Tennessee football: Vols coaches should have no authority to dismiss Jauan Jennings

Tennessee football wide receiver Jauan Jennings was dismissed from the team Wednesday. But the Volunteers administration should overrule the decision.

An interim coach should not be able to make a long-term decision for a program three days before his tenure comes to an end. That’s what Brady Hoke did with the Tennessee football program on Wednesday when he dismissed Jauan Jennings.

According to Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Jennings was dismissed after going on a profanity-laced Instagram rant criticizing the Vols coaches. He apparently said he went to practice Wednesday hoping to play against the Vanderbilt Commodores Saturday. After talking about hating Vanderbilt, he then went at the coaches, accusing them of lying and called them fake and snakes.

To be clear, Jennings did not make a smart decision here. It was the stupidest thing to do three days before the coaches weren’t going to be here anyway.

However, Hoke should have absolutely no authority to dismiss him. He has three days left on the job, and Jennings is not going to play Saturday anyway.

According to Hoke, the decision came after consulting with John Currie. However, Currie should overrule Hoke’s decision immediately. He can share this issue with the next Tennessee football head coach and let that person make the decision.

But Currie should not allow an interim coach make such a crucial decision. Jennings figures to be a key role in the Tennessee football offense regardless of the head coach next year. And in his first year, he’ll need a player of Jennings’s caliber.

Allowing an interim coach to get rid of him sabotages the program’s future. And that is far from fair.

Say what you want about Jennings’s rant, but he clearly is a great leader for the Tennessee football program. The guy knows how to energize the Vols fan base and players. And heading into next year, he figures to be a major leader.

Simply put, Jennings has a lot more to do with the future of Tennessee football than Brady Hoke or any of these coaches. Currie should take the lead on this and allow Jennings back on the team until the next coach makes the decision.