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Tennessee football: Ranking all 10 Vols coordinator changes this decade

By Caleb Calhoun

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 13: Tennessee Volunteers defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri coaches on the sideline in place of head coach Derek Dooley, who is coaching from the booth after hip surgery, in a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on October 13, 2012 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 13: Tennessee Volunteers defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri coaches on the sideline in place of head coach Derek Dooley, who is coaching from the booth after hip surgery, in a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on October 13, 2012 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

4. Kevin Sherrer (Really Jeremy Pruitt)

Role: Defensive Coordinator

Hired by: Jeremy Pruitt

Year hired: 2018

Coach replaced: Bob Shoop

So this is a bit of a confusing one. Kevin Sherrer is now technically Tennessee football’s defensive coordinator, while Chris Rumph is the Vols’ co-defensive coordinator. But Jeremy Pruitt is the one calling the plays.

However you look at it, we’re just ranking this as a combination. And with just one year to look at that combination, it’s actually pretty safe to say that the defensive hires did work out. Sure, they struggled in their first season, but consider what they inherited.

This was a team that went 4-8 last year. And the defense actually did its part to get this team to seven wins on the year. They bailed out the offense against the Charlotte 49ers, Kentucky Wildcats and UTEP Miners.

In games where they played poorly, if the offense could’ve bailed them out maybe once or twice, this team could’ve had up to 10 wins. In a difficult transition to a 3-4 defense and with all the cornerbacks from last year gone, this defense gave up 35 fewer yards per game in 2018 while also allowing fewer points.

Pruitt and Sherrer’s new system brought about a resurgence of Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle, Alexis Johnson, Darrell Taylor, Baylene Buchanan  and was doing the same thing for Jonathan Kongbo. Darrin Kirkland Jr. was able to thrive in his return to health, and Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor were able to look like future stars. So this combination worked out, and its a great one for the Vols’ future.

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