WATCH: Jim Chaney explains why he left Georgia for Tennessee
For the first time since he left Georgia, Tennessee OC Jim Chaney met with the media.
Tennessee made Chaney the nation’s highest paid OC, making $1.525 million in 2019, $1.6 million in 2020 and $1.7 million in 2021 with his new three-year contract.
Chaney, of course, was Georgia’s OC for three years under Kirby Smart, but he’s coached at Tennessee before. He was the OC from 2009-12 under Derek Dooley.
Coming to Tennessee from Georgia was a tough decision, but he explained Friday why he made the move.
Enter your email below and we will send you the Tennessee records graphic to be used for your phone background.
By adding your email address, you agree to receive emails with Tennessee football related news. You can unsubscribe at any time.
“I think anytime you have to relocate your family there’s a lot of serious discussions,” Chaney explained. “We had a wonderful three years at University of Georgia. My wife and I have always enjoyed Knoxville. It’s a place where we see ourselves living for a long time.
“(Tennessee) was maybe the only job that I would have even considered leaving Georgia for. After talking to him for a while, it was a pretty easy decision for me to come back to a place I’ve always enjoyed coaching at and living.”
You can see the full answer below, via Knoxville News Sentinel:
Cue the UGA trolls.
Lesse Fuzzy, when Jim was hired by Kirby in 2015 I recall a tidal wave of UT fans posting here that we would be disappointed in the hire, based on UT’s experience with him. Three years later many UGA fans have expressed the exact frustration that UT fans predicted, but we’re now trolls? Apparently many in VolNation couldn’t wait to see him hit the door, but now he’s a returning savior worth money no other OC in America earns? What changed? Other than, of course, Kirby Smart and UGA’s talent level . . .
C’mon, dude – you’re better than that. I like Jim but, like many Dawg fans, got really tired of his predictable play calling. He’s a very good coach, but not the best game-day planner – and certainly nowhere near the top of the list when it comes to in-game adjustments. I wish him well at UT, and I want to see the Vols rebound, but I suspect in a couple of years I’ll be hearing the same complaints we heard three years ago from VolNation, and that you guys have been hearing from us for a while now.
Yes, the guy who was carried off the field by the players in his last game coaching for the Vols was universally panned by the fans. Your tears are salty.
I was here 3 years ago, champ. Don’t recall that you were. The buyer’s-remorse crowd in Knoxville had a field day when Kirby hired Chaney. And the tol’ja-sos continued all through UGA’s underwhelming 2016 season. Maybe you’ll recall that Michel and Chubb had to go to Chaney’s office, close the door, and say, “Give us the ball, dammit!”? He had two clear NFL-caliber RBs eager for the ball and an O-line much better at run-blocking than pass-blocking, yet he was under-utilizing them to continue feeding a shaky TF QB.
UGA’s offensive production took off the next year. Was that Jim? Was it Jake Fromm? Chubb and Michel suddenly got good? O-line got bigger and meaner? Or was it that James Coley was added to the mix and was quickly on his way to becoming Co-OC, and now OC? I guess we’ll see this year, but the one thing I can promise you with Jim is that you’re getting a good coach who has a stubborn streak. Solid but unimaginative. Exactly what you guys told us 3 years ago. The fullback dive and bubble screen will be on rinse-and-repeat ad nauseum.
Man! Mountain Dog is unleashed!! Calm down big boy, it’s all going to be okay..LOL
Anyone who can get Nathan Peterman drafted into the NFL, is one hell of a offensive coach.
Nope, dude. Your “salty tears” crack got you that response. No tears here, or with a single other Dawg I know. In fact, fan (and player) spirits seem to be higher this spring with Coley running the show. Chaney was handed the keys to a Ferrari and drove it like a Caddy. Now he has the keys to a Caddy – maybe. Should be interesting to see what he does with it.
Mountain Dog says Chaney is good coach but not the best game day planner? You dawgs fans know all too much about bad game day planning after watching Richt blow every big game following a decent season. Y’all wanna throw dirt on the OC that took y’all to a Natty and SECCG? What are y’all gonna say when DC Tucker gets his own gig next year? That is was really Smart running the Defense? Keep on barking buttsniffers!
No Trolls here!! Majority of UGA fans have moved on.
Yep. We all wish him a long stay in Knoxville and hope his family is very comfortable there.
Yea, sure looks like a lot of Ga fans have moved on. Trust me that haven’t. I work with 3 and one is a former player and they hate that they lost Cheney. Keep trolling though, it’s funny stuff.
Agreed. Chaney’s time at UGA was a mixed bag. The RBs having to go to him late in the season says a lot. I’d have been fine if he stayed, I think he did enough offensively the last two years to have us in a good place to win games, but maybe we need a change of pace. I trust our coaches and the fact that Kirby didn’t fight very hard to keep him was all I needed to know that we’re gong to be fine. I hope he does well at UT.. just not against us, of course.
They ask him why must he feel this way, hey, must be the money.
I’m probably one of the few UGA fans that liked Chaney, but in the months since he left I think it was best for all parties involved. I appreciate what he did for UGA and wish him well in all but one game per year.
The eye-test will be how well Tennessee runs the fake FG.
Oof, I sincerely hope Smart doesn’t attempt any fake FGs this season.
If we can run a PAT without having to first call a timeout, it will be an improvement.
Yep.. I agree Boxster.
In 2016, He ran a HB toss with Isaiah McKenzie against Vandy on homecoming, on a 4th and 1, on the last play , that cost them the game. He used Chubb as a decoy and didn’t even consider Michel. That right there should tell you what kind of an OC he is.
To be fair any play that works makes you a genius and any that fails makes you stupid. Since I don’t have enough facts to make an informed opinion on whether he is good or not I’ll leave it at that.
Agreed darthA. I don’t think coordinators need to defend that season too much. First year under a fully new staff, great rebound the next year.. that’s ok.
I seem to remember Vandy winning that game. That’s the “Miss me yet” memes with Richt’s photo came out.
In fairness, I highly doubt that a play of that magnitude is being called by the OC only.
Yep one play in a loooong and successful career should define him. I swear you vandy fans must not be students at vandy. They are supposed to be smart.
That’s what most folks don’t realize, is Knoxville has EVERYTHING. Big city with small town feel. Lakes, mountians, rivers, nightlife, history and so on. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is about an hour away. There is anything and everything to do. You can’t beat Knoxville in the fall when all the leaves start changing. Spring time is nice with all the dogwoods. Fountian city always had their dogwood trail when all the dogwoods bloomed. You have a ton of history to see around the area as well. Bristol is not far away. Just nice area to live.
While I completely agree with what you’re saying, a lot of these young bucks getting recruited couldn’t tell the difference between a dogwood and a hackberry.
^ Anyone involved in college football (coaches, players, staff) at the P5 level has no idea what is happening in the real world from August – December … much less time for sight-seeing. They’re on the practice field, film room, weight room, classroom, meeting room, etc 7 days/week.
Beautiful area – no argument – but players/coaches don’t go there for the scenery.