New Name

I heard a new name yesterday in the search for a new OC at Tennessee.  The name was Matt Canada.  This name has started circulating in Knoxville sports talk and at the water cooler after he was not named the head coach at Maryland on Tuesday.  That job went to former Alabama OC, Mike Locksley.

I'm sure Canada was not very happy being passed over by Maryland after he was put in charge of the program following the death of Maryland offensive lineman, Jordan McNair.  Canada lead the Terrapins to a 5-7 record this season.  While it isn't a great record, the dark cloud that was former head coach D.J. Durkin loomed over the entire season and made it very challenging for the entire program to focus on playing football.

To make things worse for Canada, Mike Locksley's career head coaching record is 3-31.  But Locksley has no ties to the prior staff, like Canada does.  So I can see why Maryland would want to cut all ties to Durkin and his entire staff.

So Matt Canada is now available.  Instantly he should be in consideration for Tennessee.  He has had great success as an OC at Pittsburgh, NC State, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Indiana and LSU.  Canada is considered to be one of the best offensive minds in college football and is known for his smart scheming.

However, we need to pump the brakes.  Canada was the highest paid OC in college football at $1.5 million when he was at LSU...for one season.  Canada and LSU head coach Ed Orgeron clashed throughout the entire 2017 season.  Why?  Because Orgeron is a headstrong coach who wants it his way.  Sound familiar?

 

Hugh Freeze

 

If Tennessee was going to hire Hugh Freeze to be their next OC, they would have already hired him.  When Tyson Helton left for Western Kentucky after the Vanderbilt game, Tennessee had plenty of time to get the jump on the rest of the SEC and hire Freeze to be the OC.  Now Tennessee does not have the advantage.  Hugh Freeze now holds all the cards.  Here is how:

 

1.  Kliff Kingsbury was hired by USC

When Clay Helton and USC hired Kliff Kingsbury yesterday, it was a last ditch effort for Helton to save his job.  What actually happened was they hired the guy that will replace Helton on an interm basis once he is fired during the 2019 season.

 

2.  Chip Lindsey has left Auburn to be the OC at Kansas

A great hire for Les Miles.  Many thought Lindsey was one of the top candidates to be the next OC at Tennessee.  I had him in the Top 5 on my realistic wish list.

 

3.  Walt Bell has left Florida State to be the head coach at UMass

I don't blame Bell for taking this job at all.  Granted UMass has gone 16-44 in the past five seasons, but there was no guarantee he was going to have a job at Florida State after the 2019 season.  Especially if Willie Taggart doesn't get the Seminoles headed in the right direction.

4.  Turner Gill has retired as the head coach of Liberty

The former Buffalo and Kansas head coach announced yesterday he is retiring.   This opens up a head coaching position.

5.  Mike Locksley has left Alabama to be the head coach at Maryland

This is the doomsday scenario for Tennessee.  It is great for the DC native to be able to take over a program that is coming off a turbulent season.  However, it isn't great for Tennessee.  Nick Saban will be searching for his fifth OC since 2013 (Nussmeier, Kiffin, Daboll, Locksley).  Saban has plenty of options to choose from, and could greatly impact the Tennessee hire.

 

6.  Urban Meyer retired as the head coach of Ohio State

No one was shocked at the announcement yesterday that Meyer was retiring after the Rose Bowl on January 1.  Ohio State also announced that Ryan Day, who was the OC and interm head coach during the season, was going to succeed Meyer as the Buckeyes head coach.  Does Day keep Kevin Wilson on as the OC?

What does all of these things have in common?  Hugh Freeze.  He could easily take any one of these jobs and leave Tennessee out in the cold.

Chip Lindsey is already off the board.  Let's say Freeze takes the job at Auburn or Florida State.  This means Saban can offer the OC job at Alabama to Dan Enos.  At that point Tennessee is looking at number four on their wish list (McClendon, Kitchens or Friend).  I'm sure Tennessee fans remember the last time the program had to settle on a coach.

Lindsey Is Leaving Auburn

 

Chip Lindsey is leaving Auburn.  He is not leaving The Plains to become the OC at Tennessee.  He left The Plains to become the new OC at Kansas, which just recently hired Les Miles to be their new head coach.  I think it is a great hire for Les Miles.  I never thought I would see the day that you would see an OC leave a powerhouse in the SEC to go be the OC at Kansas.

It is amazing how this one move could change the dynamic of the OC search at Tennessee.  Does Auburn now look at Hugh Freeze to replace Lindsey?  It is possible.  Freeze and Malzahn are friends from their days as high school coaches.

It does appear that the coaching carousel is picking up speed.  Everyone better buckle up, because the wild ride is about to take off.

Bailey Chooses Tennessee

 

Jeremy Pruitt and the Tennessee Volunteers football program just got a big boost.  Harrison Bailey, the four-star QB prospect from Marietta, has just given a verbal commit to Tennessee.  He chose the Volunteers over Michigan.  The 6'4" QB is the fourth member of the 2020 signing class.

“About three weeks ago, I kind of had an idea before I visited Tennessee that I want to go there. But one day I was just sitting at home, talking with my Dad and that was really it,” Bailey said at his press conference today.

This kid has the potential to be something special.  I love his attitude, his desire and his competitive spirit.  “If you know anything about me, I like to build stuff. I like taking a program that is not where he needs to be and taking it to where it should be,” he said. “I like building stuff around me, I like to be the one, I want that responsibility.”

I was not surprised at all when Bailey said that Coach Pruitt was the reason that he chose to commit to Tennessee.  “I trust Coach Pruitt and his staff,” he said. “Coach Pruitt has won those national championships where he has been. He has coached a lot of great players. I know and I believe that he is going to recruit really good players there, and I am not worried about that. I trust him that he is going to bring in somebody good with the OC job."

There is something special happening on campus.  First it was OL prospect Wanya Morris saying, "I just wanted to be a part of something different.  I changed my mind to go to Tennessee the night before I committed actually because I just wanted to be different and have my name part of a dyansty that is going to rebuild to win another national championship."

Then today, at his press conference, this is what Bailey said:  "Come be great, come play with some great coaches, some great players.  We are going to get it turned around.  I am coming to win championships.  We are going to win.  I believe that much in Coach Pruitt, too."

Rome wasn't built in a day.  Neither was the Tennessee dynasty under Coach Fulmer.  I trust that Jeremy Pruitt will get it turned around.  Today was just another reason to believe that the program is headed in the right direction.

The quotes from Bailey's press conference came from 247sports.com.  The quote from Morris came from rockytopinsider.com