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Tennessee football: Top five candidates to replace Vols RB coach David Johnson

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Scott Halleran/AllSport
Photo by Scott Halleran/AllSport /

2. Jay Graham

Running backs coach

Texas A&M Aggies

Jeremy Pruitt brought back Jim Chaney and Derrick Ansley. Why not bring back Jay Graham? Clearly, Tennessee football had lots of rising talent on that 2012 staff, it just didn’t all come together. What did come together, though, was the offensive side of the ball, and Graham was a huge part of that. So he clearly has the track record of success and recruiting to take this job.

After leaving the Vols, Jimbo Fisher hired Graham with the Florida State Seminoles, and he just so happened to coach with Pruitt that year, who was in his first season as a defensive coordinator. Together, these two helped bring a national championship to Tallahassee, Fla. Graham has been with Pruitt ever since, which is why he is now a member of the Texas A&M Aggies.

Being familiar with Pruitt and having experience working with Fisher’s offensive mind for so many years, in addition to his recruiting and track record of success, make him a perfect hire for Rocky Top. Oh, and like Montario Hardesty, he is a former UT running back, dating back to the Peyton Manning days of the mid-1990s, who also played in the NFL.

Graham would bring lots more recruiting connections to Knoxville this time around as well. Now he has Florida and Texas in addition to South Carolina, where he spent time as running backs coach of the Gamecocks from 2009-2011, and Ohio, where he spent time as a running backs coach with the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks. Simply put, he’s the most proven hire on here.

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