Vols Football: Updated Thoughts On Potential Offensive Coordinator
By Zach Ragan
We’ve had nearly 24 hours to ponder potential replacements for recently departed Vols offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian.
All kinds of names have surfaced, from the insanely ridiculous (Peyton Manning) to the mildly ridiculous (Jim Bob Cooter).
With that in mind, let’s break down the potential scenarios from the “absolutely not going to happen” to “unlikely but feasible” to “most likely scenario”.
Not Going To Happen
Peyton Manning
Current position: Denver Broncos quarteback
I hope most of the people that have suggested Manning’s name have done so as a joke. But knowing the internet like I do, I’m sure there are some that think this is realistic and/or ideal. It’s neither.
Jim Bob Cooter
Current position: Detroit Lions quarterbacks coach
The Lions already denied the Chicago Bears permission to speak to Cooter, there’s no reason to think they’d let him leave for Tennessee.
Plus Cooter’s offensive philosophy doesn’t line up with Butch Jones’ philosophy at all. This hire would make very little sense, since his only connection to Butch Jones is the fact that he played at Tennessee a decade ago.
Tee Martin
Current position: USC wide receivers coach
Tee Martin already turned down a chance to come back to Tennessee. There’s absolutely no way Jones is going back down that road for a guy without offensive coordinator experience (at the college level).
Unlikely, but feasible
Calvin Magee
Current position: Arizona co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach
Magee is a popular name to replace Bajakian, because he has a connection to Jones (coached together at West Virginia) and shares the same offensive philosophy.
But a prerequisite for an offensive coordinator at Tennessee (due to the way the staff is set up) is that they’re able to coach quarterbacks as well. Magee has never done that. He’s only coached running backs and tight ends.
There’s really no way the Vols can make this one work. No one else on the staff has experience coaching quarterbacks. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Rod Smith
Current position: Arizona co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
This is the home run hire that Jones could make. But how likely is it that Smith would leave Arizona?
Smith, as a player, was coached by Rich Rodriguez and has followed him to various stops. Unless there’s a hefty raise involved, there’s no logical reason for Smith to leave Arizona for Tennessee.
But if decides he wants a change, this would be the best of the realistic hires for the Vols.
TJ Weist
Current position: Did not coach in 2014
On paper this seems like a logical choice. Weist was Jones’ wide receivers coach at Cincinnati, but he didn’t make the transition with the majority of the staff to Tennessee.
That could be because he wanted to be an offensive coordinator, which he was in 2013 at UConn (and later interim head coach).
We’re not positive on how this relationship stands, but something does seem a bit off. It seems doubtful that Jones would bring Weist back in as an offensive coordinator.
Most likely scenarios
Here are what I think are the two most likely scenarios for Tennessee moving forward.
Scenario 1:
The Vols promote wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni to offensive coordinator and promote offensive assistant Nick Sheridan to quarterbacks coach.
Azzanni was an offensive coordinator for one season at Western Kentucky and he’s very familiar, obviously, with Jones’ offense.
Sheridan was a quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Western Kentucky in 2012 and South Florida in 2013.
This would be a great move for staff continuity, but you’d be placing some inexperienced folks in high profile positions.
Scenario 2:
The Vols go with co-offensive coordinators.
This is a system that can work well, as we’ve seen throughout college football (Arizona for example).
Jones could decide to hire Matt LeFleur from Notre Dame (current Irish quarterbacks coach and former Washington Redskins quarterbacks coach, coached with Jones at Central Michigan in 2004) and name him co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. That would of course place Azzanni has the other co-offensive coordinator.
LeFleur worked with Robert Griffin III at Washington and has worked under Jones’ mentor (Brian Kelly) as well. So the fit would be natural.
I realize neither of those scenarios are “knock it out of the park” scenarios, but they might be Tennessee’s best options.
Remember, the Vols have to hire more than a name. They have to hire someone that fits with their vision, gets along with the staff and is a strong recruiter.
Sometimes what’s best for the program, isn’t always the obvious answer (take the hiring of Butch Jones for example).
What’s your dream scenario for the Vols’ offensive coordinator search? Let us know in the comments below!