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.
“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: