Following the official departure of Tyson Helton yesterday to Western Kentucky, the Tennessee football program is looking for it's fourth Offensive Coordinator (Mike DeBord, Larry Scott, Tyson Helton) in the past four seasons. There have been a few names tossed around as Helton's replacement. Some I am a fan of, and a few that I have concerns with, and one that I would make it a point to stay as far away from as possible.
Here is my wish list:
1. Kliff Kingsbury
Resume: Former head coach at Texas Tech, former OC at Texas A&M (under Kevin Sumlin)
Analysis: Kingsbury is number one on my board. He has head coaching experience in a major conference, which will help the second year head coach at Tennessee. He was the OC at Texas A&M during Johnny Manziel's Heisman campaign, and his former Texas Tech QB is lighting up the NFL right now (Patrick Mahomes). Both of those can only help in recruiting. The only drawback to Kingsbury is that his style of offense doesn't mesh with what Pruitt wants to do. Could he adapt his style to match that of Jeremy Pruitt?
2. Dan Enos
Resume: Current QB coach at Alabama, former OC at Arkansas (under Bret Bielema), former head coach at Central Michigan (replaced Butch Jones)
Analysis: I know that Kingsbury is probably a pipe dream. If Tennessee can't get Kingsbury to be the new OC, then I think the job should go to Enos. He is a respected offensive mind in the college football world and his balanced system fits what Jeremy Pruitt wants to run The speculation is that is if current Alabama OC, Mike Locksley, takes a head coaching job somewhere, then Nick Saban will promote Enos to become the new OC. Which means, if Tennessee wants to hire Enos, they need to do it soon.
3. Will Friend
Resume: Current O-Line coach, former OC at Colorado State
Analysis: If Tennessee was to hire within the current staff, this is who would get the job. Friend was a college teammate and roommate at Alabama with Pruitt, so they know each other quite well. They also worked together on the Georgia staff under Mark Richt. Friend would embrace Pruitt's pro-style system that he wants to run. He was also the OC at Colorado State under Mike Bobo, who was the OC at Georgia while Friend and Pruitt were on the staff. Friend would be the safe hire for Tennessee. If he does get the job, it will be interesting to see what other shuffling is done on the staff.
4. Freddie Kitchens
Resume: Current OC at Cleveland Browns
Analysis: Kitchens hasn't coached in college since 2005, when he was the RB coach at Mississippi State. He was the QB at Alabama when Friend and Pruitt were there, and was also a roommate of the two. So there is familiarity with some of the staff. My only concerns are that his current job as Browns OC is the only place where he has been the OC, and he has only had that position this season. Also, it has been reported that his former boss with the Arizona Cardinals, Bruce Arians, has expressed interest in the Cleveland Browns head coaching position, and would likely want to keep Kitchens on as the Browns OC. If Tennessee was able to hire him, I think Kitchens would be a solid hire.
Here is the group I have concerns with:
5. Bryan McClendon
Resume: Current OC at South Carolina, former interim head coach at Georgia
Analysis: McClendon's entire playing and coaching career has been in the SEC. He has prior experience coaching running backs when he was at Georgia (same time Pruitt was there as the DC). So it would make sense if he is hired that he takes over as the RB coach, which would allow Chris Weinke (a former Heisman winning QB at Florida State) to take over as the QB Coach. The only concerns I have with McClendon are that this was his first year as an OC in college, and the South Carolina offense did not get off to a great start. Could the Tennessee fan base handle another season of a struggling offense?
6. Chip Lindsey
Resume: Current OC at Auburn, former OC at Arizona State, former OC at Southern Mississippi
Analysis: Like Pruitt, Lindsey is a former high school football coach in Alabama. While his offense at Auburn in 2017 put up some impressive numbers, this year the Auburn offense has struggled and there are rumors around The Plains that Lindsey might be out of a job very soon. How could Tennessee sell the hire to the fan base, if he was just run out of town by a team they beat back in October?
7. Tee Martin
Resume: Former OC at Southern California (USC), former WR coach at Kentucky, former QB coach at New Mexico, former QB at Tennessee
Analysis: Yes it would be great to bring a VFL back into the fold and add to a staff that already includes Terry Fair, Kevin Simon and Montario Hardesty. However, the USC offense this year struggled so much, that Martin not only had play calling duties taken away from him during the season, but ultimately was fired after the season was over. In December of 2012, Martin interviewed for a position on Butch Jones staff, when Jones was putting his staff together after he was hired. Butch Jones did not hire Tee Martin. Why he wasn't hired, who knows. I do know that the way the interview went, but it left bad feelings between Martin and his alma mater. With Coach Fulmer now the athletic director at Tennessee, I believe he could repair the relationship. While Martin has been heralded as a top recruiter and would be a nice addition to this staff, I think his struggles at USC this season, along with the fact he was just fired would be a hard sell, even to the diehards of the Tennessee fan base.
...and now for the person on a lot of people's wish lists, but who does not appear on my wish list:
Hugh Freeze
Resume: Current OC of Arizona Hotshots (Alliance of American Football), former head coach at Ole Miss, former head coach at Arkansas State
Analysis: Not no, but HELL NO! This man was "fired" from Ole Miss (he was told to resign or he was being fired) for using his school issued cellphone to call escort services. Not to mention he was responsible for getting Ole Miss placed on probation by the NCAA for numerous recruiting violations. The violations included lack of institutional control, failure to monitor his assistants and impermissible benefits for players by Ole Miss employees and boosters (such as car loans and cash). There was at least one recruit that was suspected of getting help on his college entrance exam!
The SEC rules include language stating that a member school must consult directly with the SEC Commissioner before hiring someone "who has engaged in unethical conduct as defined under NCAA Bylaws or who has participated in activity that resulted in, or may result, in a Level I, Level II or major infraction." Which means, if an SEC school wants to hire Freeze to coach in any capacity, they must get the blessing of the Commissioner.
After Brian Daboll left Alabama at the end of the 2017 season to become the OC of the Buffalo Bills, Nick Saban looked to bring Freeze in as his new OC. This meant that Alabama had to go to Birmingham and meet with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, and get his blessing for them to hire Hugh Freeze as their new OC. Not even Nick Saban and Alabama could persuade the SEC to let them hire Freeze! If Alabama could not dissuade the SEC from letting them hire Freeze, what makes anyone think that Tennessee could do it?
If Freeze is hired as the new OC at Tennessee, then I will have been hit from the Blind Side.
