Tennessee football: 5 reasons to be excited about Vols hiring Jim Chaney
![KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Tennessee mascot Davy Crockett carries the flag across the end zone during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Tennessee mascot Davy Crockett carries the flag across the end zone during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c7b2619836b0898e0a649ea6fb4e44bbec8645c36aaa5c2d6a61a1a326d6cbca.jpg)
2. Balance is a staple of Jim Chaney’s offense
When you look at what Tyler Bray did in 2012 with Justin Hunter, Cordarrelle Patterson and Mychal Rivera, and when you hear that Jim Chaney developed Drew Brees, it becomes easy to assume that he’s all about big passing stats. But that’s not true at all.
Chaney runs a standard pro-style offense and has a heavy focus on balance. In fact, each of his last three years with the Georgia Bulldogs, he ran it anywhere between 10 and 25 times more a game than he threw it, even though his offenses put up big passing numbers. That’s a perfect fit for what type of offense Jeremy Pruitt wants to have and the identity he wants to build
One thing that could help Chaney as well is he probably will have more free reign to be an offensive coordinator under Pruitt than he has in recent years. Kirby Smart was a known micro-manager, and Bret Bielema and Derek Dooley both were more involved on the offensive side of the ball.
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Pruitt, meanwhile, has more of a Jimbo Fisher mentality. He just wants to call the defense and let the offense do its thing as long as the offense is built the way he wants it. Chaney gives him just that with his balance.
As a result, Tennessee football may get to see the results of a full Chaney offense, the likes of which haven’t been seen since his days with the Purdue Boilermakers. That could be a huge plus heading into this season.