Butch Jones Very Likely to Take the Tennessee Football Coaching Job [UPDATE]

All, College Football Jason McIntyre December 7th. 2012, 7:32am

Butch Jones, who led Cincinnati to a 9-3 mark this year, is very likely to take the Tennessee Volunteers head coaching opening according to two reports. Jones, who is 23-14 in three years with the Bearcats since taking over for Brian Kelly, who went to Notre Dame, was about the 4th option for Tennessee.

The 4-week coaching search appears to finally be over.

The Vols were rejected by Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden.
Then Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy passed.
Louisville coach Charlie Strong also said no (and got a shiny new 8-year deal from the Cardinals).

With nobody wanting the job, the Tennessee brand took a hit this month, but that can easily be repaired if Jones has success in a year or two.

Jones also had success at Central Michigan prior to Cincinnati, going 27-13 in three years there.

[UPDATE: Jones took the job. Tennessee is having a press conference at 2:30 pm.]

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27 Responses to “Butch Jones Very Likely to Take the Tennessee Football Coaching Job [UPDATE]”

1
Liquor Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 7:49 AM
With nobody wanting the job, the Tennessee brand took a hit this month
Sentiment like this is absurd. Gruden was never a realistic option, TBoone U can match money and has an easier schedule, and who knows what Strong is thinking.
I think the football teams play has damaged the brand more than a slightly extended coaching search.
2
oskie Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:13 AM
Only thing that would make me concerned about Jones, is that much of his success is due to Brian Kelly recruits at both stops.
3
oskie Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:14 AM
let me amend that. much of his success has been done with Brian Kelly recruits at both stops.
4
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:19 AM
UT football is dead. No one is happy about this hire. No one.
5
HtownHacker Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:25 AM
UT football is dead. No one is happy about this hire. No one.
Who (realistically) were you hoping for?
6
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Who (realistically) were you hoping for?
Well, any of of the first 3 guys who turned us down would have been preferred. Not to mention successful coordinators (Smart, Roman, etc.) from big name winning teams. It’s just a failure. The process was a disaster publicly embarrassing, and the hire is an absolute dud. They of course hire the one dude at a major school that Dooley actually beat. It’s just sad. I don’t know how it came to this.
7
Roethlishotdog Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:38 AM
Not to mention successful coordinators (Smart, Roman, etc.) from big name winning teams. It’s just a failure. The process was a disaster publicly embarrassing, and the hire is an absolute dud.
Most PSU fans weren’t exactly thrilled with our hire last year either – I saw a lot of these feelings from our fans.
/no one is complaining now
8
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:38 AM
And the sad thing is it’s an institutional problem with UT now. The AD, the President, the Chancellor: They’re all at odds with each other and there is no cohesive leadership. Coaches don’t want to come here because it’s a struggle to keep kids in school and compete with other SEC teams with football as their focus. There is no doubt in my mind that Strong was 100% coming until he got some of the details about the lack of cooperation between the Academic and Athletic sides and how difficult it makes this job.
I wish this Jones dude well, but you’re going to see a Chizik at Auburn like situation here when he is announced. No one is going to support this guy early on, because we just went through 3 years of a similar no name hire that was a disaster.
9
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:39 AM
Most PSU fans weren’t exactly thrilled with our hire last year either – I saw a lot of these feelings from our fans.
/no one is complaining now
Two pretty different situations.
10
NinoBrown Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:40 AM
Not to mention successful coordinators (Smart, Roman, etc.) from big name winning teams.
Didnt Hart say he wanted someone with head coaching experience, that is why he didnt talk to guys like Smart?
11
Hail Leroy Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:41 AM
And the sad thing is it’s an institutional problem with UT now
SHUT IT DOWN!
Sorry, had to do that.
I think Oskie is right and it’s why I was worried when he was listed as Purdue’s top choice he may be a great in-game coach, but he hasn’t been put in the position of having to grow a program vs. maintaining success. At Purdue, he would have to grow a program and at UT (on a much, much larger scale) he will have to do the same thing after what Dooley and Kiffin did
12
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:43 AM
Didnt Hart say he wanted someone with head coaching experience, that is why he didnt talk to guys like Smart?
He said a lot of things that turned out to be total BS. I’m just worried about the contract terms. If the past is any indication, they will have way overpaid for this guy and will probably include some ludicrous buyout.
13
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:44 AM
At Purdue, he would have to grow a program and at UT (on a much, much larger scale) he will have to do the same thing after what Dooley and Kiffin did
To be fair, a lot of the hard work at UT was done by Dooley. It was one thing he did well. He can’t coach worth a damn, but he did a lot of good things for the program behind the scenes and brought in a pretty nice amount of talent. He just couldn’t coach football. Despite likely losing their 3 most talented players to the draft this year, UT will still have plenty of talent next year.
14
PeerLessPrices Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:49 AM
I actually think the guy will do ok. Not mad at the hire. Obviously climbing out of this hole will be tough for any coach, so I don’t expect much. The situation is clear and it’s sad (not PSU donor sad)but everything will work out
15
Some Random Old Dude Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Maybe not the best hire for UT, but some in Boulder, CO are weeping right now.
16
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:53 AM
I actually think the guy will do ok. Not mad at the hire. Obviously climbing out of this hole will be tough for any coach, so I don’t expect much. The situation is clear and it’s sad (not PSU donor sad)but everything will work out
I’m more upset with the process and how clearly this was obviously a scramble to hire this dude, who was way down on the list. That was exactly how the Dooley situation went down out of necessity, except this time there was no reason for them to be in a hurry if they did their job well, which they clearly didn’t. We’re still a long ways off.
17
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:55 AM
Maybe not the best hire for UT, but some in Boulder, CO are weeping right now.
I highly (see what I did there?) doubt that.
18
Jason McIntyre Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:58 AM
so the 4-8 1st year in Cincinnati was on Jones or the Kelly recruits, Oskie?
Only thing that would make me concerned about Jones, is that much of his success is due to Brian Kelly recruits at both stops.
19
Some Random Old Dude Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 9:06 AM
I highly (see what I did there?) doubt that.
puff, puff…
http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_22143135/colorado-football-plan-b-coach-butch-jones-out
…pass
20
PeerLessPrices Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 9:07 AM
I’m more upset with the process and how clearly this was obviously a scramble to hire this dude, who was way down on the list
That we can agree on. Everything happens for a reason.
21
Big Hoss Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 9:33 AM
As an outsider, I would offer that I think it’s a fine hire. The process obviously didn’t go well but IMO whether Jones had been the first choice or the fourth, he’s still a fine hire. Not splashy, not sexy, but solid.
22
oskie Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 9:34 AM
so the 4-8 1st year in Cincinnati was on Jones or the Kelly recruits, Oskie?
SSS. You love doing that.
23
Jason McIntyre Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 10:39 AM
That we can agree on. Everything happens for a reason.
First contact with Jones was Thursday morning, per a few reporters tweets. so 4 weeks (or so) after you fire your coach, then you swing at everyone, you grasp at a straw.
so the 4-8 1st year in Cincinnati was on Jones or the Kelly recruits, Oskie?
SSS. You love doing that.
your answer?
24
HPN Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Could be worse, you could have George O Leary or Skip Holtz as HC.
25
Sean Jean Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 11:05 AM
If he brings some UT flavor with his assistant coaches (I hear Tee Martin is likely to join the staff), I’ll be slightly happier. That’s some Dooley refused to do and really alienated former players. Jones could take a big step forward by involving former players more than Precious (Dooley) did.
26
PeerLessPrices Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 11:07 AM
First contact with Jones was Thursday morning, per a few reporters tweets. so 4 weeks (or so) after you fire your coach, then you swing at everyone, you grasp at a straw
You may be right. But I’m not pessimistic about it. I think he’s proven he’s a good coach. Whether he can prove that there is a different story, especially with that schedule next year.
27
oskie Says:
December 7th, 2012 at 11:18 AM
your answer?
my answer is that they had a bad season. i wouldn’t conclude anything from just one season. even good coaches can have a bad season. that being said, my overall analysis of him is that he has yet to build his own program. that would give me pause and not much overall excitement of bringing him in. You look at his the guys who coached at Cincy before him, Dantonio and Kelly, and they at least built programs up.