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

3. Experience

In addition to experience winning, Tee Martin brings a wide range of coaching experience to Tennessee football as well. It’s all on the offensive side of the ball, but let’s be honest. That’s where the Vols need the experience.

Martin has been a wide receivers coach, a quarterbacks coach, a passing game coordinator and an offensive coordinator at different times. That would suggest his experience is specifically in the passing game, but as a quarterback who used his mobility when he played, you know he’s able to do that as well.

But Martin’s experience is not just about the different hats he wore. It’s also about whom he has studied under. Again, you can criticize Mike Locksley’s tenure with the New Mexico Lobos, but he’s a credible offensive mind. Darrell Dickey, the offensive coordinator of that team, is thriving now in the same role with the Memphis Tigers. Martin had to pick up something studying under them.

While coaching with the Kentucky Wildcats, he studied under Joker Phillips and Randy Sanders, both of whom are respected offensive minds. And nobody questions the offensive brilliance of Lane Kiffin or Steve Sarkisian, both of whom Martin worked under with the USC Trojans. Again, these are all questionable head coaches, but their offensive minds are incredible.

And let’s not forget that when he played, Martin sat behind Peyton Manning for two years and also learned from David Cutcliffe. So he’s taken knowledge from some of the best and coached a variety of positions. That type of experience is very valuable, and it’s going to be a huge deal for the Vols.