Tennessee football head coach Butch Jones is on the hot seat for the 2017 season. But the Volunteers leader may deserve more credit than he’s getting.
Many’a loud Tennessee football critics and nega-vols have argued there should be absolutely no wiggle room for head coach Butch Jones this season. With the talent he had last year, a trip to Atlanta should’ve been easily attainable.
Some wanted him dismissed after the crippling loss to Vanderbilt that cost UT a trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Others have wanted him dismissed before that for irrational reasons.
There’s a lot more to the conditions of the 2016 season fans tend to overlook.
The Vols were on a hot streak. They had just beaten Georgia in a miraculous Hail Mary victory to carry their undefeated streak to 5-0.
This happened just after their rousing second half comeback over Florida in Knoxville. Critics raved. The Vols had their season in the bag. Even in the midst of an injury ridden season, they still found ways to capitalize.
Until it all caught up with them.
Before you know it, Tennessee football’s unstoppable season suddenly hits the breaks. They managed three straight losses to Texas A&M, Bama and South Carolina off of a BYE week.
It’s a tough pill for fans to swallow. If I’m honest, I was among those who thought he should be gone after the Vandy loss. However…
CONSIDER THE FACTS
First of all, the Jalen Hurd drama was rumored to be going on for quite some time, a lot longer than most fans know. This kind of negativity can really bring down the energy of a team. It’s a contagion.
Butch Jones covered Hurd in many press conferences after he quit. Meanwhile, he and the rest of the staff are wondering how they’re supposed to keep a football team going with 23 starters sidelined with injury.
Of course the Alabama game was as bad as it was. If you put 2nd and 3rd string players against 1st string Tides, you’re going to get decimated.
It’s kind of miraculous what Butch was able to do. He has yet to lose more games than his previous seasons. Back-to-Back 9-4 seasons is miles away from where Tennessee used to be. Dare we recall the darkest days of Tennessee football under train wrecks Derek Dooley and Lane Kiffin?
MORE FACTS
In 2015, Jones nearly beat Alabama and Florida on the road. Conservative play calling and costly turnovers by the players deprived Tennessee of those wins. But, here we are back to it in 2017.
Both the Tide and the Gators will meet Tennessee on their own turf. Jones knows what it takes to beat Florida. He snapped the grueling 11 year losing streak on a team that guaranteed a victory over the Vols.
Jones has also put his staff on a complete overhaul. He promoted Larry Scott to Offensive coordinator as well as adding the following coaches:
After the disappointing end to last season, Butch Jones knew he had to make changes. He did just that. Losing Athletic Director Dave Hart bought Jones a bit more time to implement these changes. John Currie will be keeping a close eye on the program but fans should accept that Butch is going nowhere, at least not for a couple years.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To reiterate, Butch has brought a program from 2-14 up to consistent 9 win, top 25 seasons. He snapped the streak against Florida, continues to recruit well and if given enough time will lead Tennessee to Atlanta. I am confident in that.
A national championship is nowhere in the cards right now. There’s just too much work to be done. Alabama has completely changed the competition of the SEC. What Butch Jones needs right now is a patient and committed program.
Before we demand him to be fired because of all he hasn’t accomplish yet, focus on his positives. Just take a breath and trust the process.