Vols Head Coach Butch Jones Staying Busy

Apr 20, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones signs a helmet for a fan before the spring Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Now that spring practice has wrapped up and players are heading home for the summer (and can’t be contacted by coaches in an official capacity), you would think Butch Jones finally has some free time to get to know the city he’s been living in the past six months.

You’d be wrong, very wrong.

Even with the Big Orange Caravan (event in various locations where coaches and fans can interact) winding down, there’s still a lot sitting in front of Butch Jones.

In fact at the Caravan’s most recent stop in Kingsport, TN, Jones said this is actually one the coaching staff’s busiest times of the year.

"Jones: You’re laying the foundation for training camp, you’re playing everything out. Currently we’re in the middle of spring recruiting, so we’re watching a lot of recruiting film. Then obviously we’re going back and we’re doing quality control on spring [practice].We’re trying to do identity files on every player."

Being a college football coach is one of the most tireless jobs in all of sports. There’s long hours, endless NCAA regulations and little to no time off.

Butch Jones has embraced the challenge so far, fitting nearly a years worth of work into just six months.

It’s not just the on-the-field work that Jones is putting in, it’s also the off the field work. The Tennessee head coach made it a point during his introductory press conference to talk about developing character and turning players into men. He’s deliverd on that promise so far.

The first example of that is the team’s academic performance during Jones’ first semester as coach.

There’s a long ways to go, but Coach Jones has the Vols back on the right track.

Even if it means he has to cut that summer vacation just a tad short.