Butch Arrives

Lyle Allen Jones Jr. (he prefers you call him Butch, plus it just goes better with his haircut) arrived in Knoxville in December of 2012. He wasn’t the first choice of the Vols (or, the second choice), but nevertheless, folks were optimistic. After all, it could get any worse than the previous years of Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley.

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PRESTON

The cliches take over

The football was still pretty much trash early on, so Jones leaned heavily on cliches and some success on the recruiting trail.

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After a couples year of mediocrity, Jones was ready for his team to take center stage and make a legitimate run at the week two college football championship.

Tennessee marks the Battle at Bristol win with trophies, hats, confetti and more

When Tennessee played the “Battle at Bristol” against Virginia Tech during week two of the 2016 season, it was something to behold. The venue and tailgating scene were one-of-a-kind. The imagery of the giant scoreboard suspended by long cables over the middle of the field continues to stick in my mind.

Unfortunately, the imagery of Tennessee’s “championship celebration” after defeating unranked Virginia Tech in the Battle at Bristol also sticks in my mind. I’m not the only one. The memes making fun of this celebration are simply classic. Here are a few of my favorites.

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Champions of Life

When Coach Jones told us that his team was full of folks that have won the championship of life, the internet did what it does best: it pounced.

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https://twitter.com/imbingnotgoogle/status/800777134411313152

The Trash Can

When the 2017 season started, Jones needed a new motivational tool to kick off the season with a win against Georgia Tech. What tool did he use, you ask? A trash can naturally.

So, who’s next on Rocky Top?

Two names have been favorites of the world wide web’s meme-verse: Jon Gruden and Peyton Manning. In all likelihood, the person hired is way less interesting.