Tennessee football: 5 things Tee Martin brings to Vols as assistant coach

5. Familiarity with the program

We’ll start with an obvious one, but it matters. Jeremy Pruitt clearly wants SEC guys on his staff who know the Tennessee football program but are still qualified, and nobody fits that criteria better than Tee Martin.

A guy who grew up in Alabama following SEC football, Martin then chose the Vols over the Crimson Tide or the Auburn Tigers. And as a starting quarterback, he went 5-0 against schools from Alabama, including 2-0 against both Alabama and Auburn.

But that’s just a fun talking point. What’s important is that Martin knows the lay of the land, and that’s going to be a huge deal for him as he helps Pruitt build the program he wants to build on Rocky Top. There are very few former Vols more beloved than Martin, so bringing him in is a splash for the fans and Martin considering their familiarity with each other.

This is why it was important to have guys like Terry Fair on the staff as well. With Martin aboard, both sides of the ball now have a guy who played for the Vols, and they also played for the program when it was at its peak.

That not only gives them a better chance to relate to the players, it also gives them instant credibility. These guys know what it takes to turn UT into a powerhouse, and they can share that with everybody they are coaching. Such credibility is another thing Martin brings to the program.