcasters in American sports history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's full staff — Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker studio to break some some of the wildest things we've seen during our time covering Tennessee athletics over the years. Wes' recent wedding was something no one else on the staff thought would ever happen, and in honor of that, we held a roundtable discussion on some of the other crazy things we've seen covering one of the craziest beats in all of sports. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to punch things. The Tennessee beat has been many, many things over the years, but it has never been boring. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's full staff — Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker studio to break down the latest from another week of Tennessee athletics. It's been a busy summer week on The Hill, and a vast majority of coach Jeremy Pruitt's first Tennessee signing class is now enrolled in classes and participating in team workouts. We have the latest on who enrolled, who didn't enroll and when the rest will (or at least should) enroll. That's far from the only topic covered in this episode, though. The latest on current and (perhaps) future Tennessee baseball players in this week's MLB Draft is discussed, as well as the departure of a beloved, highly respected member of Tennessee football's support staff and the buyout of former UT-Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's full staff — Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker studio to break down Tennessee's latest influx of 2018 signees arriving on campus for the start of summer semester classes. Who's in? Who's not? Who might find a way to be in soon? This is a big topic every summer, and a couple of situations with a couple of players changed in between the Wednesday afternoon recording of this pod and this pod's Friday morning release. Regardless, here's a general outline of where things stand with Tennessee's 2018 class and its arrival in Knoxville. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's full staff — Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker studio to break down the curious case of star linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., who in the span of five days decided to leave and then not leave the Tennessee football program. All's well that ends well, and the bottom line is Kirkland returned to the team, but his situation was the latest spotlight on a graduate-transfer policy that's causing changes throughout the college football landscape. Kirkland's situation and the future of graduate-transfer policy are the main topics in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey went into a waterlogged Fort Rucker Studio to break down anything and everything related to another week of University of Tennessee athletics — which, of course, wasn't a boring week, because those don't exist on this beat. The main topic this week is a more expansive discussion on the latest palace intrigue at Tennessee — the demotion of UT-Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport. What does Davenport's exit from the chancellor's position mean for Tennessee from an athletics standpoint? Is it a good thing? A bad thing? A meh thing? That's the primary discussion in this episode, but it's far from the only discussion. Fresh updates on Tennessee football star Trey Smith are discussed, as well as news and notes from football coach Jeremy Pruitt and basketball coach Rick Barnes from Thursday's Big Orange Caravan stop in Chattanooga. Barnes revealed the latest on Vols junior star Admiral Schofield's flirtations with the NBA Draft, and Pruitt provided plenty of notes, as well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker went into Fort Rucker Studio to provide a quick recap from another ... well ... interesting week for the University of Tennessee and then pass along a recent speech from new Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt to The Rotary Club of Knoxville. Before playing the Pruitt audio, though, there's a quick snapshot of another wild week in Knoxville. University of Tennessee-Knoxville Chancellor Beverly Davenport was demoted to a teaching position, and she was formally demoted in an absolutely blistering letter from UT President Joe DiPietro that outlined seven areas in which Davenport struggled to perform adequately. The fallout from Davenport's demotion continues, and understandably so, given the mysterious nature of the situation and the confusion and anger from several people in and around the university. It wasn't all bad this week for Tennessee, though, at least from an athletic standpoint. Several former Vols have new homes and bigger checking accounts after last week's NFL Draft, and there were big recruiting commitments in football (touted offensive lineman Wayna Morris) and basketball (graduate transfer guard Kwhan Fore from Richmond). This week — as most weeks go at Tennessee — provided plenty to discuss. So let's discuss it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to take an extensive look at the Tennessee football team's first spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff. Everyone knows what kind of situation Pruitt and his staff walked into when they agreed to come to Knoxville, but the belief is that Pruitt — a well-respected, young protege of Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Mark Richt — and his high-priced staff can take Tennessee to a better place at some point. When will that point be, though? That's a fair question. Whether this spring did anything to change the Make-Tennessee-Tennessee-Again timeline also is a fair question. This episode has educated guesses on that front, but the abridged version is this: It won't happen in the nearest of near futures. GoVols247's staff witnessed every media-allowed period of Tennessee spring camp and watched the Orange & White Game at the same time as the public, so what's a logical way to see where thing stand heading into a huge summer for the Vols. Discussion on those things and more — including the fallout from Jeremy Pruitt's post-spring camp comments about fan attendance — is included in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to preview the NFL Draft through a University of Tennessee lens. This season's Tennessee draft class isn't a huge one, at least by the standards of a program that's traditionally one of the NFL's richest pipelines, but at least a couple of Vols should hear their name called by the end of the annual seven-round, three-day spectacle. Multiple Tennessee players elected to forego their final seasons of eligibility under a new coach and declared for the draft, and two of those players — defensive back Rashaan Gaulden and running back John Kelly — are widely expected to be drafted at some point. Aside from that, though, it might be a quiet few days for the Vols. Some mock drafts feature other Tennessee players — defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, and/or tight end Ethan Wolf — and it wouldn't be shocking to see any of them come off the board. Several other Vols will at least be signed to free-agent contracts after the draft. This episode features anything and everything related to the Vols heading into an event that always shoves itself into the center of the sports universe. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Saturday's annual Orange & White Game for the Tennessee football team. The Orange team (first-team offense, second-team defense) boat-raced the White team (first-team defense, second-team offense) in a 34-7 thumping, but what does that really mean? Is Tennessee's first-team offense really that far ahead of the first-team defense? Not necessarily, according to first-year Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt had more than a few interesting comments after the game. He said some of his players "just flat-out quit" during the game, and while he said his first Vol Walk was "spectacular," he made an interesting remark that hinted at his desire to see more than 65,000 people at the game itself. Discussion of all that and much more is included in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to preview Saturday's annual Orange & White Game — the Vols' first spring game under new coach Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt has kept things mostly quiet this spring, but Saturday's game — and it'll actually be formatted like a game this year — should provide at least a sneak peek at what the Vols might look like under a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator and an entirely different staff. Just how much the Vols will show remains to be seen, but there are still plenty of intriguing story lines heading into the game, and this episode focuses on several of those topics. Want to know which players and which positions to focus on? We've got you covered. Want to know what kind of atmosphere to expect in the first spring game in recent memory that won't be preceded by fan day autograph sessions? Well ... we don't have those answers yet. But we do have some guesses. Want to know what (if any) spring awards will be presented? Well ... we don't know that either, but we do have a Sarah McLachlan-themed tribute to the silly Butch Jones awards that surely have been put out to pasture. A couple of other pressing topics — a recruiting preview for the weekend, and the latest on new athletic director Phillip Fulmer's four-year contract — are discussed in this episode, as well, but most of the conversation sticks to the spring-game script. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest as the third week of Tennessee football's first spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt approaches its conclusion. The Vols have practiced eight times this spring, and Practice No. 9 — Saturday's practice — will be their first scrimmage of the Pruitt era. What do Pruitt and his staff need to see from their team Saturday? What would be a good day? What are the basics, and what would be added bonuses? That's one of just many topics covered in an episode that also delves into the keep-it-in-house philosophy of Tennessee's new staff, a recent ESPN Football Power Index projection for the 2018 season, one position change on Tennessee's defense and a big week for the Vols on the recruiting trail. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest as the second week of Tennessee football's first spring camp under coach Jeremy Pruitt approaches its conclusion. Pruitt has been the only person in the Tennessee football program to speak on the record with reporters since the head coach took the job in December, and that trend has continued through at least the first five practices this spring. Pruitt also has done his best to avoid mentioning any individual players to this point in camp, but he said there's been a simple reason for that: He doesn't know how his players will react to public compliments (or criticism) from their new coach. Don't be fooled, though. We've learned plenty about this team the past two weeks. We've learned who's healthy, who's not healthy and who's somewhere in between. We've learned what guys have changed their bodies in new strength coach Craig Fitzgerald's winter-workouts program. We've learned that several players are lining up in different spots from last season, and we've learned that at least some of those changes look likely to stick. We've learned what Pruitt thinks about the way his players are adjusting to his complex, aggressive, 3-4-base defense. We've learned how well players are — or aren't — adjusting to meetings with Pruitt and Co. on a daily basis. Those meetings are longer and more detailed than they were under predecessor Butch Jones, and some are handling it better than others. We've learned that and much more. And those topics — along with Vols star forward Admiral Schofield declaring for the NBA Draft (but not signing with an agent), and a decent start to SEC play for new Tennessee coach Tony Vitello's baseball program — will be discussed in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to review a Tennessee basketball season that was so surprisingly good until it had a surprisingly sour finish. The Vols won an SEC championship after being picked to finish 13th in the 14th-team league, and they returned to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year absence before being shocked by Final Four-bound Loyola-Chicago in a second round thriller in Dallas. How do you summarize a season that was so good but ended so painfully? Is it possible for a team to have a great but disappointing season? Will this season be remembered in a good way, a bad way or both? Were these Vols ultimately a victim of their own success? Did they just have a bad injury at a bad time and run into the wrong Cinderella at the wrong time? Will this team's stomach-punching NCAA Tournament exit be the fuel for an even bigger season, since virtually the entire roster will be back? Or was this season's magic something that can't be replicated for one reason or another? What areas need to be improved or at least fortified in the offseason? Those are some — but not all — of the questions discussed in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio for an episode that was initially scheduled as a basketball season recap but became something entirely different after Thursday night's document dump from the Tennessee athletic department in response to Freedom of Information Act requests regarding the final days of former athletic director John Currie's tenure. Currie was placed on suspension with leave on Dec. 1 after his search to replace fired football coach Butch Jones turned into a bit of a circus show. Thousands of pages of correspondence (emails, text messages and social media messages) between Currie and hundreds of people put a bright light on one of the wildest coaching searches (and athletic director searches) in recent memory. A basketball-season-in-review episode got pushed back to next week in order to make room for breaking news on the most interesting beat in college sports. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest on Week One of Tennessee's first spring camp under football coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols have gone through two of the three scheduled practices for the week, and they won't put on full pads until next week, but there's already been plenty of noticeable changes on Haslam Field. Several players are lined up in new positions, several players look a lot different physically and some players are either temporarily or permanently gone from the program. The transition from Butch Jones (now an Alabama intern) to Pruitt (formerly Alabama's defensive coordinator) was always going to be an interesting one, and several changes are already easy to spot. Those changes are the main topic of this episode, but several other news and notes are also on the agenda. And if you're wondering about the PentaVol Papers that emerged Thursday night — just after we recorded this podcast episode — then you won't have to wait long. We'll have a special edition of the GoVols247 Podcast later in the day to break down the treasure trove of documents we received from Tennessee in response to a Freedom of Information Act request on John Currie's turbulent final days as Tennessee's acting athletic director. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio for the second of our two-part preview of Tennessee's first spring camp under new head football coach Jeremy Pruitt. This episode focuses on the defense, which might need to carry the team in 2018. Pruitt is a defensive backs coach by trade, and he's spent much of his career working for defensive mastermind Nick Saban, and Tennessee almost certainly will have to be good on that side of the ball in order to make Pruitt's first season a good one. Reasons for optimism and causes for pause on all three levels of Tennessee's defense are the main topics of this episode, but several other topics are discussed. Patrick recently sat down with Pruitt and came away with updates on several topics, including the addition of graduate-transfer quarterback Keller Chryst from Stanford, the addition of graduate-transfer running back Madre London from Michigan State, the return of star wide receiver Jauan Jennings to the program's good graces and the health of Tennessee's offensive line. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office) conversed through the modern technological marvel that is Al Gore's Internets about Tennessee's return to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year absence. The Vols' most recent trip to March Madness ended in a surprising Sweet Sixteen run despite being placed in the First Four, but advancing that far or beyond wouldn't be a huge shock to anyone this season. Tennessee has been one of college basketball's better teams all season and has become a chic Final Four pick as the No. 3 seed in the South Region. The Vols will open with No. 14 seed Wright State on Thursday afternoon in Dallas, and if they take care of business against the Raiders they'll play either No. 6 seed Miami or No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago on Saturday. What are the reasons for optimism and causes for pause for Rick Barnes' Vols heading into the tournament? Those are the main questions addressed in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest with the SEC-champion Tennessee basketball team heading into the conference tournament — which started Wednesday night for some of the league but won't start until Friday night for the Vols, who received a double-bye directly into the quarterfinal round. The second-seeded Vols (who shared the league title with top-seeded Auburn) will play Mississippi State, with the winner facing the Arkansas-Florida winner in a Saturday semifinal. Tennessee's late-season finish capped an improbable run to a league title, but Rick Barnes and his Vols have even bigger goals in mind heading into the postseason. What needs to happen for Tennessee to do that, though? What are the reasons for optimism? What are the causes for pause? Those and many other questions are discussed in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio for the first of our two-part preview of Tennessee's first spring camp under new head football coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols and their new coaching staff will get a crash course on each other the next several weeks, and a Tennessee offense that already had plenty of holes on paper will be without a few of its top players for at least a good portion of the spring. A position-by-position look at Tennessee's offense revealed many more questions than answers, but every team gets a blank slate under the next staff, so there might be more answers than questions after the annual Orange & White Game. There's plenty of other news to discuss in this episode, too, including the Vols' addition of graduate transfer quarterback (and former starting quarterback) Keller Chryst from Stanford, the latest on Butch Jones and his Excellent Adventure in Tuscaloosa, the performance of several former Tennessee players at the annual NFL combine and a recap from the Vols' busy Junior Day over the weekend. And dancing. Definitely dancing. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest with a Tennessee basketball team that is one win away from earning at least a share of an SEC championship. The 16th-ranked Vols have spent most of this season defying external (but not internal) expectations for a team that was picked to finished 13th in the 14-team SEC, and Saturday opponent Georgia is the only thing standing between them and at least a share of the SEC title spoils. Of course, it should be added that Georgia has been a problem for the Vols in the Barnes era. Barnes is 0-5 against Bulldogs coach Mark Fox, with four of those losses coming with Barnes at Tennessee and Fox at Georgia. How has Tennessee put itself in position to win an SEC title, and what do the Vols need to do in order to finish the drill? All of that — plus a discussion on some players who are hot, cold or somewhere in between at the moment — is included in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down another surprisingly busy week of news for the Tennessee football program. Sophomore-to-be offensive lineman Trey Smith — arguably the Vols' best player — is facing an uncertain future because of a newly-discovered (but unspecified) health situation, throwing another large wrench into the rebuilding efforts of new head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff. We break down the latest on what we know regarding Smith's situation, and the impact that losing him for any period of time would do to Tennessee's offensive line. That's the biggest news of the week, but it's far from the only interesting news. Former Vols head coach and still-Neyland-Stadium-scoreboard star Butch Jones has surfaced as a potential candidate for an analyst position at archrival Alabama, and there's no way we could avoid discussing that. Tennessee's upcoming Junior Day for recruiting is also discussed in an episode that concludes with questions from GoVols247 subscribers and social-media followers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio in Knoxville) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office in Maryville) break down another week that was and more weeks that will be for the 19th-ranked Tennessee basketball team. The Vols have had another interesting week, falling on the road at Georgia over the weekend but the bouncing back for a 62-57 win over Florida on Wednesday that gave Tennessee a two-game cushion for the No. 2 spot in the SEC standings. The Vols almost certainly won't catch league-leading Auburn with just three games left in the regular season, but Wednesday's win did give Tennessee some breathing room ahead of the incredible six-way tie for third place in the standings — and those spots are really important in a league that gives double-byes to the top four seeds in the conference tournament. As big as Wednesday was for the Vols, though, there are still plenty of reasons for concern heading into the last leg of the regular season. We discuss reasons for optimism, cause for pause and everything in between in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to look at a big-picture topic — and a really important topic — for fans wanting to know what to expect with a new sheriff in town. Rather than look only at Tennessee in a vacuum, though, this episode takes a close look at every current SEC coach who has been with his current program at least two seasons. We look at the situations those coaches walked into, and what they did with their programs in their first two seasons on the job. Why does that matter to Tennessee? If nothing else, that look at eight of the Vols’ SEC peers should offer some insight into what the Vols could look like the next couple of seasons under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down another interesting week — is there ever a boring week? — for the Tennessee football program. New Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have (mostly) put the finishing touches on their first signing class in Knoxville, and that group currently ranks No. 20 nationally and No. 8 in the SEC. While a finish in that area wouldn't be good enough most years for a program like Tennessee, this was hardly an ordinary recruiting cycle. Considering the disappointing 2017 season on the field and the circus of a coaching (and athletic director) search that followed it, is it possible to grade Pruitt's first class on a curve? And that was hardly the only interesting news in the Tennessee program in recent days. How surprising was Pruitt's decision to part ways with popular running backs coach Robert Gillespie and replace him with Chris Weinke? How will that move be received by Tennessee's fan base? And how should it be received? Those are the main topics in this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker studio to break down anything and everything from the past week for the 18th-ranked Tennessee basketball team. The Vols were one of the nation's hottest teams heading into last weekend's game at Alabama, but the Crimson Tide boat-raced them in a big way. Tennessee's 28-point loss in Tuscaloosa was nearly a wider margin of defeat than the Vols accumulated in their first five losses put together. It was a terrible, no good, very bad day. But the Vols rebounded three days later, holding off feisty South Carolina in a 70-67 win at Thompson-Boling Arena. Are the Vols back on track, or is the recent dip in guard play still a major concern heading into the stretch run? What happened in the final few minutes against the Gamecocks? Why did Tennessee revert back to its early-season tendency to fall apart late in games? What should the Vols expect this weekend against a Georgia team that's struggled much of the season but stunned Florida in Gainesville earlier this week? All of those topics and much more are included in this episode — an episode that ends, as usual, with questions from GoVols247 subscribers, social media followers and podcast listeners. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down all things Tennessee basketball — and most of those things are good things at the moment. The 15th-ranked Vols beat Kentucky on Tuesday at Rupp Arena to complete a season sweep of the Wildcats for the first time since 1999. Tennessee's first win at Rupp since 2006 has given the surging Vols a sixth consecutive win this season, and there's growing speculation that they could play their way into a No. 2 or even No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Rick Barnes and his staff have built a deep, versatile, unselfish team that looks poised to compete for an SEC championship and a deep run in March, and in this episode we break down several of the reasons for this team’s success. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker sat down with new Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer for an exclusive, wide-ranging interview on several topics. Fulmer, a Hall of Famer who finished with a 152-52 record, two SEC championships and one national title as the Vols' head coach, has given nearly four decades of service to a place he proudly calls "my school." And now he's entering the final act of his Tennessee service, and there's plenty to discuss regarding the department he inherited and the department he wants to build moving forward. There's plenty of discussion on new Vols football Jeremy Pruitt, including some insight from the one-on-one interview process between Fulmer and Pruitt — a process that made Fulmer more and more comfortable with the then-Alabama defensive coordinator. Pruitt and the football program dominate the course of this interview, but Fulmer's fondness for Tennessee men's basketball coach Rick Barnes and the future of a potential contract extension for Barnes are broached, as well. Fulmer also discusses his football-and-beyond priorities now that he's leading the charge to make Tennessee ... well ... Tennessee again. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office in Maryville) break down anything and everything about a Tennessee basketball team that keeps getting better and better. The Vols have rolled to big wins at Iowa State and LSU in the past week, and they're up to No. 18 nationally in both major polls, No. 9 nationally in stat guru Ken Pomeroy's rankings and No. 14 in the NCAA's official RPI standings, and they've overcome a sluggish start to SEC play to rise up to second in the league standings heading into Saturday's game against Ole Miss in Knoxville. Tennessee continues to prove itself as one of the nation's deepest teams, with different players stepping up seemingly every game to compliment star forwards Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. Speaking of Williams, he gave Tennessee fans a scare in the LSU game when he crumped to the floor with an early-game injury, and it was revealed afterward that he'd been battling a back/hip issue all season. Is that a concern going forward? That and several other topics — including a story about Barnes giving an assistant coach a raise out of his own pocket, as well as Barnes' desire to avoid talking about his own potential contract extension until after the season — are discussed in this episode. Questions from listeners, as always, are included, as well. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down all things Tennessee football and recruiting after another newsy week in and around Knoxville. New Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff remain full speed ahead in their efforts to salvage a solid recruiting class heading into next week's traditional National Signing Day. A class that had been ranked as low as No. 56 nationally is up to No. 19, but Tennessee remains in play with several prospects who could cause that number to rise even more. The performance of Pruitt and Co. on the recruiting trail is the main topic of this episode, but it's far from the only topic. GoVols247's first annual State of the Vols address is unveiled in this episode — an episode that, as always, ends with questions from GoVols247 subscribers and other listeners. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the latest on all things Tennessee football for the weekly Friday morning podcast. What's the latest on Jauan Jennings' potential return to the program? Will new coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff keep Tennessee climbing up the recruiting rankings? How did the Vols find Jordan Young, an Atlanta-area wide receiver who emerged from relative obscurity to Top247 status and a Tennessee commitment in the span of a couple of weeks? What's the future have in store for Smokey Grey uniforms and neutral-site non-conference games? Those are the main topics in this episode — and episode that, like always, ends with questions from GoVols247 subscribers and social-media followers. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office in Maryville) break down the week that was in Vols hoops — and it was a good week, with a tough road loss at Mizzou followed by a really good win at South Carolina and a hey-it's-a-win win over Vanderbilt to complete a regular-season sweep of the in-state-rival Commodores. The 22nd-ranked Vols continue to be a bit erratic, but they're finding ways to win despite not playing their best, which obviously beats the alternative. Coach Rick Barnes continues to tweak the rotation, and he made big changes to it in the past week. Have those tweaks helped or hurt? What's the best combination for this team moving forward? And what kind of opponent should Tennessee expect in this weekend's Big 12/SEC Challenge game at Iowa State. Those — plus questions from listeners — are the main topics in this week's basketball episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio breaking down another busy week full of Tennessee football news. Star wide receiver Jauan Jennings dropped a hint on Thursday night that he could be back with the Vols after being dismissed from the program late last season by the team's previous coaching staff. What's the latest with Jennings? And what would his return mean for Tennessee? There are plenty of other topics on this episode, as well, including quarterback Quinten Dormady's decision to leave the program, Pruitt seemingly putting the finishing touches on his first Tennessee staff and plenty on recruiting, with National Signing Day just a few weeks away. And ... West Virginia State football? Sure. West Virginia State football. Don't worry. It'll make sense. A new segment answering listener mail also debuts on this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey sat down for an exclusive interview with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes in this episode. Barnes and his 21st-ranked Vols have made plenty of headlines this season, and the veteran coach thinks his team could be in for a big finish ... assuming it stays on course and continues improving. Barnes, as usual, was candid in this sit-down interview. Topics include the rebuilding of the Tennessee program, the reasons why the SEC finally turned a corner and become a good basketball league again, the under-the-radar recruitment of Vols sophomore star Grant Williams, a recent text message Barnes received from former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, the strengths and weaknesses of this Tennessee team, keeping a young team focused on the here-and-now rather than the future, Barnes recently coaching his 1,000th career game and much, much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office in Maryville) break down a much-needed bounce-back week from the 24th-ranked Tennessee basketball team. The Vols responded to a two-game losing streak in style, coming from behind to beat then-17th-ranked Kentucky over the weekend in Thompson-Boling Arena and then coming from behind to beat in-state rival Vanderbilt on Tuesday in Nashville. A team that started games so well but struggled to finish them is now a team that doesn't start worth a flip but can close like Mariano Rivera. Will these Vols ever find a way to put together two good halves of basketball in the same day? We don't have an answer for that. But what needs to happen in order for the Vols to do that? We do have answers for that, as well as other pressing questions related to one of the more exciting teams in college basketball — and a team that has a big game this weekend against a desperate-but-talented Texas A&M team that had been ranked as high as fifth nationally before hitting a rut to start SEC play. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down new Tennessee football Jeremy Pruitt's return to Knoxville, but this time on a full-time basis. Pruitt finished the season as Alabama's defensive coordinator, helping the Crimson Tide win another national championship, before putting all of his attention on the Vols — though his attention on Tennessee's recruiting efforts have been there since he took the job last month. Pruitt spoke with reporters in Knoxville on Wednesday, and he had plenty to discuss. He spoke about the impressive staff coming with him to Tennessee, the Vols' recruiting efforts and other interesting topics, including the potential return of star wide receiver Jauan Jennings. There's a lot to unpack from Pruitt's press conference, and this episode is an effort to unpack it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the performance of incoming Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and incoming Tennessee defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Pruitt (as Alabama's defensive coordinator) and Sherrer (as Georgia's outside linebackers coach) will square off for the national championship after the Crimson Tide's win over Clemson and Georgia's win over Oklahoma on New Year's Day. How should Tennessee fans feel about Pruitt and Sherrer finishing the season with Alabama and Georgia? Do the pros outweigh the cons? And which couple of coaches will Pruitt hire to fill out his first Tennessee staff? Those questions — as well as the impact of Rashaan Gaulden's decision to declare for the NFL Draft — are discussed throughout this week's Friday Pod. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office) break down an inauspicious start to SEC play for the 23rd-ranked Tennessee basketball team. Is there reason to panic after a tough overtime loss at Arkansas and an inexplicable home loss to Auburn, or is there reason to just worry a little bit? Tennessee was one of the biggest surprises in college basketball until the past week, but what should we make of the 0-2 start to conference play? What are the issues? Can they be fixed? There are lots of questions, and we try to answer as many of them as possible. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown (from Upper East Tennessee) and Ryan Callahan (from Missouri) converge to break down another week full of Tennessee football news — news that was headlined by star running back John Kelly's Friday afternoon announcement that he would forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. What does Kelly's departure mean for new Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff from a team and recruiting standpoint? But that's just the beginning of this episode. Other topics include the addition of Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly to Tennessee's staff, Pruitt's efforts to coach the Vols while still coordinating the Alabama defense, Tennessee's mid-week addition of four-star junior college offensive lineman Jahmir Johnson and the upcoming all-star game appearances from Tennessee signees, commits and targets. It's been a busy week. Come get the latest on all of it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County satellite office) break down the state of Tennessee basketball heading into SEC play, which starts this weekend. The Vols have won nine of their first 11 games, with the two losses being close losses against two of the best teams in the country, and they're ranked No. 19 nationally heading into this weekend's SEC opener at Arkansas. As well as Rick Barnes' Vols are playing, though, the fact is they could be playing even better. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you're winning, anyway. What's going right for the Vols? What needs to improve? Will Jordan Bowden ever miss another shot? How tough will the SEC opener at Arkansas be? Those are just some of the many topics in this week's first episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Danny Parker went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down Tennessee's results from college football's first Early Signing Period. Prospects now have a small window to sign in late December if they choose, and many have chosen to do that. What do we know about the Vols' first Early Signing Period haul under new coach Jeremy Pruitt? What have the Vols added? What do they need to add in the next few weeks leading into National Signing Day in early February? How many needs were met, and how many need to be met in the coming weeks? Those are the main topics of this episode — the final episode before Christmas. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County Bureau) convened to break down the 21st-ranked Tennessee basketball team's oh-so-close loss to fifth-ranked North Carolina over the weekend and look ahead to another big week for the legit-contender Vols. Tennessee's nine-point, second-half lead over the Tar Heels didn't hold up, just like the Vols' 12-point, second-half lead over top-ranked Villanova didn't hold up, but Rick Barnes' team has put a big scare into the past two national champions and is one good week away from heading into SEC play as a team on everyone's radar. What is keeping this very-good Tennessee team from breaking through and becoming a great team, and can that breakthrough happen this season? How will the Vols respond from the UNC heartbreak in tough games this week against Furman and Wake Forest? Those are the main questions in this week's first GoVols247 Podcast episode. We'll be back Friday with a look at Tennessee football's Early Signing Period under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Danny Parker head into Fort Rucker Studio to break down new Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt's staff and player recruiting efforts to this point. A Vols recruiting class that was ranked in the top-five nationally is now ranked 46th, but there was always going to be some turnover after a coaching change ushered in a new set of priorities on each side of the ball. Pruitt has been the national recruiter of the year in the past, and he's hired a staff full of impressive recruiters, so things won't stay down for long. What kind of a class can be salvaged at this point, though? And how much different could this class look after a weekend full of official visits? Those questions and others are the topics of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down anything and everything you need to know heading into Sunday's showdown between No. 20 Tennessee and No. 7 North Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols nearly stunned the eventual-national-champion Tar Heels last season in Chapel Hill until a late rally turned the tide. Will a much-improved Tennessee team be able to finish the drill this season in front of a raucous home crowd? There are matchups galore in this game, and we break down as many of them as possible. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the hire of Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as the 26th head football coach at the University of Tennessee. And it took the Vols nearly 26 days — and two athletic directors — after the firing of Butch Jones to end a wild search with Pruitt, a 43-year-old coach and recruiter with a staggeringly impressive resume. Pruitt, an Alabama native and former Alabama player, has always seen things from the South side of The Third Saturday in October rivalry, but he sure looked happy in orange Thursday night at Neyland Stadium. What does the Pruitt hire mean for Tennessee? How should fans feel about the way this search ended, and what should the expectations be for this staff going forward? And who will be on this staff? There are so many questions, and we tried to tackle all of them in our first of many Jeremy Pruitt podcast episodes in the coming weeks and months. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down ... well ... whatever it was that happened this week at Tennessee. The Vols went into the week looking for a new head football coach, and that went so well that the man leading that search — athletic director John Currie — was suspended with pay and replaced by new athletic director Phillip Fulmer. Nine years to the day after Lane Kiffin took his job as Tennessee's head football coach, Fulmer became Tennessee's athletic director by replacing one of the men who fired him nine years ago. Even by Tennessee's standards, this has been a wild week. And the Vols still don't have a head football coach. There's a lot to discuss, and this episode does just that. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to breakdown the latest in Tennessee's wild search for a new head football coach. What in the world was Tennessee thinking with the Greg Schiano hire/almost-hire? How did things reach that point? What will be the fallout from that? And where do the Vols go from here? Can they really get in the mix for Oklahoma State Mullet Man Mike Gundy? How much would they have to offer a coach of that caliber to get him away from his alma mater, a place he loves? There's a lot to discuss with Tennessee's search, and that's the sole focus of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices