Nick Saban may have kickstarted the analyst trend in the SEC at Alabama but it hasn’t taken long before programs like LSU and Georgia to follow the Crimson Tide’s lead and hire coaches with coordinator experience to join their programs as analysts.

Now it appears Tennessee is doing what it can to improve its analyst coaching staff heading into 2020 as John Brice of Irish Sports Daily is reporting that former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long is being hired as an analyst on Jeremy Pruitt’s staff.

The Birmingham native was Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator for three seasons which included the Irish’s run to the College Football Playoff in 2018. Long was nominated for the 2018 Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach, for leading Notre Dame’s offense during the run.

Before landing at Notre Dame, Long served as Memphis offensive coordinator and was among the list of OC candidates Sam Pittman considered after taking the Arkansas job. Following the conclusion of the 2019 season, Long’s contract at Notre Dame ran out and was not renewed.

Taking over an analyst role has developed into a popular landing spot for coaches looking for an opportunity to work on the X’s and O’s of college football without having to deal with the grind of off-campus recruiting. One area where Long could certainly help the Volunteers is in red zone efficiency, where his Notre Dame offenses excelled while Tennessee’s struggled last season.