Five Reasons the Vols Won’t Win the SEC East
Nov 22, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones speaks to an official during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Missouri won 29 to 21. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
2. Coordinator Change
In 2013 and 2014, the Vols had the same coaching staff instructing players on both sides of the ball. All seemed well on that same front early into the 2015 offseason, but that all changed in late January when offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian left Tennessee to coach wide receivers for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.
His replacement: Mike DeBord, formerly a sports administrator overseeing the University of Michigan’s Olympic sports. DeBord did, however, run Michigan’s offense back in 2007 and also back in 1997 when the Wolverines won the National Championship.
During DeBord’s introductory press conference last Friday morning, Butch Jones said he wanted to bring in someone who would “enhance the offense, not rebuild it.” This sets up DeBord rather comfortably, alleviating a little of the pressure on his performance in 2015.
If Jones is serious about DeBord merely “enhancing” the offense and not revamping it, then Tennessee’s offense has a good chance of running smoothly in 2015 and picking up where it left off after Josh Dobbs took over for the final five games of the 2014 season.
But if history has taught Vol fans anything, it is that they should be wary of hires that come out of nowhere. Especially when it comes to football.
In 2008, head coach Phillip Fulmer spurned DeBord for Dave Clawson, the head coach of the University of Richmond at the time. His hire left many Vol fans scratching their heads, and the 2008 season saw one of the most decrepit Tennessee offenses to take the field in modern program history, most notoriously only scoring 10 points against Wyoming on homecoming and losing 13-10, leading the Vols to a 5-7 season. That deficient offense ended Fulmer’s tenure as Tennessee’s head coach.
After Fulmer, the Vols turned to Lane Kiffin for the 2009 season, a rather surprising hire given his rather unimpressive track record to that point as the Oakland Raiders head coach in the NFL. Kiffin stayed for one season, taking the Vols to a 7-6 record and a lackluster performance in the Peach Bowl against Virginia Tech. Kiffin bolted for Southern California after one season, leaving Tennessee’s head swirling.
The Vols responded by hiring Derek Dooley from Louisiana Tech. Fans were once again perplexed by the hire, and after a 6-7 first season in 2010 that saw a frustrating end in the Music City Bowl against North Carolina, the hire seemed to be largely heading in the right direction. But two straight 5-7 seasons that saw a dreadful offense in 2011 and a porous defense in 2012 ruin promising seasons, Dooley was gone.
As of now, DeBord brings with him more questions than answers, just like the three coaches mentioned. But DeBord has shown he can be successful in his previous stops. The facts are, however, that any time a program changes coordinators, questions will arise, and the team will have to adjust, even if it’s slightly.
Bringing on DeBord may not derail Tennessee’s season, but his impact will certainly affect the team regardless. And that mystery doesn’t help answer any questions for the Vols heading into the 2015 season.