Much has been made in recent days about calls from Knoxville to recruits previously — or still — committed to the Tennessee football program.

First, it was former coach Butch Jones making the calls to players who have decommitted. Now, Athletics Director John Currie is calling recruits to try and reassure them about the coaching search to replace Jones.

Earlier this week, 4-star quarterback Adrian Martinez said Currie has personally reached out to Martinez and his family about the process and timeline of the coaching search. According to Martinez, the school is working quickly to hire a new coach and expects a decision to be made soon.

“It gave me confidence that something is going to happen soon,” he said. “For me, going through this process, I plan on signing December 20th, and I know a lot of other players do as well — as far as being an early enrollee or early signing day period, the thought is this has to happen fast for a lot of us.”

All indications from Currie speaking to recruits is that the new coach will be in place for the new early signing period.

“I asked (John Currie) if I can expect to see this new coach, get to talk to him and get a feel before I go in and sign with this school and he said most certainly,” Martinez said. “He actually said, ‘If there’s not a new head football coach by December 20th then there will be a new AD in town.’ So I’m confident the job will get done and done as quickly as it can.”

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Tennessee commit Brandon Cross was very impressed Sunday night when he received a phone call from Currie. Currie told the cornerback from Orlando Jones High that his scholarship offer would be honored despite the firing of Jones.

“I was really impressed by that,” said Cross. “He was just telling me, after I put a post on Twitter yesterday about me still being committed, that he appreciated my loyalty and that no matter what I was still going to have my scholarship.”

Currie also asked Cross what kind of person he should be looking for in a head coach.

“He was also saying, like, for the new head coach, what do I want him to be like and why should he come to Tennessee and what should he bring to Tennessee, and what should he expect from Tennessee like from the fans and everything, and the players,” Cross said. “I was really impressed by John Currie because he’s the head guy who is over everything. He’s the one who hires and fires the head coach so I was real excited for that phone call.”