Tennessee Football: How will new DB coach Charlton Warren make his immediate impact with the Vols defense?
By Colby Howell
Tennessee football is looking to reshape its defense after 2016. New secondary coach Charlton Warren is the addition they’ve been looking for.
Tennessee football’s defense is in a desperate state of reform for the 2017 season, and Charlton Warren is here to help.
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Most people are unaware of the tenacity this guy brings to the table. Warren comes to the Vols from North Carolina where, according to NCAA FBS Defensive Rankings, they ranked 12th overall for passing yards allowed in 2016.
Not to mention, through the entire season, the Tar Heels only allowed 11 passing touchdowns. That is incredibly impressive considering their conference, the ACC.
Warren played a key role in North Carolina’s secondary success. If we’re comparing it to Tennessee football’s 2016 stats for passing yards allowed, the Tar Heels simply better. Much, much better.
Tennessee didn’t even rank within the top 50 for passing yards allowed. Meanwhile, consider the Tar Heels’ rank ahead of other stacked ACC opponents.
Clemson, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Florida State all fell behind Warren’s Tar Heels in passing yards allowed.
As we all know, Clemson won the national championship while Virginia Tech, Louisville and Florida State finished ranked in the Top 25. So Warren is fairly capable of coaching in a top-tier conference.
Switching from the ACC to the SEC should be fairly meaningless.
Warren’s arrival in Knoxville couldn’t have come at a better time. Unlike most Vols players themselves, Warren has already proven himself. Tennessee football fans don’t have to rely on his potential.
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BRIEF HISTORY
When digging into Warren’s history, Tennessee football fans may feel a bit more at ease with his addition to the staff.
He grew up in Atlanta, which makes the SEC buffs feel pretty good. It makes him clearly no stranger to the conference.
Warren graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1999 and went on to receive his education at Georgia College and Master’s degree at State University in 2003.
During his time as a student at Air Force, he served as an impressive defensive back for the Falcons and helped lead them to two consecutive 10 win seasons in ’97 and ’98.
He initially got into coaching in 2005 through his alma mater.
While serving as a defensive coach for the Falcons, he was also able to make an excellent name for himself as an established recruiter and eventually renowned defensive coordinator over the span of 9 seasons.
From there he went onto to refine his coaching career at Nebraska in 2014 and, as previously mentioned, North Carolina in 2015 and 2016.
Each season, wherever he coached, team’s secondary was never ranked lower than in the top 20.
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TOUGHNESS
It’s difficult not to be excited about adding a coach to your staff with the nickname, “Mr. Intensity”. Warren’s time in the military and coaching experience at Air Force and Nebraska has earned him that name.
When you see his energy in interviews, you’ll notice he’s undoubtedly a coach bringing a new definition to drive.
He has a very non-negotiable attitude when it comes to discipline. During a recent interview from the Vols’ Spring practice, Warren gives us his take on discipline and how he relates to his players.
“This ain’t the military, this ain’t war, but it is a band of brothers. We are a group that’s going out and trying to accomplish a mission.”
When you listen to how he speaks, you can’t help breath a sigh of relief knowing that Tennessee football is in good hands. His use of “real world applications” in the meeting room and on the gridiron are really speaking to his players.
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Warren is rallying up a dignified sense of determination on this Tennessee football team and igniting the spark to a much needed flame. I’m positive his energy and preparation for 2017 will implement a new, more competitive look to Tennessee’s defense.