2017 is a very interesting year for Tennessee football.
On one hand, there are whispers about Butch Jones’ job security, but at the same time, most folks realize that he’s recruited elite talent and has fixed the depth chart from the Derek Dooley era. Still, some question his ability to win a championship at Tennessee.
This past week, Texas A&M AD Scott Woodward essentially put Kevin Sumlin on the hot seat, but Tennessee AD John Currie hasn’t done that yet. Currie joined the Chattanooga Times Free Press for a Facebook live on Saturday, and he said that Tennessee’s sports teams “have to win more” when asked about the biggest challenges he’s facing within the athletic department. That isn’t exactly putting Jones anywhere near the hot seat, but Tennessee’s iconic program — and athletic department — could always win more.
“Number one, we’ve got to win more, ok?” Currie said. “But we have to do that in the context that of what we’re here about and that’s our student-athletes and representing the University of Tennessee the right way, and that’s being an asset to the city, to the state and to all of college athletics.
“So we have to win more, I don’t run away from that, that’s important to the people of Tennessee, and it better be important to our student-athletes and coaches, and I think it is.”
Butch Jones has compiled a 30-21 record since taking over in Knoxville, including a 0-4 mark against Alabama. The Vols have never won the East, despite being the overwhelming favorites to go to Atlanta last season. Though they finally broke through against Florida in 2016, losses to Vanderbilt and South Carolina kept the Vols out of the SEC title race once again.
You can watch the full interview here.
A former resident of both Baton Rouge and the heart of Crimson Tide country, Will Ogburn handles multimedia content and news coverage for Saturday Down South.
