Another former name is returning to Tennessee football. Jay Graham will reportedly replace David Johnson as the Volunteers’ running backs coach.
It looks like Tennessee football is turning to another former Vol, and another member of Derek Dooley’s staff, to become its newest assistant coach. Jeremy Pruitt appears to have picked Jay Graham to be the guy to replace David Johnson as running backs coach.
Austin Price of VolQuest reported the news that Graham is returning, as Johnson has now gone to the Florida State Seminoles. Assuming it’s true, then for the fourth time since he finished high school, Rocky Top will welcome Graham.
This is Graham’s second stint as a running backs coach with Tennessee football, as he served on Derek Dooley’s staff in 2012. He then joined Jimbo Fisher’s staff with the Florida State in 2013 to hold the same title and be the special teams coordinator.
Pruitt also joined Fisher’s staff that year. Graham would remain there through 2017 and follow Fisher to the Texas A&M Aggies, where he has spent the past two years. Given those connections, it’s ironic he replaces Johnson due to Johnson leaving for FSU.
From 1993 to 1996, Graham was a running back for the Vols, starting his final two years. He had 2,609 career rushing yards with the Vols and 25 touchdowns while adding another 233 receiving yards in two touchdowns. In 1995, he set the school single-season rushing record at the time, later broken by Travis Stephens in 2001, with 1,438 yards and 12 touchdowns.
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After his college career, Graham played with the Baltimore Ravens from 1997 to 1999, the Seattle Seahawks in 2001 and the Green Bay Packers in 2002. He then went to Canada before beginning his coaching career, starting his second stint at Tennessee as a graduate assistant in 2005.
Following that year, he became the running backs coach with the Chattanooga Mocs in 2006, then he held that title and became the recruiting coordinator for the UT Martin Skyhawks in 2007 before joining the Miami RedHawks in 2008 and the South Carolina Gamecocks, serving under Steve Spurrier, from 2009 through 2011.
Graham joins Derrick Ansley and Jim Chaney as members of the Vols’ 2012 staff who are back with the program. He joins Tee Martin as a former Vol coaching the program, and they were actually teammates in 1996.
In addition to Chaney, Graham is even back holding the same positions that they held in 2012, although he could take on the role of special teams coordinator with Kevin Sherrer leaving. Sherrer is the final staff member Pruitt now has to replace.