So Tennessee football has had three Big Ten leaders, and they are under their second head coach from the Alabama Crimson Tide to lead them right now. The person to precede the first head coach, though, was a Florida Gators graduate.
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Doug Dickey is one of the most legendary names in UT history. It’s highly ironic he graduated from a program that would become arch-rivals. Even more ironic was Dickey took over a year after Steve Spurrier, a quarterback from Tennessee who would turn UF into a powerhouse program in the 1990s and create the rivalry, committed to Florida.
Anyway, Dickey himself was a legendary coach on Rocky Top. He took over in 1964 and established his own traditions, including running through the T. And he brought in the T-formation, a fashionable offense at the time.
After a losing record in 1964, he then had his quarterback in 1965. Changing the offense, bringing in Dewey Warren and eventually integrating the program in 1967 began the transition of the Vols into the modern era, and that created a 10-year period of success from Dickey to Bill Battle. But Dickey was the guy behind it.
From 1965 to 1969, Dickey had five straight top 25 finishes, three top 10 finishes, two SEC Championships, and one retroactive national championship in 1967. He then left for Florida before returning to UT as A.D. and making the critical hire of Phillip Fulmer, who played for him, as head coach. But yeah, Dickey’s impact with the Vols is substantial despite being a Florida grad.