In a surprising move two weeks before national signing day, Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is leaving the Vols to pursue other interests, multiple sources have told FoxSports’ Bruce Feldman:
BREAKING #Vols OC Mike Bajakian is leaving #UT to pursue other coaching opportunities, multiple sources told @FOXSports.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 22, 2015
FootballScoop.com is reporting that Bajakian has been offered a ‘very appealing’ NFL job and is the running for the opening at Central Michigan following Dan Enos’ departure to Arkansas. VolQuest.com claims Bajakian’s next stop is finalized:
http://t.co/fupnLpD1B2 reports Vol OC Bajakian is leaving to become Tampa Bay Bucs QB coach.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravisBGID) January 22, 2015
As does Sports Illustrated:
Tennessee OC Mike Bajakian is leaving to become QBs coach for Tampa Bay Buccaneers per source.
— Thayer Evans (@ThayerEvansSI) January 22, 2015
One of the SEC East frontrunners in 2015 with the league’s most returning starters (18), Tennessee is coming off its first bowl win since 2008.
“It’s a great springboard into the future,” Bajakian said after the TaxSlayer Bowl. We’ve been talking about the progress we have made, since Day 1, and the progress we have made for a while now. I think this will help catapult us and give us a little bit of momentum and little bit of confidence going into the future to continue to grow as a team and at the quarterback position and as a unit in general.”
Tennessee currently has the nation’s fourth-best 2015 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, but Bajakian’s exit could have an effect in crunch time for several commits on offense.
