The search for a new head coach at the University of Tennessee has begun for athletic director Danny White, who hired this week to replace Philip Fulmer and tasked with bringing the Vols' football program back to the forefront following the firing of Jeremy Pruitt.
White said this week he would not conduct his coaching search until he heard from Tennessee's student athletes. Kevin Steele, hired last week as an assistant in a non-coordinator role, is serving as the Vols' interim head coach.
For the latest intel on Tennessee's coaching search, check out GoVols247's Hot Board 3.0, here.
One coach to surface this week as a potential option for the Vols is Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott. White could take the offense-first approach with his list like he did at UCF with Josh Heupel following Scott Frost's exit to Nebraska and put Elliott near the top based on his production with the Tigers.
USA Today's Vols Wire this week produced a list of potential candidates for Tennessee in its search. We've tried to categorize their options from most likely to least likely to be in the mix and have used Sportsline's recent betting odds as a guideline:
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
USA Today: "Kiffin served as the Vols’ head coach in 2009. He compiled a 7-6 (4-4 SEC) record with a victory over Georgia."
247Sports take: Kiffin still has a lot of love for Tennessee and says as much on social media, but he just signed a multi-year extension to remain with the Rebels earlier this month. And given the current state of the program, would a jump back to Knoxville from Oxford be somewhat of a lateral move for the 45-year-old offensive guru?
Billy Napier, Louisiana
247Sports take: The betting favorite at +300 to get the job according to Sportsline, Louisiana's successful coach spent four seasons under Nick Saban at Alabama and is awaiting an ideal opportunity — one that fits his "blueprint" so to speak. Thus far, Auburn and South Carolina didn't offer either, but perhaps the situation in Tennessee does meet his criteria.
Hugh Freeze, Liberty
247Sports take: It would undoubtedly be a risk for the Vols to hire Freeze, who was fired at Ole Miss amid violations, given Pruitt's ousting for cause. College football insider Bruce Feldman said this week Freeze to Tennessee is unlikely.
“Having known Hugh Freeze, I know he had dreamed of that job, to be the Tennessee head coach,” Feldman said on ESPN Radio on Wednesday. “He's done a really good job at Liberty. He's a terrific play caller and coach. If Hugh Freeze were to get the job at Tennessee, he would win there faster, probably than anyone else I can think of. The problem is, he got fired at Ole Miss for a scandal, not just for personal conduct violations….but NCAA issues that were not just big for Ole Miss, but for the SEC.
“I'd be very surprised, never mind the optics Tennessee would have to deal with….people would say, ‘wait a minute, you’re talking about integrity and then hire Hugh Freeze?’ I don't know how Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner, would sign off on that hire. Especially with the NCAA lined up. If all this NCAA stuff related to Jeremy Pruitt and his staff wasn't coming down the pipe….I could see some power brokers at Tennessee go ‘look this guy can win here and wants the job. He could be the guy.’ But I don't see Greg Sankey letting that happen.”
Gus Malzahn, former Auburn HC
247Sports take: Was Malzahn under-appreciated on the Plains? He beat Nick Saban several times, won 77 games over eight seasons and captured a conference championship during the 2013 campaign. He is best known for being the brains behind Auburn's offense during its 2010 national championship season and the Vols could use innovative concepts offensively.
Chris Petersen, former Washington HC
247Sports take: When there's a guy who's available with 147 career wins as a darkhorse candidate and has led a program to the College Football Playoff in the past that doesn't recruit at the Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State-caliber levels, perhaps Tennessee could take a closer look and gauge his interest. Would Petersen leave retirement to coach in the SEC? He was a winner at Washington and Boise State and that isn't easy.
Jeff Hafley, Boston College
247Sports take: Hafley is recruiting at an "all-time high" right now with Boston College, so imagine the level at which he could get players with considerably more resources in Knoxville. He got the most out of his first season with Eagles and instilled confidence in his players. He preaches vision and that's exactly what Tennessee needs right now.
Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
247Sports take: Chadwell is more than a flavor-of-the-month lighting rod after a spectacular 11-win season with the Chanticleers. He would bring excitement to Tennessee with an innovative philosophy offensively. Chadwell, however, signed a seven-year extension in December that puts him at Coastal Carolina through the 2027 season.
Tom Herman, former Texas HC
247Sports take: Herman found success at Texas, but not at the level expected at one of the nation's bluebloods. Herman's wife recently scolded a report that he was interested in the South Carolina job after the Gamecocks had parted ways with Will Muschamp this season, so maybe a stint in the SEC is not what he is looking for at the moment.
Jake Spavital, Texas State
247Sports take: With room to grow as one of the nation's brightest offensive minds, Tennessee would have to take the long-term route with Spavital. At 35 years old, Spavital is just 5-19 as a head coach at Texas State after calling the plays West Virginia, California and Texas A&M before that. He would certainly be a high-risk hire, but an affordable one.
Marcus Satterfield, South Carolina OC
USA Today: "Satterfield served as Tennessee Tech’s head coach from 2016-17, compiling a 6-16 record. He is from Greenback, Tennessee and was a wide receiver and punter at East Tennessee State (1995-98)."
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