1. Vols have their guy but are still negotiating a contract.
Tennessee football paid Tyson Helton $1.2 million last year. If an offensive coordinator is going to take a risk on Rocky Top, he’s probably going to command a high salary. As a result, I’ve been saying that this is likely the biggest holdup in their decision-making.
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Outside of the baggage related to the Baylor Bears, Kendal Briles is the hottest commodity out there. We know that the Florida State Seminoles are interested in him, and it looks like he interviewed with the Vols.
As a result, it’s very possible that the two schools are in a bidding war for the offensive genius. If they are, that’s a bidding war the Vols are likely to win seeing as how they have been able to shell out money for their assistants in the past.
But such a bidding war would indeed take time, and that could be why they haven’t found their guy. Heck, even Mike Yurcich and Eliah Drinkwitz would probably want to do some serious negotiation with Tennessee football before taking the job.
A guy like Jeff Lebby may not command such a high salary, but he’d be smart to fight for one before just taking an offer. These are the major type of details that could delay a hire, especially after your first target is blocked.
My hunch has been from the start that Tennessee football is fighting with the Florida State Seminoles to get Briles. If they are, that’s great news for the Vols, but only time will tell if that is the truth. For now, though, this is all speculation, and Rocky Top simply needs to stay calm about the search process at this moment.