Tennessee staff shake up continues as assistant coach Chris Rumph reportedly leaving for NFL job
Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee staff is currently busy partaking in a game of musical chairs as yet another departure is expected on Rocky Top to start the week.
Not long after news broke that director of player personnel Drew Hughes and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker both left Tennessee for South Carolina, outside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Chris Rumph is set to leave the Volunteers for the Houston Texans according to Austin Price of Volquest.
Rumph had been on staff at Tennessee for two seasons and was hired immediately upon Pruitt’s hiring in Knoxville. With his departure this offseason, the Vols are set to have four new on-the-field assistants next season as inside linebacker coach and special teams coordinator Kevin Sherrer left for the New York Giants and running backs coach David Johnson left for Florida State.
Tennessee has reportedly hired Colorado defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh to replace Rocker, while Brian Niedermeyer has been moved to inside linebackers coach and Joe Osovet has been promoted to tight ends coach. Pruitt now has one opening on his Tennessee staff as he currently has nine full-time assistants on staff in Knoxville.
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Following all the offseason moves, the only defensive assistant coach that will return to the same role next season is coordinator Derrick Ansley.
Wow what the heck is going on? It’s like Pruitt said he’d like to have dinner with Hitler and guys are running for their lives.
When you have a talented staff, they get a lot offers.
Leaving for the NFL or to work with a former boss in the case of 3 of the vacancies is hardly running for the hills. Rocker doesn’t stay anywhere very long it seems either so that’s also not a big deal. All good coaches though and I hope we get good replacements.
if your coaches are not being chased by other programs then they either are not real good or they are newer and unproven… most of the time. I think they said earlier that Rockers contract was not renewed so it seems his departure was not necessarily his decision.
Rocker leaves and the replacement immediately appears. This was clearly planned and supports the rumor that Rocker was offered an off field position. He coached his unit well and I’m glad he coached here. Replacement seems to fill both the development and recruiting goals.
Rocker is a good position coach but not a very good recruiter. He had many high profile misses recruiting bluechip DL talent before he and CKS parted ways. I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong) he had some misses too while on Pruitt’s staff. Pruitt seems to value recruiting prowess, so I wonder if that played into it.
Yes-the rumor is his recruiting wasn’t to the level Pruitt wants and I don’t doubt he had misses at multiple stops. He did a solid job at the position but you can’t just be a development guy in college football. Lack of contract renewal corroborates this.
You’re absolutely right, especially in the SEC coaching along either line, you can’t just be a development guy.
Concerned about the changes. Typically, the level of these changes usually follows a big season. Sorry…8-5 and a win over Indiana is not what I would call a “big’ season. Frankly, after GA. STATE, everything concerns me about the state of the Vol program. On the one hand, you gotta like the way they finished. Still….there is GA STATE. Sorry, not convinced at the moment. Actually concerned.
I’d only be concerned re: the moves if quality replacements aren’t found (they have been) and the assistants were leaving for worse positions/less pay (they’re not). We’re not back yet, but directionally moving in a solid and methodical manner-go vols!
While 8-5 may not be a great season, it was a good season and one of the best UT has had in a while. So what 2 guys go back to the NFL where its purely about coaching. So one other guys leave to help out a friend at SC and one heads for dumpster fire. Staff changes happen when you start winning, as folks want to move up in life. What it does mean is other programs and NFL teams saw value in hiring folks who turned your season around. Your new hires probably have connections to folks Pruitt knows and trusts and he wants to give them as much time as possible to work with the players ahead of spring ball. Its not like you HC went out and hired the worst DC in the SEC to be your DC…like Joe Moorhead did at State. Until you see what the new staff does next season, you have no metrics for to cause you worry.
Pruitt will handle it just fine.