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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee should have no trouble filling its coaching staff once again

Dave Hooker

By Dave Hooker

Published:


Tennessee fans who are old enough to be referred to as “Generation X” — or something even older — have been forced to accept a well-known fact that has been present elsewhere for decades: College football is an extremely transient profession.

That was evident most recently when Tennessee receivers coach Kodi Burns decided to bolt Knoxville for the NFL and take a similar position with the New Orleans Saints. These types of moves shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore. The Vols have lost almost as many coaches as they have games since former coach Phillip Fulmer’s unique brand of loyalty exited the athletic complex in 2008.

Fulmer was often criticized for keeping coaches around too long, especially when fans didn’t think they were performing. There’s no need to break down each individual coach Fulmer kept around. However, let’s just say the criticism was warranted in many cases.

For a long time, Fulmer disagreed. He felt comfortable around certain people and wanted control, which is not a criticism whatsoever. Fulmer wanted to look out for some of his longtime assistants, who weren’t raking in millions of dollars as they do now. Fulmer wanted his usual say in the offense when he hired Dave Clawson as offensive coordinator. Well, that didn’t go so well, but it would be unfair to expect Fulmer just to turn over his offense after decades of being at an elite level. He didn’t, and we all know how that worked out.

Fulmer’s loyalty to his coaches came at a different time in college football. Assistant coaches in the 1990s and into the 2000s weren’t making life-changing money, and Fulmer wanted them to be secure and not have to move their families. That’s respectable. The Clawson thing is another topic entirely. That was a complete failure, and Fulmer made a mistake that ultimately cost him his job. Moving on.

So let’s turn to the modern era of college football. Assistant coaches are making life-changing money and aren’t afraid to stack their resumes with multiple stops. That’s what Burns decided to do.

What do the Vols lose with Burns’ departure? Let’s start with the obvious. He was the receivers coach, and the Vols had an explosive offense. However, Burns’ impact on that offense is questionable. Tennessee had receivers running wide open all season. That’s not going to stop now that Burns has moved to Cajun country. Open receivers were as much a byproduct of Tennessee’s offense as they were of Burns’ coaching.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is the man most responsible for getting receivers open last season and throughout his career. It’s easy to say play design or play-calling is the reason Heupel has been so successful. However, that’s just part of the process. The tempo of Heupel’s offense is the key. His teams are so prepared to run a fast-break style that opposing defenses often do nothing but wilt. That’s not going to change just because Burns left. The tempo will still be there. The receivers will be open despite having to learn under new tutelage.

As for recruiting, Burns surely was helpful. However, recruiting has become such a team sport that no single loss, other than a head coach or a key coordinator, should change what the Vols can do with pending prospects.

Tennessee has become used to coaching change. The Vols have hired and fired coaches over the past decade as if they were trafficking passengers on and off a Dollywood ride. Assistant coaches have quickly realized they were working for inept coaches and gotten out of town while the getting was still good. That’s not the case with Burns. Tennessee is on a positive trajectory. He either wanted a change of scenery, or Heupel was ready to go in a different direction.

There are three coaches who would raise a serious red flag if they decided to leave Knoxville. Obviously, Heupel is No. 1. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks is another. Banks got the best out of a defense that had serious preseason concerns, and he seems comfortable with Heupel’s uptempo style that puts more pressure on his defense. The Vols would certainly hate to lose defensive line coach Rodney Garner. When it comes to recruiting, he has few peers.

I’m sure that every Tennessee fan on this side of the Atlantic is curious about whom the Vols will tab to replace Burns. Heupel could hire from within or go elsewhere to complete his staff, which had no turnover other than Burns. That’s a compliment to Heupel’s culture. Coaches want to stay because they can win games and learn from a young, blooming offensive coach. In the past, Tennessee wouldn’t be in any rush to replace Burns. However, the recruiting calendar has shifted, so having a plan in place to replace Burns is a good idea.

Many Tennessee fans will pound their computer keys in hopes of finding Burns’ replacement. Don’t bother. Any list that is currently online is pure speculation. Trust me. I’ve written more than my fair share.

I won’t bother with predicting who will fill Burns’ shoes, but I have 2 recommendations with strong ties to Tennessee. First, the Vols should take a long look at Duke assistant head coach/running backs coach Trooper Taylor. Assuming everyone would get along on the staff, Taylor would be the perfect hire. He has a strong history of developing receivers and is a tireless recruiter. Taylor has had some run-ins with the NCAA, but nothing significant. He may not be as tied in to recruiting circles as he once was, especially in South Florida, but he has the personality to make up for it in a matter of days.

The other coach I would suggest to fill the vacancy is Montario Hardesty, who is the running backs coach at South Carolina. Sure, he has Tennessee ties from his time as a tailbacks coach, but he also has recruiting ties in the Carolinas, where he is from. Hardesty, who is from New Bern, N.C., coached at Charlotte before moving on to South Carolina last year. He has also coached at Florida Atlantic for some guy you may have thrown a golf ball toward. Recruiting ties in the Carolinas and South Florida are a very good place to start when looking for Burns’ replacement.

Some things would have to be repositioned to accommodate Hardesty. Either he’d have to coach receivers, or that position would have to be open. Current Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack has coached receivers in his career. If the Vols want Hardesty, they could most likely get him. It would just take some shifting around. That type of adjustment isn’t rocket surgery. There could be a learning curve if Hardesty took on Tennessee’s receivers, but Taylor proved it could be done. He coached running backs and receivers on separate occasions for the Vols.

It’s unclear which direction Heupel will go to replace Burns. However, it’s not cause for concern, as similar moves have been in the past. Tennessee is a good place to coach, with great support and incredible optimism surrounding the program. Tennessee is bucking its old tradition and becoming what everyone else has already been — a short-term stay for coaches in a transient profession.

Dave Hooker

Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. He hosts an SEC radio show out of Chattanooga and covers the SEC for Saturday Down South.

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