The past calendar year has been one that Butch Jones will never forget — even if he’d like to.

At this time last season, Jones was Tennessee’s head coach preparing for the annual matchup against Alabama. Jones couldn’t have predicted it at the time but things were about to go incredibly awry.

Despite a thrilling double-overtime win against Georgia Tech in last season’s season opener and a dominating win over Indiana State, Jones and the Vols did what they have become so good at: They found a way to let a Florida game slip away. The Vols seemed a bit hungover the following week as they struggled to beat UMass 17-13. No one would confuse Tennessee for an elite team, but the Vols were 3-1 as they prepared to face Georgia. That didn’t go well. The Vols lost 41-0, which caused even the most ardent supporters to begin to doubt their allegiance to Jones.

As we all know, it only got worse. The dye had been cast.

UT would understandably lose to Alabama, part of 7 losses in 8 games. In just a matter of months, the Vols went from an SEC East contender to the first UT team to go winless in the SEC and lose 8 games in a season.

In less than 5 years at Tennessee, Jones went from one of the up-and-coming coaches in the nation to a man just looking for a job.

Oddly enough, Jones ended up at Alabama — but not as a coach. UT fans joked that Jones was hired as an intern. In truth, he’s described as a offensive analyst. Title or not, it was an incredible descent.

And even in his new role, he can’t escape his Tennessee past.

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Jones’ precipitous fall from grace threw Tennessee’s entire football program in a lurch. John Currie tried to hire defensive coordinator Greg Schiano from Ohio State. That resulted in a firestorm of social media revolt that led to UT pulling Schiano’s offer and Currie being replaced by former UT coach Phillip Fulmer.

At that point, the Tennessee job wasn’t very appealing. UT was a laughing stock and, even worse, it was suddenly a job that other coaches didn’t find very appealing. Fulmer was forced to turn to a coach with no head coaching experience at any level, former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

It would be nice to strap Jones into a lie detector test when he returns to Knoxville with the Crimson Tide this weekend. What would Jones have differently at UT? When did he realize he might have been in over his head in the SEC? Does he realistically believe he can resurrect his career? Can he ever be a head coach again considering just how bad things got at UT?

Jones’ legacy at UT isn’t just about wins and losses. Multiple sources from around the program have painted Jones as a coach who was self-centered almost to the point of being maniacal. He reportedly had altercations with players and administrators. Coaches and players seemed ready to bolt from Knoxville as soon as a slightly better option came along. For anyone considering hiring Jones in the near future, the vetting process will be a painful one for Jones.

However, Jones can still rebuild his career if he trusts his current boss, Bama head coach Nick Saban.

Saban has resurrected plenty of careers before. Former Bama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin comes to mind. His character was called into question as he was fired by the Oakland Raiders, left UT after just one season and was fired by Southern California. Yet he proved he was a great offensive mind after becoming Saban’s offensive coordinator. Kiffin parlayed that into the head coaching position at Florida Atlantic.

Steve Sarkisian followed a similar path. He was fired by USC amidst reports of alcohol problems. He became an offensive analyst at Alabama, like Jones, and is now the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

Unfortunately for Jones, he seems to have a tougher path to future success. Jones’ offensive approach toward the end of his tenure at UT seemed stale. He left the Vols with a reputation of questionable character and seemed overmatched when it came to fundamentals and game-planning.

Certainly, Jones will wonder what he could have done different when he returns to Knoxville.

He’ll wonder just what he could have done to have more success.

Maybe he could have salvaged his time at UT with some different decisions, but unlike some other reclamation projects, it seems Jones’ best coaching days are behind him. And they weren’t all that great.